Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: sheerline on February 24, 2009, 09:04:34 am
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Well, this is a bit embarrassing chaps but there is a lesson here for someone somewhere I suppose.
My 15 year old VW Passat has gone to pastures anew, during a really cold spell a few weeks ago I jumped in the car, having de-iced it and prepared to set off to the ironmongers. Whilst half in the car, i realised I had not opened the gates so thought I would fire the thing up whilst I opened them. I pranged the start button..... the damned thing was in first gear and i had just released the handbrake so instead of lurching and stopping, the engine lit up instantly and she took off towards the upnopened gates with me barely in the drivers seat!
As there was only about 8 feet between me and the gates, it left little time to get on the brakes but i went for the lot big time, completely missed the pedals, and shot through the unopened gates. These are heavy field gates, they open inwards and I succeded in pushing the whole lot outward into the road, smashing everything up as i went. bits of gate shot into the air and came down on the roof, also smashing the windscreen as they went along. I ended up in the roadway with the remainder of the gates wrapped around the car and bits everywhere.
I am not the kind of bloke who dents bodywork normally, it's a pet hate of mine and i have never smashed a car up in my life but there was my old girl battered and bruised and itwas my own stupid fault. I looked it over, reckoned I could still use it till october when the mot ran out and soldiered on....until... a week later, I lost her to an icy patch and went through a fence, smashing a headlight and completly disrupting the front bumper and its mountings!!!
I sat there in disbelief, two prangs in two weeks, more than I have had in a lifetime and thought"I have lost the ability to control my motor vehicle, this is the end for me" I fumbled for my Luger in an attempt to end it all there and then but, as I don't own one I stuffed a chewey mint mint in my mouth and drove the wreck home.
I have given the old girl to my sons friend, he will fix it it up and carry on using it until the end ofthe year then, it's the razor blade factory for her! That was probably the best built and most rewarding vehicle I have owned, it was utterly reliable, tons of room, very economic but could really fly if you gave it the wellie... handled well too for an estate car.
Going completely off the rails, I have gone out and bought a 2 litre Honda CR-V (4wd thingy). It is a most excellent machine in every respect aside from sh--ty gas mileage. They reckon 28mpg average, I am screwing 31mpg out of it so far and they are all short trips at the moment with lots of cold starts. Fabulously comfortable, very relaxing and handles really well. I poodle it around in an unhurried manner and resist the temptation to boot it as I am aware it can be a greedier machine than my old Passat. Perhaps not such a bad thing anyway, it will teach me to slow down a bit, especially as i seem to have forgotten how to handle a car now!!
The lesson here; Always apply your handbrake!! If you get it all wrong one day, do everything out of sequence, disaster will be avoided because you had a permanent lock on your wheels.
The handbrake... it can save you a fortune and save a life... use it!
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A moment's silence for the old Passat... and Sheerline's dignity.......! ok2
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A moment's silence for the old Passat... and Sheerline's dignity.......! ok2
What dignity??It is in tatters!! :police: :police: :police:
Seriously, unlucky amigo, but at least nonone was hurt....At the end of the day they are only tin boxes.......That said I love my Golf 2.0 TDI..
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If you are thinking of buying the new model Passat, here's a tip that will save you a lot of grief - don't.
Cheers
Barry M
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A moment's silence for the old Passat... and Sheerline's dignity.......! ok2
31 MPG from a 2 litre (petrol?) 4WD vehicle isn't bad.
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Sounds like a scene from an old black and white comedy movie. Glad no-one was hurt though, just goes to show what can happen when that momentary lapse of concentration hits.
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Thanks for the kind words of sympathy chaps. There was me banging on a while back about the importance of using handbrakes and now I hang my head in shame.
They always say things come in threes, as a parting gesture, I backed the thing up a concrete ramp when I went to look at the Honda, there was a bit of a step at the edge of the ramp and the mudflap at the rear got caught between the step and the back wheel and tore itself from its anchor point. I just stood and looked at my old faithful steed, battered broken and torn and thought "I did that"... a sad moment indeed.
Perhaps if i had a Luger I should have short the car with it to put it out of it's misery!!
As for the CR-V, totally out of character for me, swore i would never own such a machine but it looked great, drove like a Rolls oyce and with just 72000 on the clock I had to have it. I am working on the fuel comsumption thing, you're right ,31mpg isn't bad, but I reckon I can screw more out of it. The battery had been disconnected as It was kaput and it seems, as with most fuel injected engines, the fuel injection computer seems to reset to some kind of factory de-faut setting. This usually means lousy economy for a bit until it adjusts itself to regular use and inputs from the throttle, whereupon they appear to improveafter a time. I have over the past couple of weeks, been driving around and seen it go from 28mpg in the first week to 31 in the third week. This third week has actually seen many more cold starts and slightly brisker driving than in the first so I reckon I can get more out of it driven normally. I have yet to service it and will probably put a fully synthetic enfgine oil in it, it did wonders for economy and performance on the Passat.
I have to say, without reservation that it is the most cofortable vehicle I have ever owned... even more comfortable than my old Jaguar, not as smooth and quiet but definately more comfortable.
Just out of pure interest, I will update this at some point and let you know how the fuel economy pans out.
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A good friend of mine is a photographer and he had a CR-V. He had over 100,000 miles on it before he deicided it was not as reliable as he needed. He swore it was the best car he had ever had though and would have replaced it if they were still being made.
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Hi Bunkerbarge, I believe they are still being made and in fact heard an advert for a local Honda dealership advertising this same machine.
He may have meant that he would have liked the earlier version (same as mine) as they were reckoned, reliability wise, to be bullet proof , also the styling of the later version appears a little overblown compared to the original. The later version boast a better fuel economy too.
The one i have bought is green, evryone keeps saying "Oh dear, green for grief, green is an unlucky colour for a car"! I point at it's undamaged body work and clean shiny underbonnet machinery, its unmarked interior and state "It was owned by a lady with two children and it is nine years old, the body work is original and it has a clean service history,. Unlucky?? I don't think so!
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Thanks for the kind words of sympathy chaps. There was me banging on a while back about the importance of using handbrakes and now I hang my head in shame.
They always say things come in threes, as a parting gesture, I backed the thing up a concrete ramp when I went to look at the Honda, there was a bit of a step at the edge of the ramp and the mudflap at the rear got caught between the step and the back wheel and tore itself from its anchor point. I just stood and looked at my old faithful steed, battered broken and torn and thought "I did that"... a sad moment indeed.
Perhaps if i had a Luger I should have short the car with it to put it out of it's misery!!
As for the CR-V, totally out of character for me, swore i would never own such a machine but it looked great, drove like a Rolls oyce and with just 72000 on the clock I had to have it. I am working on the fuel comsumption thing, you're right ,31mpg isn't bad, but I reckon I can screw more out of it. The battery had been disconnected as It was kaput and it seems, as with most fuel injected engines, the fuel injection computer seems to reset to some kind of factory de-faut setting. This usually means lousy economy for a bit until it adjusts itself to regular use and inputs from the throttle, whereupon they appear to improveafter a time. I have over the past couple of weeks, been driving around and seen it go from 28mpg in the first week to 31 in the third week. This third week has actually seen many more cold starts and slightly brisker driving than in the first so I reckon I can get more out of it driven normally. I have yet to service it and will probably put a fully synthetic enfgine oil in it, it did wonders for economy and performance on the Passat.
I have to say, without reservation that it is the most cofortable vehicle I have ever owned... even more comfortable than my old Jaguar, not as smooth and quiet but definately more comfortable.
Just out of pure interest, I will update this at some point and let you know how the fuel economy pans out.
I drive a 1.8 petrol Astra, and only manage about 27 miles to the gallon on my short trips (5m) to/from work. Over 17,000 miles it has averaged about 31.5 MPG, so your 2.0 litre Honda is doing well.
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Hi M.I.T.S. I guess it's ok for the type of vehicle really but I was spoiled with the old Passat, 2.0 litre estate, running around usually got between 39-42mpg. Actually squeezed 51.5mpg out of it driving it like a 90 year old on the way back from North Weald last year and I have done that twice now! That was actually checked by logging fuel used against mileage from a full tank and not relying on the fuel computer which, when checked was found to be accurate anyway. Fully synthetic oil is worth every penny by the way.
I will learn to live with it though as I thoroughly enjoy riding in this thing.
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Sheerline,
Quit your crying, my wife (SWMBO) decided that a Jeep Wrangler would be more fuel efficient than the truck that I wanted and I am stuck with 16.5 miles to the gallon and what is worse I have no room for any body in the back seat or for the BOATS >:-o >>:-(. The space in back is about 3'x4' when the back seat is out, heck I very rarely but it in. The only 3 things that even begin to redeem it is the fact that it is a convertible, it is 4 wheel drive and can go just about any where I want to go and is is much more maneuverable than the Expedition would have been. What I wanted was a Ford Diesel Expedition, they get 22 miles to the gallon and can carry half the world with them.
And oh by the way I did almost the very same thing that you did, you drove forward through a gate and I backed through a balcony. I went to start the Jeep only it was in reverse, my foot slipped of the clutch the jeep lurched and then proceeded to back through the support for a balcony taking it out and landing what was left on the roll bar of the Jeep. Since the top was down there was no damage to the top only a small dent it the windshield frame. The top still seals so no water gets in when I drive, in the Great Pacific North Wet this is important. I used to drive tractor trailers and have over a 1,500,000 miles with out any dings or scratches so my dignity also took a major hit. :embarrassed:
Andre
>:-o >>:-( over yonder in Portland Oregon
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A mate of mine did something similar with his SLK Mercedes,
Left it in reverse rather than park whilst he open the garage door. It folded the drivers door into the front wing on the gate post and crossed the road and demolished the house opposite's gate post, while Henry ran after it, no doubt ussing a few choice words.
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You chaps are making me feel MUCH beter by the minute!! :-)) :} 31mpg... heck, I'm running on air by the sound of things!
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So, a Passat is a good starter, then?
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Dear Sheerline,
I hope you put a suitable claim on the Insurance? These things just happen. Accident.
Regards, Bernard
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Sheerline, when that lad's finished with the passat, instead of just taking it straight to the scrapper enter a banger race and send the old girl out in style or failing that go to you nearest out of town shopping centre and do a few doughnuts. :-))
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What a great choice of car :-)) I have a CRV and yes your about right on MPG though start towing and take out a mortgage for your fuel :((
Which model is it ES ?? S ??
when you get to the pond / lake side you can take out the table from the rear and have a place to stand your model's
:-))
R,
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sheerline after reading your posting and feeling a bit sorry for you about the demise of your cherished car, it brought back memories of someone I worked with, Jimmy Dawson, he was going on for weeks and weeks about raising finance and acquiring his new Sierra V6 Gear automatic; and we used to work the same machine at work - he was on permanent days /me on permanent nights. Anyway, when I got into work; there was a note waiting for me on the top of the machine - he had taken half day off to collect his 2nd hand pride and joy Sierra.
Following morning 7 a.m. came and still no Jimmy - 7.10 a.m. I was outside and looking at the gate, 2 crowds of people just outside the main gate.
One side I saw Jimmy sitting on the wall, with 4-5 people standing around him plus one of the Company security guards they thought he would take it out on Ivy and on the other side his wife, Ivy, 2 security guards, a first-aider, and half the wall she was sitting on and his 'new Sierra' rear was embedded in the wall!
Another car was in the middle of the road - with all its back end smashed in - and a car alongside the wall with all its side stoved in.
What had happened; Jimmy had got out of his 'new Sierra' and said to Ivy - DO NOT FORGET THE CAR IS AUTOMATIC - but.....
typical I know, I know, I know Jimmy reckons he hadnt closed the car door when he heard the engine scream and then disappear and plough in the back of another car and next thing he dived for cover and the Sierra came reversing towards him, sideswiped a 2nd car, stoving its side in and then into the wall!!!!
What Ivy had done was thought that the accellerator was the clutch pedal, floored it and then wacked it into Drive mode - the car shot off - she panicked when she hit the first car, put her foot back on the accelerator again and saw the R on the gear stick and pushed it quickly into R which reversed the car and wrecked the drive plates on the gear box as well as wrecking the car.
Jimmy and Ivy are still married.
Funny tail ending to this - Jimmy and Ivy had been trying since they were married to have children - and 3 weeks after that accident - her news was that a baby was on the way. So something somewhere....happened.
aye
john e
bluebird
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Hi Sheerline, I have a CR-V, it is a V reg and I bought her Jan 2001, it has just come up to 60000 miles and she is very reliable. The only fault I have had was the engine water thermostat, which was replaced 3 years ago.
I asked about a Haynes manual but I was told there was no call for one, still the owner manual is very helpful, last thing I did was change a running light bulb, bit of a performance as you have to pull back the inner mud cover over the front wheel.
The only fault I run with is the green led for the auto transmission indicator which has failed and I just don't know how or what to do to get at it.
Also with the auto transmission, you can walk between the front seats to get to the back, not to be recommended while driving though!
The last 2 MOT's, I just drove in and she passed each time.
Fuel consumption (automatic) is about 24 mpg local driving but does get to 30 on a motorway run.
Most people refer to the CR-V as a FWD but most of the time you are in front wheel drive, it is only when there is some slip that the FWD comes in.
Very happy with her, loads of room for my boats in the back
regards to all Roy
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As I said I have a CRV and if you want a manual I have one on CD or you can download one from a Honda owners site I'll sort out a link if you want.
Only problem I have had is transmission but was lucky that Honda warranty covered it when I totalled it towing one of my large trailers
change the oil frequently and that problem is avoided 90,000 on the clock so far and going strong :-)) has towed out several conifer trees and also dragged a tandam axle caravan from Dover to Linconshire no sweat.
R,
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Bluebird, you just had me in fits of laughter with that tale.... poor bloke! Still, as you say, something good came out of it!
Roy, the model I have is a manual five speed so I am expecting much better consumption figures to the auto, I know they are thirsty beggers but I would always choose a manual in any case as my ego gets a kick out of smooth gearchanging. Even my old 4.2 litre Jaguar was a five speed manual, bit of a truck box but I loved it.
As for a workshop manual, you are right, they still dont do one! I didn't know the lamps were accessed from the inner wheel arch, I will have to look at that. I thought that kind of design stupidity was the realm of French cars. I will assume at this stage that Honda have had the forethought to make the job easy, unlike Renault who's bulb changing proceedure takes 20 mins and is a complete fiasco.
When I looked for a replacement car, the main criteria was "Nothing French or Italian up my driveway"!
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Hi CAT, cheers for that! I would welcome the link but as i am a computer cretin, it's possible I may have a problem and if so, would welcome a copy of your cd. See how I get on with your link.
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Hi sheerline,
http://www.hondahookup.com/
regester then on the left side bar select manuals and then go to the one you want to download, I think it will be under accord etc if memory serves me.
If that wont work let me know what year and model type and Ill look through the disks I have here. (yes I have a few lol all Honda from civic to Acura Integra)
R,
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having a problem with that there site CAT. Usual thing ,I followed all the registering rules, filled in the boxes and.... nuffin.! It wont let me do anything, it just sits there, boxes filled in and nothing to click onto and no 'next' box.
I just knew it would dump on me, if you have any ideas, they would be most welcome, failing that, I would welcome any additional help by way of a cd, copy or otherwise.
Thanks for the help and advice so far, I told you these ruddy computers don't like me!
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Just as a re-cap, it is a W reg (2000) 5 speed manual, 2.0 litre. If you need more, let me know, I will get the documents out, cant do it right now as I will wake the missus up!
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sheerline, good to hear after your misshap you are ok,
your tale reminds me of a family friend who had a similar misshap,
his was to a jaguar xj6...a fairly new company car at that time....
it was cold frosty morning, he went out and fired up the jag, turned the heaters on to 'defrost' the car, and dived back indoors to finish his last slurp of tea and grab his coat and briefcase, went back out to the car opened the drivers door and passed his briefcase and coat across onto the passenger seat... the passengers door could not be opened due to the driveway being down the side of the house and the passenger side being adjacent to the wall....
after this everything is a little unclear,
but the briefcase appears to have shifted this auto jag into drive..somehow....
because his xj6 set off up the driveway with chokes 'on' - it sped throught the garage door into his wifes car parked in the garage !
the garage had to be demolished and rebuilt due to damage to the brick pier supporting the roof, the jag was a write off and his wifes mazda mx5 was a very low very sleek sportscar after the incident,
the mazda spent weeks in the body shop but was repaired beautifully....
again no one was hurt apart from his pride ... imagine explainig that one to the fleet manager !
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Thanks for that Guy. Very sad story that. The thought of a two ton Jag lit up with no one at the controls is scary. Mine would drive itself on a cold morning till the temperature rose slightly and the injection system begun to cut back. I would love to own another one, the only thing stopping me is practicality... I just couldn't transport anything in it and since starting the business, I need to move stuff around. If I didn't own the old Austin and the garage was freed up, I would definately have another.
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Try hitting the Enter button; this tends to work for me when they don't put in a next button.
Islander51.
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Tried it Islander 51, tried every button after that too, but nothing worked for me! It is me, I know it is because other people seem to manage but a Mayhemmer has come to my rescue now so I think I will be ok from here on in.
Many thanks for the advice, it may comein useful next time round.
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Thanks for that Guy. Very sad story that. The thought of a two ton Jag lit up with no one at the controls is scary. Mine would drive itself on a cold morning till the temperature rose slightly and the injection system begun to cut back. I would love to own another one, the only thing stopping me is practicality... I just couldn't transport anything in it and since starting the business, I need to move stuff around. If I didn't own the old Austin and the garage was freed up, I would definately have another.
I know what you mean. In the early 80's I had a beautiful red XJ6 which burned petrol at a frightening rate but was a beautiful car to drive; a flying armchair. The the family came along and the impossibility of getting a pram into the boot became obvious. Since then it's estates and hatchbacks. Mind you, it also means I can get a ship model in the rear also and so it's not all gloom. :-)
Just don't buy a new model Passat. :(( :(( >:-o
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H Barry,my old jag was an XJ series three, 4.2l, 5speed manual in Sebring red, it was the smmothedt thing on four wheels and when you gunned it, the engine used to deliver the goods with a beautiful suppressed growl. I just loved looking down that bonnet. I used to get anything from 18mpg to 22 mpg out of it. like all old Jags, it loved to rot and when i bought it, the first thing I found wrong with it was a leaking heater matrix. I had had it a week at the time and set about replacing the heater core... not a job for the faint hearted!! When i finally reached the heater, my dream car looked like someone had thrown a hand grenade into it!
I only intende to own it for one year, it stayed with mefor ten years, became a lobour of love as I rebuilt it from front to back, including the engine and rear transmission.
I eventually swapped it for an old 16ft clinker built mahogony motor boat which is still not finished and sits on it's trailer at the bottom of my garden........finish it one day! The chap who had my Jag is still using it eight years on and still loves and cherishes it. It's nice to see it still running around as it's local and I see him and chat with him about it occasionally.
As for the later Passats, I was severely tempted by a 130bhp Diesel estate but didn't like the interior much, plus it had had a new wimg fitted and no sunroof. I have heard they are not the wonder machines the old bus used to be and are certainly not as easy to work on, beyond that, I haven't heard any other horror stories so I guess you know something I don't. Sounds like they have gone downhill somewhat?
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Two years ago when it came to replacing 'Old Faithful', my Volvo V70, it came down to another V70 or a Passat Estate. The latter won out on the grounds of price and fuel economy. I bought a Passat SE 2.0 diesel estate with the Geartronic box. It was the wrong move.
Because the roof has no gutters over the doors and the sides curve outwards, water or snow collects on the door seal. Open any door and this falls directly onto the seats. Not a good start to a journey.
Climb in, look around and notice the thick 'A' and 'B' pillars; these seriously affect vision and can lead to some heart-stopping moments unless one is very, very careful at all times.
Start it up and, unless the 'S' or manual options are selected, it is very slow off the mark. This can be improved by a heavy foot but it makes for a very jerky start. Once running, performance is reasonable and fuel consumption is excellent.
Switch on the window wipers and then come to a halt (say) to wait at a junction. The wipers will then go into the next lower speed; i.e. from 'high speed' to 'low speed' or from 'low speed' to 'intermittent'. Thus, just when you want the fewest distractions to your view, the car tries to obscure it. This is part of the design (!)
Shortly after collecting the car I noticed that rounding any bend produced the sound of something rolling from side to side in the tailgate. The local dealer extracted a surplus nut left behind by the factory.
After that, I noticed that there was no flow through the air vent for the back seat passengers. Back to the local agent who discovered that a section of piping and a control valve had not been fitted by the factory.
Next, I found that applyiing throttle would not always give a response; sometimes the car would accelerate, sometimes it would not respond and sometimes it would stall. Finding this out while pulling out to accelerate is not recommended! Back to the VW dealer who said that it was the result of a fuse failing in the ABS!
"An intermittent fault caused by a fuse blowing?"
"Ah yes, sometimes the fuse blows but then it reconnects."
Reconnecting fuses are a new concept to me.
That fault has not reappeared but the faulty sump level sensor was the next reason to take the car back to the dealer.
About a year after I bought it, I noticed that the rear bumper upper surface showed signs of rubbing against the bottom of the tailgate. The two have clearance when at rest and so I assume that the rear bumper is flexible enough to move up and down and foul when the car's in motion. Back to the dealer who inspected it and then said the adjustment work would be done under warranty. I was waiting for the paperwork to be raised when the warranty manager changed her mind and said that the work was not covered as all bodywork defects had to be advised in the first six months of ownership. At the time I accepted this but checked my copy of the Warranty and found no such condition. (VW had changed the small print meantime.) I challenged this with VW Customer Service; a misnomer if ever there was one and the position has never been resolved.
Now the parking sensors are playing up; sounding when nothing is close to the car. So far the dealer cannot find the fault.
In short, in terms of driving satisfaction, build quality, service from Eastern Western Motor Group and VW generally would I buy another Volkswagen? My answer would not be acceptable in a family forum. >:-o >:-o >:-o
Barry M
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My x reg passat diesel has now 195000 on the clock, average mpg around town is 42, 56 mpg on a long run and one day last summer it managed an astonishing 63. something but that was on a 100 mile journey in slow moving summer traffic. Original engine and gearbox and it doesn't burn any more oil than it did at 35000 miles. Big bill for flywheel and clutch but overall good. I have heard mixed reports on newer models which are possibly too hi tec.
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Thats quite a catalogue of problems Barry, methinks I have made the right move with my Honda as it is fairly mechanically and electrically basic. I have never been a lover of hi tech 'Junk' in cars and have always managed to avoid buying the top of the range model of anything. Problem is, these days even base models sport some kind of high tech trickery somewhere. Your self mending fuse problem is obviously a load of bull which the garage has pumped out because they don't know what the problem really is. If it were at all related to this fuse, it may simply be that the fuse holder was intermittent. My experience of garages has been a bad one 99% of the time so I never use them. i do it all myself. The only time I did was again, like you, a VW dealership and found not only lousy levels of customer service but poor quality workmanship bordering on incompetence to downright dangerous lack of attention!
It would appear that although many people have had excellent service from thier vehicles, the odd one which gives problems will leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth as the dealerships obviously don't seem to care too much whether you are satisfied or not. Well, it is coming home to them now aint it! They are offering anything from huge discounts to weeks holidays if you buy one of their new cars and even if i had the money, I would not grace the showroom of a VW dealership round here whilst I have a hole in my b-m!
I am in the fortunate position of being able to afford a second hand car which I have allowed a rich person to buy and run in for me! :}
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I can't agree more about franchised dealers. They seem to be picked on their ability to fulfil some manufacturer's executives idea of what he would like to see, rather than any actual ability to do the job.
I have a Renault. When the key died I was stuck with the local Renault dealer. A fortnight for an appointment to test that the key was broken, minimum cost £80. (The spare worked, I could have told them that for free). Another three weeks for the replacement to arrive "It has to come from France, sir" (Did it have to save up and queue for its own ticket? - I have had stuff delivered the following day from French suppliers) and the appointment to have it programmed, cost of key and another £80 minimum charge. After about 40 minutes, the alleged mechanic told me "It won't program sir" "Really, it should, you are talking about the new one you just got out of the stores like it says on your job sheet?" "Er Um". Disappeared. 15 minutes later, reappeared. All working. So the £80 minimum fee is for a quarter of an hours work and half an hour kip.
A few months later, I got a customer service call from the agency. Was I delighted with their service? No. Why ever not? So I explained my point.
Unless forced to, I would avoid any main agent at any saving. There is a small collection of motor engineering firms just up the road from me who I have a good relationship with. They do good work at sensible prices and realistic time scales.
Sadly, although more modern cars are more economical and probably more reliable, it is almost impossible to get away from the curse of modern technology - nothing is repairable, and modules that need replacing are invariably expensive and need specialist tools.
I feel better now.
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Main agents are not always so bad. A few years back I had to put a Vauxhall into a franchised dealer in Aberdeen for an auto gearbox fault. They attempted to fix it as first the mechanic, then the Workshop Foreman, then the Service Manager tried to pin down the problem. After two days of trying, they admitted they would have get back to the factory and involve them in the fault finding.
Expecting to be hit with a big bill, I asked them how much it was up to that date. They said "Nothing - we won't charge you because we haven't fixed the fault". Note that the car was not under Warranty. Eventually, they found the fault which was fixed for £36 parts and labour. Thereafter, for as long as I lived in that city, they had all my servicing work.
Sometimes you find a good'un.
Barry M
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I would agree with that Barry. I bought my Mondeo nearly new from a Ford dealer in Horsham, Sussex. Several routine services at a quite reasonable price, minor damage repaired also at a good price. Part of the deal was a free MOT for while I own the car. Took it in for the fisrt time last week and passed, nothing to pay. Some garages would have found something that needed doint even if it was only to replace the wiper blades. :-))
Colin
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I have only ever experienced one main dealer who not only did a good job in the appointed time but also did not rip me off....and that was the jaguar agent Michael Powells in Norwich. They replaced two broken front springs and delivered the car to my home for me ,12 miles away, at no extra cost. I only rang them up initially enquiring about the cost of springs , the guy at the desk suggsted they do the job and the price he quoted me was so reasonable that I caved in and let their chaps do it instead.
Every other main agent i ever dealt with usually turned out to be a bunch of useless rip off liars. I accused the manager of the VW Garage of incompetence (long story) and told him one job which took them all afternoon to fix and subsequently failed to do, could have been done by a child with two spanners. I actually did it myself in five minutes after they returned it to me......A rattling exhaust pipe !
A definite case of NOT getting what you pay for.
I avoid them like the plague, they don't care because they all get paid at the end of the month irrespective of how good or bad they are.
Take your car to a small one man business, he cares because he wants you to come back and doesn't want a bad name!! :-))
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A moment's silence for the old Passat... and Sheerline's dignity.......! ok2
31 MPG from a 2 litre (petrol?) 4WD vehicle isn't bad.
i get 40mpg on a run from a 2.0ltr diesel serena, not measured the urban.
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Funny tail ending to this - Jimmy and Ivy had been trying since they were married to have children - and 3 weeks after that accident - her news was that a baby was on the way. So something somewhere....happened.
Yeah, humans are more susceptible to procreate when in near-death areas of their lives... the romantic encounter with a stranger during an air-raid, etc. O0
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Glad someone fired this thread up again, I had promised to come back with an economy figure on my Honda CR-V for those who may be interested. I took it from Norwich to Whitstable in Kent a couple of weeks ago, ran it around down there for a couple of days and by the time I got home, had covered 400 miles.
Calculated the fuel used against mileage and wound up with 35.95 mpg. Not too bad I guess, considering the type of vehicle but hoped I might get just a little more. Running it around here, I can still get 32 mpg so it's not astronomically much better on a run.
Must be the drag factor I suppose.
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Must be the drag factor I suppose.
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Yes, and the rest... wide tyres with more rubber in contact, it may be geared for towing, it's a big engine and it's a big heavy car. You should count yourself lucky you don't have a range rover... I once had to put petrol in one of them.. jeez... they should come with a warranty and a peronal oil derrick.
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On the original topic it's amazing how many accidents happen like this.
Some year ago a friend was working on his Granada, on the drive in front of the garage.
Engine running, bonnet up, he sat sidesaddle on the drivers seat to do something.
Knocked it into drive, car went forward, open door hit the garage side, wrapped the car door around his legs.
Car carried on, garage door support collapsed, roof of garage collapsed onto the car.
The car only stopped when it hit the back wall.
Mrs came out to invetsigate the noise, garage roof and door had completely covered the car and all was silent.
She called fire brigade who dug my friend out concussed and with a badly bruised leg not to mention ego.
New bonnet and door, paint and a vinyl roof kit and the car was OK. Garage had to be rebuilt.
To this day he does not remember why he lent into the car.
Must be a moral somewhere.
Mark
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Hi TCC, it's a heavy machine, thats for sure but I guess it's not as heavy as some of it's British counterparts but I'm guessing here. The gearing is the same as for an ordinary car, in fact it's rpm versus road speed is exactly the same as the old VW warhorse which preceeded it as well as being the same engine capacity.
Whats really interesting here is that I treated it to Super Unleaded fuel instead of the ordinary cheaper unleaded variety. Everyone said it would give better fuel economy as well as a little more power. Considering I am a pretty lightfooted driver when I need to be and didn't give the thing loads of acceleration welly or caned it down the motorway (60-65mph), it only produced and extra 4-5mpg on that long trip over and above what it gives normally on cheap fuel running around here.
I put it down to aerodynamics and the additional mechanical drag associated with the four wheel drive gear train.
Still, despite that, the payoff was the relaxed and most comfortable ride of any vehicle I have owned so far, so it's worth the extra fuel just to enjoy the ride that much.
Inkmark, we all take our vehicles for granted and forget quite what we're dealing with at times. I suppose they have become so sophisticated and predictable that we get lulled into a false sense of security.
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Hi sheerline, great choice on car :-)) by the way though it looks like a 4 X 4 it is infact a front wheel drive car, with a transmission that will allow drive to the rear axle only if the front drive train slips and as soon as the drive is restored to the front the rear axle is released from the drive line.
I keep my CRV in as tip top condition as I can I put a fuel additive in every other tank full and use semi synthetic oil, the transmission oils are changed at regular times, tyres are kept at pressure etc etc.
Oh and in winter I remove the AC belt.
I have been with Honda's now for the last 3 cars and they are IMHO the best ride for comfort as well as carrying things like my boats.
R,
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Hi CAT, yes, you're right, it is a part time fwd machine and I rather like that. One of the most important features of this system is to regularly have the transmission oil changed. I went on the Honda forum to look at some of the comments on there... very enlightning.
I serviced the engine before setting off to kent, new oil filter, air filter and engine oil. I am using a fully synthetic 5W/40 engine oil. This oil gives superior lubrication with minimal engine drag so I think I have done all I can to maximise the efficiency....oh, I also stuck an extra 4psi in the tyres just to help things along.
Since buying it, I've had ALL the belts changed plus both rubber rear swing arm bushes. By the way, this will interest you specifically as a CR-V owner... you don't have to buy the Honda bushes at £50-00 ea, you can fit the ones supplied for Rover at a third of the cost. Same bush... different price! I have to confess, I chickened out of these jobs, I was rather busy so gave it to a local small garage business in Acle to do. I never like anyone working on my car but these guys are good, very concsientious and thorough and don't rip me off.
I just got through giving the undersides a complete scrub down with Transwash, came up like new and after a week of dry weather, sprayed the whole lot with a gallon of Waxoyl just to keep it all sound... I do it with every car I have ever owned and they never rust.
All this will bore the pants of a lot of the guys looking in (sorry men) but, I know you have an interest in this area as a fellow owner.
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Ah a man after my own heart.... :-))
I have done the same as you with the under body, yes I know about the parts O0 also I have had the ECU (up rated) slightly not a big reason for this but I do tow with the car and I have now got a little more humph than I did have from the std settings I had it done 5 years ago and after the first time had to have it redone to get what I wanted, the car would fly! which is not what I needed.
R,
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CAT, I suppose that uprate on the ecu really screwed up the economy figure didn't it?
Do you know of any other parts peculiar to this machine that are interchangeable in the same way the Rover bushes were?
Something interesting I found on the Honda forum...there is a light clonk which comes from the rear of the vehicle at times, it's difficult to pin down. Some bloke on there discovered that it's caused by the rear lower door stay bush where it anchors to the body. He was right on the money, mine does it so I am going to turn up a new one on the lathe..... when I get a break from building kits that is...HHMMMMM.
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Bahh.. how do you all manage to drive that way and keep your sanity? I get 29Mpg out of a 1.6 Clio auto on a 75mile motorway journey <:( I really tried a couple of time and got 38mpg but it was just too much effort to do regularly :((
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The car (CRV 1999) is made up of Honda accord which is also along the same lines as the rover group so front disc's and brake items are the same as rover (cant remember the numbers at the moment) 216 I think.
I do all my own work on the car and use pattern parts without any problems, the local motorfactors where I get my bits (when required) are very good at matching up items.
Saying that I haven't had to change much in the 5 years I have owned this car, a set of front disc's and pads, cam belt, plugs, tyres and wiper blades.
I got a new exhaust a rear anti-roll bar a swing arm bush, rear bumper spare wheel (alloy) and a spare carrier all down to being rear ended.
when I got the car it's milage was 41316
at the last MOT the milage is now at 92497
which dont sound too bad until you work out that for 6 months of a year the car sits around as I am at work aboard a ship %%
The front disc's had to be changed due to a stone gouging a grove in the NS outer edge. I did manage to destroy my transmission (my fault) (dont tell Honda)
I was towing a trailer with far too much on it and gave the car the full monty while turning on a hill this resulted in a wheel spin then a loud bang and then the car had a great deal of trouble going round corners. much heart ache and stress!
so dont tow too much :-))
the too much I an talking about is around the 2 tonne on a tri-axle. (I would not normally do any thing like that but with the tri-axle it is hard to see what weight is on it)
R,
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Mankster, I've always been careful but shall we just say a tad brisk when driving on motorways. I regularly used to drive 400 miles to Scotland, always did it at night when the roads were comparitively empty and didn't hang about.
Since buying this machine I have slowed down for several reasons. It is greedy on fuel if it's caned and i hate giving my money to Mr Brown and his band of theives, also, it is really pleasant to drive this thing at a slightly lower speed as it's effortless, relaxing and very stress free. Lastly, if I drive at 60mph as opposed to 70mph, in one hours driving, I would have only covered an extra 10 miles which equates to an extra 10 mins travelling time at my slower speed, plus I saved some money on fuel.
You must be giving that Clio some boot if you are getting that kind of consumption. Another thing, I see alot of motors go careering past only to catch em up when they hit the queue up ahead.
Make no mistake, I used to own a Jaguar and I can belt the hell out of a car when I want :police:, I have done it for years but only with the right car in the right place and at the right time.
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I am in the same frame of mind as you sheerline I drive at around the 55/60 mark and get to my destination a few minutes later than I would at the high end of speeds in this country plus I don't get the dreaded speeding ticket!
I'm looking at changing my CRV for a younger model but wont be going for the latest version as the rear windows are now different and from a test drive the view is so restricted now. Honda have shaped the chrome so it gives the impression it is not a 4 x 4 shape which is sad as they have spoilt what is a great car.
My daughter drives a Peugeot (pig on tread) and at her tender age of 30 she still cant get a good fuel consumption. It is all down to the way you drive, hard acceleration, cornering and braking all add to drinking that fuel, and what does it get you? less dosh in your pocket %) not only in fuel bills but also tyres, brake parts, and steering joints etc etc. but each to his/her own, I'm happy with my lot :-))
R,
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I'm with on this CAT, I don't like the look of the later models either. They actually look as though they tried too hard too change what was a good design and shape , it all looks too overblown and now it has lost it's appeal. You often find this with car companies. We have a Honda Civic, first of the earlier new shape hatchbacks from about six yars ago. Although I like the back end of the new one, the front is not very appealing at all, doubtless it's a good car but it doesn't appeal to me like the earlier one.
As for French cars, when I was on the hunt for a new car, salesmen would come up to me and ask me what I was looking for.... all I would say is "nothing French or Italian will find itself up my driveway"!!