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Diesel Car – Issue 380 – October 2018
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Diesel Car – Issue 381 – November 2018
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Diesel Car – Issue 382 – December 2018
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Diesel Car – Issue 383 – Christmas 2018
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Diesel Car – Issue 384 – January 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 385 – February 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 386 – March 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 387 – April 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 388 – May 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 389 – June 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 390 – July 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 391 – August 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 392 – September 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 393 – October 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 394 – November 2019
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Diesel Car – Issue 395 – December 2019
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Ignoring the daft name, I think it looks great, a MINI I’d buy, and in the genuine spirit of the original. Quite a bit if the ACV 30 in the profile. Wheels are a bit too big though! Look forward to seeing the production version, just a pity they couldn’t squeeze an extra seat in the back.
Ignoring the daft name, I think it looks great, a MINI I’d buy, and in the genuine spirit of the original. Quite a bit if the ACV 30 in the profile. Wheels are a bit too big though! Look forward to seeing the production version, just a pity they couldn’t squeeze an extra seat in the back.
The kuga’s a great car.
The kuga’s a great car.
Hi Ian, I just launched a new community for Qashqai owners and was hoping you could add it to your list of useful contacts? It’s http://www.qashqaiforums.co.uk – we’re brand new and could do with some support if possible 🙂
Hi Ian, I just launched a new community for Qashqai owners and was hoping you could add it to your list of useful contacts? It’s http://www.qashqaiforums.co.uk – we’re brand new and could do with some support if possible 🙂
Good news for Ford, as if they weren’t doing OK anyway!!
I have the short wheel base but still a big car and l love it.
Can’t believe they actually apply. I always figured for safety they would only apply when sat stationary!!
The EPB on my Jaguar XF only operates on the rear wheels ( like a conventional handbrake) and operation is inhibited if the vehicle is moving and throttle is applied.
Peugeot 505 “…almost three metres long…” – wow, about the same as a Toyoya iQ then!
I am expecting to take delivery of my new Qashqai Acenta Premium at the end of May, and am really excited. This will be my 2nd Acenta on the Motability Scheme. i am still slightly peeved that Nissan cannot see their way to supplying something as basic as floor-mats, or mud-flaps as standard though !!
Pity you have to change (and pay for) a new fuel filter every 4000 miles, here in the UK as well. Not exactly a work horse! Even a Ferrari doesn’t need such mollycoddling.
Finally a rusty duster owner has had reject upheld but @daciauk still says rust not an issue. http://t.co/6UwUONlJN2
What I love about the Aygo is how you can make it so unique to your own taste, and the new X shape front gives it a completely new outlook, it looks much more futuristic, and has a touch of the BMW i3 look on the go (to me, anyway)
is there still no 4 motion , multi function steering wheel , cruise control , xenon headlights as standard then
i d rather not have the kenwood up grade , quilted leather seats and sportline 60 logos if it means some of the above get fitted or even offered as an option
most people i speak to are of the same opinion how is it you can get a highline with equipment that you cant get on the sportline
the sportline should be the flag ship model with everything available to it i would even like to see an R version with a go faster engine in it
still i can always go see the guys at custom vanz and get a raceline upgrade i suppose
i still want one though cant wait to order it
Agree, the 6-speed on the current Honda CR-V 2.0 1.6 i-DTEC SR is exactly the same. Frustrating to find the right gear to be in for most conditions. 4th, 5th and 6th are particularly boggling.
I bought a 2.0 CDTi Insignia a few years ago from “Arnold Clark” but they accidentally delivered an “Ecoflex” version which has a super high 6th ( and the rest!) gear,
The car which I drove on test was non ecoflex and drove ever so much better. Possibly due to all the gear changes, the mpg was poorer than expected.
Fortunately, the dealer recognised the mistake and replaced with a proper Insignia – free! I have the 6 speed auto which complements the electronic handbrake
hi there, just had this come through on Facebook because I subscribe to your mag and was very interesting .
Thought I would get in touch as if it was me I would stick with the pirellis as I have gone the other way from the Michelin lattitude sport to the pirrelli scorpion as having bought an evoque in June which was equipped with the Michelins and was very disappointed in the wet grip.
I admit the tyres were down to just under 5mm tread left when I bought the car but the grip at low speeds in the wet was atrocious and felt like I was driving on ice .
Had the tracking checked and was fine and tyre pressures were as recommended so changed to the pirellis and everthing is fine now .
the best tip i can give about tyres is insa turbo tyres thay are just great my 4/4 hase gone from 23 to 28 on the echo tyre been on them from 2008 rangers 7.20mm left on 400e for 4 fitted lots of offroad towing fast road save your doe
peter
Toyota innovation is all very well. Having had experience of the product and dealer network a few years ago, and seeing the level of problematic product, I think I might not be alone in expressing the view that Toyota needs to look hard at the present products, in terms of design, build quality and dealer support. When I bought a new Yaris it was a dire experience. A recent brief drive suggests that little has changed.
The IVT will never make oem production.
IMO the noise will persit with however many patent updates are given.
Noise equates to heat wear and in the end failure
The ivt noise issue in the MTD lawnmower was caused by a cheap epicyclic gearset, which has been superceded by a new design which eliminated this noise. The Volvo protype was built as a proof of concept without any sound proofing or purpose built vacuum pump, which areboth easily remedied. Neither the mKers nor the TRK IVT are inheretly noisey.
Qote from testing Vovo S60 T5 June 14
“That said, it does need polishing – some silencing here and crash-testing there. But a similar system has been used (and crashed) in F1 and LMP1, so safety is not a concern. And we’re told silencing is easy enough and wasn’t a priority for this mule.”
And what about the noisy ivt turbo [Renault] never to see the light of day it seems.
IMO the discs and rollers will never be OEM mass produced in numbers to the tolerances required for the units to work for any working period of time.
Why are the using a diesel if they are doing 2,000 miles a year?
Not only will the engine rarely get up to operating temprature, but the DPF will be clogging up every 500 miles.
When are these being released in the UK? In dying need of face lifting mine
That’s impressive ‘real world’ fuel economy for a car that’s fairly bulky. Quite a good looking one too.
A few years ago I had a similar problem, although im my case the police were not involved. My insurance was however cancelled and I was blacklisted by my insurance company who told me I would find it difficult to get insurance elsewhere in future. As it was a bank error (which the bank admitted) I asked the bank to contact the insurance company and sort the matter out…which they did. My insurance company re-instated my policy and removed me from the blacklist (if it even exists). Perhaps in this case the bank will do the same for you. If the insurance company agrees hopefully the case dissapears as your insurance would be valid.
Hi
Could you tell me please what subaru foresters are available on motability.
And is there any more vehicles becoming available in the near future.
Hi Philip. Two Foresters are available on Motability, 2.0 XE 4WD and 2.0D XC 4WD.
In March, automatic variants join the range, but we aren’t sure whether they will be available on Motability.
How has the car been so far? I have a 6 month old Clio dci, 8000 miles on the clock and with my not so heavy footed drive style, I also get around 57 mpg… Ever since the beginning. I would achieve around 70-80, provided I was driving 40-50 miles tops, and if I drive above 75 miles per hour, my usage does not get below 57 mpg. It is probably normal?
I will always remember in 1969 when my dad brought home what was to become my mothers biggest fear, and my dads favourite car, right to the day he died. A white Audi Super 90 (CXF 62G) what a fabulous car, my mother feared it because it was so fast, I remember the day we went to collect it from the dealership in Plymouth, we went into town and went to park on a meter, 15 mins later we couldn’t find reverse gear, we had to call the garage who came out to explain to Dad how to engage reverse, he didn’t live that one down for quite a while. I wish I could find one today, loved that car.
Thanks for this review, and in particular the solution to the “press dot” dilemma, which struck without warning yesterday. Overall though, our 2013 “sexy four” AWD S has won our hearts (with the exception of the radio blare at start-up). Zippy, spacious and comfortable, it’s very capable in the city and on the highway. We’ve also driven on farm paddocks and tracks with no problems and we tow a 750Kg rated trailer with no difficulty. We’ve made use of the deep boot to replace the standard space-saver with a full size spare after a long embarrassing drive home on the freeway (motorway) at 80 Km/hr. A coupler nut and a piece of threaded rod to extend the tie down point and the new wheel fits snugly and securely under the removable boot floor.
Interesting article. It’s a shame that the Rover SD1 Diesel didn’t capture the market British Leyland had intended. It was such a beautiful looking car, the best looking car since Rover’s early P6. I hear that under British Leyland, quality control was iffy at best, unforgivable at worst.
I’ve had a fair few transporter sportslines from the 174 to the new 180 I had a candy 2012 plate that was fantastic only issue was tyre wear which I found out was the suspension fitted from factory and not torqued correctly now this van handled hard and held the road great I have just PX for the new sportsline 60 I’ve got to say I’m very disappointed as it has silly stickers mud flaps and the ride height is too high it handles like crap and the wheels do not hug the arches I can see me off loading this van real soon it’s a shame and I am gutted I off loaded me 2012 plate alls I can do is lower the suspension tighten it up and get Celtic tuning to supply a chip that’s the only way to put a smile back on my face
Hi, I have a 2014 Grand Scenic, and have the same Unpredictable start stop system, but also have the addition of a voltmeter on my dash so I can monitor the battery voltage and thus state of charge. From new the battery was 12.7 (90%SOC)v, over 9 months this has dropped to 12.2v (50% SOC).
The system appears to have no algorithm for journey types or individual use. Most owners will not be aware of the daily damage being inflicted on the repeated deep discharges to the battery until 2-3 years down the line when warranty has expired that they will require a new battery. Any costs saved by the start stop technology will be wasted on purchasing regular new batteries.
I had it checked out during my recent service, but as no fault codes were logged, Renault say everthing is fine and working as it should.
I have a keen interest in ensuring my batteries are charging due to previously had a 2013 Smax that suffered 4 non starts ( after not being used for as 4 days), a replacement battery and 30 days in the service department in 18 months of ownership.
I also have a GTTDI Golf for the last 14 years that has only ever had 1 battery, left for weeks on end and still starts every time.
Your comments about the Mazda CX 3 look interesting and will be considered when it comes to changing my current Mecedes C class
Our auto diesel Outlander 62, does 41-43 on motorway trips at 68-70mph. It loves poodling when mpg rockets. e.g.using adaptive cruise and sitting on the back of an HGV i have got over 6ompg recording before I left the motorway after 24mile journey.
Our auto diesel Outlander 62, does 41-43 on motorway trips at 68-70mph. It loves poodling when mpg rockets. e.g.using adaptive cruise and sitting on the back of an HGV i have got over 6ompg recording before I left the motorway after 24mile journey.
There is another solution for commercial vehicles – a Thermoline fuel heater (go and Google it for more info). Developed by Raychem Corporation and sold today by e.g. Eberspacher, this in-line fuel heater heats fuel flowing from the tank to the filter to above the temperature that wax crystals (more a sludge than spiky crystals in reality)start to form. Extensive cold-chamber testing many years ago in the UK convincingly showed that such heaters would even clear a clogged filter allowing a bogged-down tractor unit to be restarted. Admittedly, improvements (higher cold filter plug point)in winter-grade fuel and warmer UK winters have reduced the probability of cold-weather problems.
Fuel range has shown itself to be inaccurate as well suddenly goes to zero ! Dacia DCI
Picked up my 65 plate Yeti 2.0 TDI 01.09.15 but was not told anything about adding any additives to the fuel system. After 301 miles warning light on dash told me to stop driving and refer to Garage as engine might not start. Email sent to Skoda as on site Eng could not remove warning. See you in 4/5 days as Im on holiday. Might have to replace Adblue tank! This is my 5th Skoda and the last!
While it isn’t great that your Skoda dealer didn’t mention that you’ll need to top up with AdBlue, and that something going wrong so early in the car’s life isn’t good, inevitably cars do go wrong, whatever brand, make or model. With so many components making up a car, it only takes one problem to cause an issue. What is important is how your dealer responds to the issue and how they put it right – that will tell you more about whether you should stick with the Skoda brand, or seek out another when it comes to change.
According to Volvo’s top engine man, though all diesel engines recently sold within the EC will run on the lowest Cetane diesel and lowest Ron petrol, they are actually calibrated and optimised for the very best diesel and petrol for the ECDC tests, for the obvious reason that it gives them the best chance of a low CO2 and fewer litres per 100 kilometres. The key to getting better fuel economy is more torque at low revs without any adjustment to fuelling, because that allows you to change up earlier for the same performance and, in general, the lower the revs you use, the better economy. That all makes sense to me, but maybe I misinterpreted the man from Volvo.
HJ
There is no need to remove the dpf nor pay for its replacement, simply have it professionally cleaned which is done without removing by injecting the cleaning agents into the pressure sensor connection.
There is a laboratory proven diesel additive that I use for my wife’s car (which does a lot of short journeys) to help keep clean and clear the dpf. It is called Envirox. It was developed at Oxford University and claims to be able to assist in removing excess soot deposits from the DPF by reducing their ignition temperature. Seems to be backed up by scientific tests. I have found it effective in getting the DPF light to go out on her car after relatively short fast drives. Regular use apparently will reduce blockages occurring, even if a mainly short journey driving style is common. Try looking for Envirox DPF assist and their routine fuel additive Envirox. I have no financial interest in this company, although I did once work for Oxford University – where I heard about this from an academic. Not the cheapest additive, but my experience is that it appears effective. Perhaps Dr Diesel may want to look at this for a special issue on additives?
What (if any) are the implications for UK VW Audi tdi vehicles following yesterday’s (18Sept15) U.S. EPA’s recall order for the use of a “defeat device” to evade clean air standards ? How do the Californian regs compare to Euro 6 ? Assume they are tougher.
From personal experience it is not so much the cars that are causing the poor air quality (smokes and smogs) visible in cities but the buses, delivery trucks and taxis that use the road continuously during the day. You always see a very few cars that produce a cloud of smoke on heavy acceleration from the lights but the vast majority don’t. Has anyone done any comparative studies on the sources of the particulates in cities? If these were actually published I think we would see that the most significant sources were taxis and older HGVs, not the private citizen in his car. Perhaps the government should tighten up the legislation applying to delivery vehicles used in city centres so their emissions were checked more frequently and the police/environmental health bodies were used to do stop and check at the roadside.
It is not a good idea to fiddle with emissions control systems.
Just ask VW/Audi, they are facing criminal proceedings in the USA, they sold almost half-million-diesel VW/Audi cars between 2009 and 2015 with a “defeat device” in the ECU computer.
The defeat device allowed the cars to recognize and pass emissions testing compliance, without the device Nox output from the exhaust became 10 to 40 times the legal limit.
VW/Audi could be fined up to $37500 per car i.e $18 billion.
Here is the Notice of Violation served to VW / Audi
http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/documents/vw-nov-caa-09-18-15.pdf
I guess it is not just VW/Audi who have such defeat devices in their diesel car Nox control ECus and the problem is probablu Industry-wide
The issue here is NOT fuel economy!
The issue is ILLEGAL TOXIC levels of EXHAUST POLLUTION by VW/Audi diesel cars
The heading is mis-representative.
The issue is NOT fuel economy.
The issue is TOXIC EXHAUST EMISSIONS 10 to 40 times the legal limits and CHEATING by the Manufacturer
I would not be surprised to see this investigation extended world-wide with some other large manufacturers being similarly put in the frame as many of the emissions figures for more powerful cars, in particular, are probably impossible to replicate in real life driving conditions. I also suspect that many of the claimed emissions for petrol cars are similarly dubious.
where does that leave existing owners of the new Citan. I bought my Citan 111
in May 2015
Will the Bentley diesel variant also have the VW emissions test software? 😉
I wouldn’t imagine that Bentley will put the 2.0-litre TDI engine in it, and that’s the only engine that has been confirmed as being affected by Volkswagen’s tricks so far.
I guess it is the same as buying any product. You take a gamble that the company won’t bring out a better one a few weeks later.
“If the results favouring some cars (and manufacturers) above others regarding control of NOx cannot be related to the differences between these two NOx control systems, then somebody, or some body, needs to get stuck in and identify the correct reasons. It cannot be a mystery, there are reasons, and they are there waiting to be identified!”
They didn’t wait that long, just six weeks after your article we know the awful truth! 🙂
K.
It’s good that VW are working for a solution to bring our cars in line with the regulations. However, I bought my car for trailer towing as such I would not like to lose performance or to find an increase in fuel consumption.
Picked up a new VW CC 2.0 TDI BMT 177PS on 18.09.15 from showroom. It is not Euro 6 complaint. From what I understand all NEW cars sold after September 1 2015 must be Euro 6 compliant or am I mistaken ? Any advice ?
The regulations state that all cars built after 1st September 2015 must be Euro-6 compliant, so all car factories around the world will now only be churning out Euro-6 cars.
Car makers have until next June (2016) to sell all their pre-Euro 6 stock, and it is one of those cars that you have bought, which is perfectly legal.
I think I would be thankful that you don’t have to top up the AdBlue fluid in the SCR system every 6-7,000 miles like it seems that Euro-6 cars have to be.
Hope this helps in clarifying.
Thanks Ian, you just saved me from a potentially embarrassing discussion with a VW salesman. I can now relax a bit and wait for my imminent communication from VW to offer to remove the “defeat” code in the engine management software. Worried though as I’ve read this may have an impact on fuel economy. If diesel prices stay the way they are currently then the impact shouldn’t be too bad.
My SEAT Sharan latest model with 2 litre 170 diesel rings a bell with Alan Halls experience. Ad blue and engine warning lights came on whilst on holiday. Managed to get back to my SEAT dealer who advised that Ad blue level had never been checked during services as it was not on the VW maintenance schedule. New software had to be installed before the warning lights extinguished. Now the engine warning light has come on again, all this at 17,000 miles. This is a grest MPV which is being undermined by punitive technology which selects limp home mode and stops engine if driven beyond what they guess is a get you home mileage. This is an MPV which could be full of children in the middle of nowhere.
Correction to previous e-mail – Sorry I referred to VW Sharan, should of course be SEAT Alhambra. (Both vehicles are virtually identical in most fundamental aspects)
Hi Mojo
There’s no indication that the software change will impact your mpg or CO2, as the ‘defeat’ device was concerned with fooling NOx levels on the American test.
If you’re happy with the way that your car is performing, there’s nothing to say that you ‘have’ to accept the modification offered by Volkswagen. It isn’t as if there is anything dangerous or safety related, so you could wait until you change the car and ask VW to apply the modification then.
I recently bought a used 2013 Octavia 1.6 tdi estate, trading in my supremely reliable 1.4 pd Fabia because as a cyclist I could no longer justify the lack of a dpf. I really like the new car but you can imagine my dismay regarding the current situation and the realisation that the Nox is as bad for particulates as the soot.
Anyway, I feel a bit better having finally worked out that the car has the modular ea288 / CHLA engine and not the previous 189 / CAYC model. My rationale for feeling better is that the 288 is the one made Euro6 compliant so I’m guessing that the fix will be more straightforward. I hope I’m not deluding myself.
It’s been interesting to find that my local dealer doesn’t seem to use the 189/288 differentiation, preferring to use the 4-letter codes. That’s fine of course but for those of us reliant on the Internet for our information it’s the numbers that are prominent.
Today the dealer advised me that there are no details yet but one engine will need only software upgraded and the other will need software and new bits. He didn’t say which engine would need what unfortunately, probably because they’ve not been told yet.
Sorry, that should have read CLHA, not CHLA
The automatic gearbox with the fuel wasting torque-convertor and “not-quite-smooth” up and down chnages is rather old-fashioned.
The gearbox Mercedes etc should have built is the stepless type found in the Prius.
Here is an animatiion of how the Prius drive system works
http://eahart.com/prius/psd/
I have a 2011 Seat Altea Xl diesel which has only done 5,500 miles. The same thing happened to me as to Maria above and I have taken it into the Listers Garage Coventry. After waiting they said the parti needed to be replaced. The cost would be £1,200 but they had been on to Seat who agreed to pay for the parts. Listers will be charging me £750.!!!! Surely this is extremely expensive. I have always had it serviced at the main dealers where I bought it new. Surely if it is a manufacturers fault Seat should stand more of the cost? Any advise, please?
Jane
Hi my wife has a 1.6tdi Skoda Roomster on a 62plate with 34000miles. The EGR cooler failed and allowed coolant to flow into the engine. this caused significant damage to the turbo and caused the engine to overheat and damage the block and pistons.We are waiting on a verdict from the warranty company as to the repair costs as this only happened last week.
I’ve just bought a a3 tdi sport back. Quattro 170 and find her a treat to drive.59 plate. But advised to give her a motorway run in 5th gear at just over 2000 rpm for about 15 minutes to clear out the d.p.f.
“this piece of software, known as a defeat device, is not dangerous and is not a safety issue. Owners should continue to drive their cars until more information is known”
It is a safety issue!
The VW diesels are spewing out 10 to 40 times the legal limit of Nox toxic gases in the trail of their exhaust gas.
Nox kills people!
The emission standards are to safeguard public health, obviously public health has been missing from the VW corporate thinking for at least 7 years.
Two points re FRR tyres,
The German ADAC test results showed tyre width to be significant, they showed that the best LRR wide tyre was comparable to the worst tyre of a next profile down.
In other words simply doing down in tyre width was as good ( or better) than all teh research the tyre buyer could undertake.
The test company Emission Analytics have performed tests and concluded LRR is significant for fuel economy when the vehicle is driven at speeds such as motorway legal limits, at medium speeds 40 to 50 mph LRR is of modest benefit. at slow speeds 30 – 40 mph, no benefit in fuel consumption.
Paraffin was added for anti-waxing protection of diesel fuel in winter driving.
Also drivers of Vintage or Veteran cars with driver-controlled ignition advance/retard systems found modern petrol formulations unsuited to their cars, and were advised to add paraffin to the petrol mix to improve driveabilty
Hi I am a new diesel car owner Hyundai i30.Just a quick question about the possible problem of DPF is there a particular driving style required or just a quick blast down the motorway once a week ok Thanks
Hi Mick
Just give the car some regular exercise from time to time and I’m sure you won’t suffer any problems. If the DPF light does come on, make sure you read the owner’s handbook and take the necessary action.
Hi Ian
Thanks for the speedy reply, I appreciate that.
Mercedes have abandoned the emergency brake feature due to problems of false trigger of the system, as you describe. i believe you are supposed to return the vehicle to the Dealer to have the system isolated
Hi I have had my mercedes e320cdi remaped and I am thinking of having a performance fillter and exhaust fitted to it. Should I have done that before I had it remaped or is it okay to do it after remap
Same fault just appeared on my vw passat at 35000 miles but a week before the warranty expires so being fixed by dealer. One week later and bill would have been £2000.
I own a 2009 VW sport wagen diesel DSG 100K plus miles, great car ,expensive
Too maintain.dealership greed.
It wasn’t a matter of choice from what I heard; Honda would not let Rover built an estate/tourer variant of the Civic based car because they didn’t want the sales of the Aerodeck affected. With Honda’s relationship with Rover winding down, Rover built old R8 variants alongside the new model such as the Tourer, the Coupe and the cabriolet.
My 2013 outlander diesel manual regularly does 36mpg round town and on runs out 45 mpg it has beaten manufacturers claims of 52mpg.l have found to always reset the trip before you start out my town driving I leave the car in Eco mode I have also found it does more to the gallon on bp ultimate diesel, yes it’s more expensive
I love the car but couldn’t believe all the problems I’ve ha with Suzuki service to resolve the problems with the radio/gps tgat would reset itself on a whim! They eventualky replaced it with a Clarion that has no voice control but at least it doesn’t reboit while I’m in the middle of somewhere I don’t know. They promised me an upgrade to digital radio, but to date no antenba and complete silence. 2years later still no full resolution and will likely never buy another Suzuki. Pity since the rest of the dar is great.
I don’t know whether this post will attract any recognition, but has nobody considered the addition of hydrogen to Diesels? The small firm De Verde, make a device that reduces emissions through achieving complete combustion in the cylinder pot. Only ‘NO’ gets through, and that could be dealt with by absorption, if the car manufacturers cared enough!! De Verde – Hydrogen on demand. Google it!
I did have a A4 tdi 170 but it also had the sport pack for the extra power .Now having a ex demo Vitara i find that it needs more low down revs to get into regeneration on this Renault engine so will get a tdi box with a map to suit that as these boxes are almost a ecu on their own choose the twin channel type as all boost pressures must vary together .Currently using a nano additive for lower burn temp .Fortunately it has good suspension and disc all round but may require wider track , but for me its about a little improvement in all depts and keep DPF clean & expect to pay hundreds not a cheep resistor box .
1. I have just purchased an Astra Elite 2 Ltr Diesel
(2011 Reg: EJ 11 KRV) and would like to read any previous DieselCar reports.
2. I have just restarted taking your DieselCar Magazine and note you have advertisers in it, each advocating their Diesel Fuel Additives as the best for keeping diesel engines and exhaust systems(including Particulate Filters) clean, with all the attendant benefits. For years I have used the REDEX Fuel System Cleaner. Have any evaluations been carried out, if so can I read these reports.
Drove an Avis one 850km across Italy and back over two days, effortlessly
Had the comfort and ride of a much more expensive brand. Well impressed
I have been quoted £1200 by an Audi dealer to replace my EGR valve but this will come down to £850 as there is a contribution from Audi. I didn’t realise that there was an issue with these valves. I have an A3 140bhp 2 litre engine with only 65000 miles traveled. I once had a V reg Bora 1.9 that covered 185000 miles with no issues at all. Not too happy about this but I guess that there is no alternative – I need the car!
Nice article, but leaves a bit out. Most EV drivers today have the ability to charge at home. This is why many public stations are little used. With all non-Tesla cars only capable of 100 mile or less range, the majority of early owners have usage within their range, charge at home, and only use public stations occasionally.
High EV density areas like CA do have issues, as some people routinely live at the edge of their range, with long commutes. The CA market is a good predictor of EV issues elsewhere. Two things are likely. As more early cars are sold used, with ever less range, more stations will be needed. More workplace stations are ideal, but also more DC quick charge stations at strategic travel locations on major roads.
The upcoming advent of 200-300 mile cars will lessen demand for public charging, yielding more availability to the used cars.
Confrontations at stations do occur, but are not a major problem. Early adopters understand the limitations of the developing market, but some people have issues with charge management.
The larger problem is public education of non-EV drivers. Many charging stations are blocked by gas cars, and so, unavailable. Until these spots are regulated like handicap spots are, this will continue to be a problem.
You can buy Adblue in Tesco, Adblue is packaged in a dispenser bottle designed to connect to the Adblue tank without splillage or skin contact. (Adblue is corrosive)
I purchased my Dacia Duster signature in 2014. The problems I’m having ar as follows:
(1).A whistling sound as I progress up through the gears.
(2).The fuel when topped up will not register full on the fuel gauge-simply the bars wont move up from halfway position-even though I have filled to overflow.This is unacceptable for such a new vehicle.
Whistling sound as I move through gears.
When diesel full to overflow,fuel gauge bar still at half way point
I owned a 52 Reg Rover 75 for 10 years. It was the best car I have ever owned. Lots of car for your money.
Yes, in the latter years it started to cost money for maintanence but I had done over 250000 miles of comfy driving in it.
If they brought the car back I would buy another. No question.
Just purchased 16 plate diesel yeti, no mention of adblue on purchase otherwise would not have bought it,done 950 miles adblue warning appears added adblue to tank message still showing despite following 30second turn key in ignition to reset,only downside to yeti, not sure if have any trust in adblue warning system back to garage inconvenient after just a month
Anyone who purchased a pre-Euro 6 diesel car thinking they were saving Planet Earth simply did not check their facts , those pre-Euro 6 Euro standards were conveniently lax in favour of diesel to allow the manufacturers a 10 year time frame to figure out a fix for the Nox and PM issues, google Euro emissions 5 standards and read for yourself, under Euro 5 specifications, a single Euro 5 diesel car was allowed to pollute to the equivalence of 3 petrol cars such was the laxity and disparity of emissions. Of course the cat was let out of the bag last September, the “fix” is not forthcoming and much wailing and grinding of teeth over in Wolfsburg et al. The Euro 6 specification meant that a diesel car should be nearly comparable to Euro 6 petrol car, but then we find Euro 6 is unworkable and ineffective when a diesel car is driven at low power output in the town and city driving environment, the very environment where the pollution is most dangerous to people
Tesco charge £2.50 per 1.5 litre dispenser of ADblue,
the fact that you are having to return vehicle for Adblue refill after 950 miles may be due to a poor PDI by the dealer, (they have omitted to fill the Adblue tank) after delivery from factory
A year since this was published, but same season. I run a 2005 CItroen C5 two litre hdi (tweaked) 136 Exclusive. 71,000 miles. Summer mpg averages 53.4, winter = 44 mpg.
Use Sainsburys diesel, occasionally BP when it’s on offer.
Have owned the car eight years and these mpg figures never vary. Poor economy must be to do with winter fuel additive.
I’m trying to find the actual date that producers stop putting winter additive in diesel. Just keeping a couple of gallons in the tank until April when I hope the proper stuff comes online.
I have a 1.6 deisel fabia, which has done 60.000 miles and the EGR needs replacing. Have been quoted a reduced price by my local Skoda Dealer of £655, but says part of the replacement is a Computer Systems upgrade to ensure the new EGR is working properly….seems there is little choice. There appears to be problems with the EGRs in this engine. If I could turn back the clock I would not have bought it. My older fabia is still going strong on a 1.9 engine and many many more miles.
Hi Andy
If you would like to drop Doctor Diesel an e-mail at doctordiesel@dieselcar.com with more details, he can see if he can help.
A few years ago white cars were unsellable unless they were significantly cheaper. Personally I think they show the dirt too much and look a bit bland
The best thing these days is to record yr journeys,either with
one unit or like mine shortly,4 cameras plus dvr
The link goes to an account of the decision to install the defeat device code, It claims VW were aware of their actions but ,believed they were unlikely to be caught,and if caught the financial consequences would be modest, the article claims VW had a Powerpoint file dating back to 2006 of how to beat the stringent USA standards by manipulating the ECU to detect the test cycle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/business/international/vw-presentation-in-06-showed-how-to-foil-emissions-tests.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1
Those Vauxhall 1.6 engines are just coming out of the warranty period now. Let’s hope they are built better than some of vauxhalls previous attempts of a Diesel engine.
It would seem Mercedes incorporate a defeat device based upon ambient temperature, when ambient temperature is below a threshold, emission levels are allowed to rise:
“he Netherland’s official automobile inspector TNO, on behalf on the Dutch Minister of the Environment, conducted an on-road tests of a C-Class Mercedes C220 TDi BlueTec diesel and determined it emitted more than 40 times the amount of cancer-causing NOx than in the lab test.[10] The tests were done at temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius (50 F). Mercedes says it is permissible for the BlueTec engine to emit 40 times more NOx when the temperature is less than 10C (50 F)”
BMW have not addressed the issue of excessive drive-by noise created by the run flat-tyres, tyre / road noise levels are form of environmental pollution by the motor vehicle.
Dear sir/madam,
Thank you for a great article!
I am a serious VW/AUDI-fanatic and appreciate the opportunity to raise my concern about the double standards regarding the CO2-emissions in the USA*! The so-called VW `diesel-scandal` is a `sick-joke` in order to give VW a bad name in the States!
I sincerely hope and trust their `emissions-board` will be satisfied with the new top level of 199 grams CO2/km*!!!
I thank you for your time! Keep-well and take-care, sir/madam!
Kind regards
Gerhard Meyer
Cape Town
South Africa
Thanks for an interesting article and magazine. Incidentally, the cover of your latest issue proclaims the SQ7 as the ‘MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION DIESEL EVER’, an honour that actually belongs to the 500 hp 6 litre V12 TDI version of the previous Q7. It is true that SQ7 is the most powerful diesel car now made and accelerates quicker than the V12 did.
I have had a similar thing, only the car was previously owned by a heavy smoker. Have a look on ebay or Amazon for an aerosol called a Dakota Odour bomb. You basically set the thing off in the car and leave the doors and windows shut for as long as you can so that the chemicals cam permeate every surface. I tried one and they work very well indeed.
I have recently purchased a brand new Great Wall stead and have been very pleased I was recently told by a parts company that the make will no longer be available after 2017 and may well affect dealers numbers!!! Is this true? I
The engine in the Steed isn’t Euro 5 compliant, but we would expect that it would be upgraded in due course, although haven’t had confirmation from Great Wall of that. The Steed hasn’t set the world alight sales wise, so it could be that the investment in upgrading it for the European market may well not be worth the investment.
When I was buying my Suzuki Vitara last year, the price for a colour other than white was £500 extra. ” A white one it is then.” I stated without hesitation
I think understanding the basics of a car battery is important. It would give you a better idea of what might be wrong if anything happened. I’d imagine that it would come in handy if you come across car problems and can’t take your vehicle in to get repairs right away.
USA Court has approved a financial settlement for owners of defeat device equipped VW diesel cars. It is basically a buy back scheme, where owners receive the pre-September 2015 value of their vehicle plus a cash figure of several thousand dollars.
Here is the announcement:
https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/en/docs/Executive%20Summary%20of%20Proposed%20Settlement%20Program.pdf
An option is also to keep the vehicle an have the emission sproblem fixed, as there is still no fix to meet compliance I would think most owners will dispose of their cars
This is not a result to celebrate, the diesel car is a disaster for clean air, the Govt test results released last April revealed even the latest Euro 6 diesel cars are typically releasing 8 times the 80 micro gram limit of their certificated emissions for toxic Nox. a single diesel car being driven in a town or city is releasing toxic pollution equivalent of 10 petrol cars. Even the most hardened diesel car apologists cannot find this pollution acceptable.
100 tonnes is a load of a three coach train.
I worked as a fitter at a South London depot on 750V DC Southern emu, the 1957 and 1963 build stock, when we did bogie changes the gang would push the carriages around the depot, two men could move a non-driving coach or trailer, it was easier than the official method of moving stock which involved dragging the heavy haulage ropes of the capstan winches
The late Dr Alex Moulton described the Prius as the only example of innovation in motor vehicles for several decades. He owned two.
The latest news (July 2016) is the USA authorities have rejected the technical solution offered by VW to achieve compliance for the emissions of the 3.0 litre engine.
Expect to see another buy back settlement on top of the $ 15 billion for the 2-litre engine.
The issue is not CO2, it is the toxic exhaust gas emission of Nox which is the issue.
As for double standards and blackening of name of VW the culprit is VW itself, having been found out for engaging in acriminal act “the software defeat device” to permit the sale of non-compliant toxic diesels vehicles in the USA market.
Very sensible article thank you, and highlighting many of the problems regarding emissions, measurements and the problems with driving styles etc. As a company however we do regularly bang the drum about the effectiveness of our products ( proven through genuine customer and garage feedback/demonstrations etc ) and will continue to do so. Unfortunately many organisations (eg clean air London who we have approached ) are often bombarded with many claims from many companies,and don’t have the resources to examine all of them ( or so they told us.
Actually the Govt testers in the recent emissions test demanded following the VW admissions did some very incisive forensic testing, they would drive a car according to the certified speeds and time parameters of the lab test procedure and measure emissions for t = 0 to end of test, and then repeat the test following the test profile of speed and time from end of test to zero. This revealed that a great deal of “optimisation” had been incorporated into the ecu software code to manipulate Nox emissions, typically the t t = o tp end would show Euro 6 compliance for Nox , but the t= end to t = 0 would give 8 times over the Nox emissions of Euro 6
As an owner of a 65 plate vehicle I have little choice if I am to maintain the integrity of my warranty.
But once out of warranty I will do it myself, as a retired field service engineer & college instructor I look forward to getting amongst the oily bits!!
I purchased a 2016 Grand c4 Picasso March 2016. It is the 1.6 120hp diesel with the new EAT6 automatic transmission with torque convertor and manual paddle shifters. No problems for the first 1500 miles. After 1500 miles the automatic works fine in steady driving but is very reluctant or won’t upshift under heavy acceleration after driving around for about three miles and I have to do this manually. The dealer had it for a day and reset things? Nothing improved and is back with the dealer who said his demonstration vehicle does the same. I cannot accept this as an answer.
Also when I tried to demonstrate the problem the car started in “Park” position but would not select engage any other gears so I could not drive it. I then had to leave it with them for three to four days and am awaiting a fix!!
Do you know if any other owners have experienced these problems?
What recourse do I have if the problems are not rectified?
The EAT6 gearbox is quite new, so it’s probably early for trends on issues and problems to surface, but I’ve driven the combination with the 1.6-litre BlueHDi engine in a number of different cars, and haven’t experienced any troubles.
With a few issues manifesting themselves, it could be that you’ve got a ‘rogue’ gearbox. Ask to test drive the demo vehicle to see if that is indeed the case. If it is, then you’ll not have much redress, as it would seem to be a trait of that kind of vehicle. If it drives differently, then you have more clout to get something done.
It’s concerning that you couldn’t get the car out of park, though, and hope you get a speedy fix for that.
If you get any more issues with the vehicle, then you should reject the vehicle under the terms of the Consumer Rights Act. Previously it was the Sales of Goods Act, but that has been since replaced by the new laws, which ultimately give buyers more rights.
If you would like us to get more involved, drop us a line at thedoctor@dieselcarmagazine.co.uk giving as much information as possible, including reg number.
I love these engines iam still driving pug 405 diesel and planing to put xud or mb om 603 for volvo 740 wagon
It’s a lovely quiet car to drive. The engine so smooth, and economical. I hope the emissions are as good as they claim as it was one of the main reasons for buying the car
The Japanese backed hybrid technology sold their first petrol -electric hybrid cars to the public as long ago as 1999 (Honda Insight/ Toyota Prius). In contrast VW etc backed the contemporary diesel vehicle. Over those 15 years there have been a number of negative statements expressed by VW as to the Japanese hybrid as a “blind alley””. One such statement came from the Wolfgang Hatz head of Powertrain development at VW, Hatz was in charge from 2007 onwards and was one of the first to be suspended following the events of September 2015.
It is probable that the forward-thinking Japanese backed the petrol -electric hybrid having foreseen the future issue of the diesel engine Nox and pm emissions which have so wrong footed the VW group and others
VW exec/engineer pleads guilty to USA Justice depart over VW emissions fraud, his seniority in VW suggests complicity at highest levels of VW management in the perpetration of the deception.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkiley5/2016/09/09/the-first-vw-exec-tumbles-in-dieselgate-with-more-sure-to-follow/#256ada0c3722
90 mile range! That is laughable Who in their right mind thinks that’s ok? That is literally like a smart phone car it would have to be charged every day or multiple times on only moderate length trips. So stupid….
The reliability and long-term life of a DPF is subject to additional scrutiny since VW group were caught in the USA.
The VW diesel expert J R Laing, Head of Diesel Competency has pleaded guilty to charges over USA violations and also revealed 6 levels of VW defeat device including an ECU software update rolled out to vehicles as a response to high warranty claims for the VW DPF, the software update cut back emissions control to prolong DPF life at the expense at even greater violation of the Nox standards, basically if correct and proper emissions control is implemented in a VW, as opposed to the dyno test situation , then the VW DPF will simply fall apart
Motorists tend to view such matters of Shared Space as “anti motorist”, but the right of the public to breathe unpolluted air supersedes the right of the motorist to drive a motor vehicle in public spaces
The article by Mr Harman propagates the error concerning the exhaust emissions levels latest “clean” Euro 6 specification diesel cars, the official tests post the revelations from the USA os September 2015 show that in real world driving conditions, a typical Euro 6 diesel car is non-compliant for Nox emissions by a factor of 8, in other words a Euro 6 diesel car is polluting at 8 times the rolling road lab test and each diesel car is has a pollution footprint equivalent to 10 petrol cars.
This fact destroys the argument by Mr Harman for the case for a diesel car over a petrol car such as the Prius
I have owned an 06 vrs fabia for 6 years now, covered 48,000 miles and absolutley love this wee car, cheap to run, 50mpg and great fun to drive, the torque makes it feel much faster than it actually is. Good spec, with nice little vrs touches & with a few subtle mods it is a tidy looking car. Do not know what i will ever replace it with.It simply is the best alround car i have ever owned.Bring back the diesel vrs!!
Even if they put a good quick diesel engine in the Monte carlo??
I think it’s a tidy looking wee car
My engine number is BKP287517. Is it a common rail 2ltr Tdi?
Thanks
Don
If you put your details into the check system at the following website, it’ll tell you whether your car is affected.
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/emissionsinfo
Prompted by the Volkswagen emissions scandal, the French government commissioned a test which in 2016 found many cars not complying with the intention of the emission laws. The Fiat 500X was measured as the worst offender having a NOx emission level of 1.35 g/km, 17 times the Euro 6 limit of 80 mg/km.
The prima diesel by perkins, this engine is a true legend, i have never driven a diesel as reliable, and robust as this in a montego and maestro.
Many years ago I got. Speeding conviction. I was riding a small motorbike on an icy road very carefully at about 15 mph. There was sheet ice and I couldn’t break or accelerate for fear of falling off. I went past a police radar vehicle, and was ‘ clocked at 42 mph’ . Since I had just come round a 90 degree bend on the icy road slithering and sliding it would have been lethal to be travelling at 42 mph.
The policeman who pulled me up was very aggressive, and told me radar cannot be wrong. I have since found out that things like chain link fences along the road side can adjust the reading. On the same bit of road many months later there was a failed prosecution of a dumper truck driver at 52 mph??
I have a 2011 Audi A3 1.6 TDI with 45000 miles on clock and have just been told the EGR cooler needs replaced at a cost of £1104 from Audi Dundee.Is it worth asking them any contribution from Audi ?
With the car out of warranty for two years or more, we wouldn’t expect Audi to contribute at all, even if there was a full service history.
hi i have just fitted a 300 tdi engine in my p4 rover 100 also i have fitted electric power steering and dual system brakes. i have not driven it yet as i am renovating the body. i will let you know how it runs when i have finished the body.
Absolutely, I would love to hear more when you’re up and running.
Hello Malcolm
Very interested your conversion I have a Citroen traction with a 1.9 Peugeot Bx engine, I had a friend who converted P4 80 with a LR diesel
plus turbo in the 90s would you be able to keep me in the loop.
is beautyful this model
Hi
I just want to say that I have the exact same problem with my car as William Ransom has. It is a Peugeot 308 BlueHdi 2.0 EAT6 from 2015. It could have me that wrote those words. I have had my car checked at Peugeot, and they say there is no fault codes to see, and that Peugeot “helpdesk”, say that this is the way it should be. They say that because of the higher rpm, the engine warms up more quickly, and in this way reduces air pollution. In my opinion this is bullshit. I do not believe that. This is simply not the way to do it. It must be an error or what?
William Ransoms post is 1.5 year old. I just wonder if someone may have more information on the matter?
Note this is a “memorandum of understanding”….. a gentleman’s agreement, and not a legally binding agreement to an implementation, with three of the “gentlemen” in the dock for well known reasons, is this a PR exercise?
I have a 2016 Picasso Exclusive plus with eat6 g/box.My problem is that if you are traverling at around 50mph and go to overtake a slower vehicle it goes down 2 gears i.e 5th to 3rd when you have overtaken and lift the throttle it does not change up a gear until about 10 seconds in which time the car you have overtaken has caught up to you. Has anybody experienced this??
I like the New Vauxhall Insignia that has been revealed and I think It Is a big Improvement over the current and I reckon that Company Car drivers will like It as well
well my 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid going strong currently at 260000 no problems still gives 54+ mpg
Nells is now under new ownership . Fab food great atmosphere and lots of banter now . I’m the lady who bought it my name is Sandra I’m a scouser ( no hubcap jokes please there outdated ) come in and give us a try you won’t be disappointed
Cheers Sandra
Hello,
I am the owner of a Peugeot 3008 1.6HDI 120HP with the EAT3 gearbox and I have experienced the same problems (free-wheeling efect for a couple of km) since it got colder. Since yesterday it seems like I have bigger problems:
In the afternoon I had to drive the car again but some other problems apeared when I started the engine:
– parking break faulty
– ABS faulty
– ESP faulty
– Navigation not working correctly (it took 10 min to see where I was and then it was always behind my actual position with a few km, the map was tilted and the arrow representing the car was moving sideways)
– cruise control not working at any speeds
– and THE WORSE PROBLEM – the gear box behavior remained the same ( free-wheeling at all speeds and in any gear) for the hole journey (about 30 km)
I tried to disconnect the + from the battery for 20 min and then reconnect it, waited 10 min, contact on, started engine …. same problems.
Anybody had the problem solved and how?
I wrote an email to the dealer where I bought the car and I am waiting for an answer.
PS: I live in Belgium
10000 miles, alot of vw tiguans are only doing 3000 miles, and consuming 10 litres, also be recognise that since carrying out 23 r7 emission update of your car has the ad blue system or will consume more adblue and vw will cover 5 too ups as goodwill
Only piece of advice I can give if the chap in this letter wishes to buy a diesel that doesn’t use adblue is to go for a vehicle from the Renault/Nissan range as they dont use adblue, I know this having run my Megane Coupe 1.5 DCI for nearly 4 years without needing it as it uses a different system. Hope this may be of help.
I have recently toiled over buying a diesel or petrol A3, and gone for the former, given its efficency (a diesel ultimately still uses less fossil fuel than a petrol), and the fact that our other cars are diesel (yes, I have put petrol in a diesel before…).
The backlash against diesels seems to be a little decerebrate. I am all for banning high NO2-emitting diesels from city centres with already high NO2 levels, but surely a Euro 6 diesel that does 70 mpg is fine in the city, especially compared to an old smoky taxi?
Will those at the top make sensible decisions based on scientific fact? I note an MP at PMQs today was urging Mrs May to get rid of her government diesel cars, and she simply said she is going for petrol-hybrids – which makes sense for city dwellers, who frankly should be on public transport or their bikes anyway.
Justin Huntingdon
Norwich, UK
You need to study the post-dieselgate Govt mandated emission tests carried out on a wide cross section of Euro 6 diesels, those tests showed the typical Euro 6 diesel car to be non-compliant by a factor of 6 ftimes the upper limit for Nox, petrol cars passed their more stringent Nox test easily. In simple terms , a single Euro 6 diesel car produces the toxic Nox emissions equivalent of 10 petrol cars
This is a very serious matter, you should consult a Solicitor on this matter, a Solicitor will explain the law and penalties for perjury, conspiracy to pervert justice,etc this matter of a speeding offence and lack of insurance could escalate to major charges leading to prison sentences for the pair of you
“I have recently toiled over buying a diesel or petrol A3, and gone for the former, given its efficiency (a diesel ultimately still uses less fossil fuel than a petrol),”
I wish to challenge your statement (above), you need to be aware of the relative yields of diesel and petrol fuel when refined from fossil crude oil.
Petrol yield is typically 40% by volume, diesel yield is typically 20% by volume, and diesel yield is declining year on year due to the higher need to refine diesel fuel to be compliant with modern diesel cars, requirements such as ultra low sulphur diesel fuel. In simple terms fossil fuel crude needs for diesel are double that of petrol, a 50 mpg diesel has the fossil fuel crude appetite of a 25 mpg petrol car
Hi there. Can an older diesel engine (in a car for example) be retrofitted with an SCR?
I too is a fan of clean diesel engine exhaust. But Can someone explain how exactly an SCR can help in diesel engine fuel economy?
The engine can be run at higher combustion temperatures with SCR than without SCR, the higher combustion temperatures improve fuel economy but create more Nox emissions n the exhaust which SCR exhaust gas after-treatment by Adblue is intended to control by converting the Nox to basic nitrogen.
Of course this theory does not reflect reality, the manufacturers installed SCR systems of limited capability and durability, and limited the on-road operation of the SCR to a narrow window of unrealistic ambient temperatures, hence the many investigations by European and American authorities into on-road emissions and “defeat devices” of Volkswagen, Fiat, Renault diesel cars among others
I have an elderly Toyota Estima diesel in Cyprus that is in pretty good shape at 18 years and 210,000km. Presently we are installing a Dry cell hydrogen generator that through hydrolysis, converts water to 2 parts H and 1of O. The gas is then fed directly to the air intake. This is well proven technology particularly in the USA so I am taking a punt as I am keen to reduce consumption, but more important to reduce particulates. Have you any experience of this modification?
PS there is potential to improve consumption by 20% depending on the amount of H produced
My 57plate Peugeot 4007 keeps intermittently hicupping generally at speed any ideas what’s the cause
Yep, same problem on a 2012 31,000 mile VW 2.0 TDI engine. Appears these egr valves are now failing on a lot of VAG cars that were fine before the emissions software update because it has to work a lot harder in which was an inherently dirty engine in the first place. If you ask me it spells big trouble for VW reputation and diesel engines in general.
There is a lot of hot air here as we must all know that its prior to EU4 diesels that are the polluters most of which are local authority contracted vehicles in our area .
Just ban all the old petrol and diesels prior to the EU4 , this will take a considerable amount of whole vehicles off the roads !Mine are always dealer serviced where they have the equipment to do it thoroughly to spec . Public transport is a disgrace in this country and should be addressed immediately .Its a fact of life if you cant afford a compliant vehicle you should not have one on the road . Why do manufacturers continue to make excessive big engines in road cars 2 litres is enough !Get the suppliers to make better fuel and oils , ban the lesser ones from use . Make learners take a mechanical knowledge test so they know what they are buying . Diesel is best for me living and working rurally .
VW did not make the offer voluntarily, it was the Judge of the courtcase who in his summary judgement ruled that VW in their guilt must compensate the consumer for the violation by VW of the emission regulations.
It’s such a shame that current London Taxi drivers won’t be able to afford a new electric version…oh well !
Just jad this with my 2015 grand vitara. Thank you so much…i thought it was something serious but the dot pressing eventually worked.
IMO a most of the effect is down to unsprung weight and not the tyres..
A bigger wheel with lower profile tyre weighs more than a smaller wheel with higher profile tyre. The suspension on a certain model of car may well only be tuned perfectly to the weight of one wheel/tyre combination, and using a different one whether smaller or larger will reduce ride quality. Bigger wheels and tyres usually affect acceleration and fuel economy also. Bigger wheels have more mass further from the centre of the wheel, so more energy is required to start it turning (as well as stop it turning). This means slower acceleration and higher fuel consumption.
Just a bit of advice to Bill, don’t get the modification done whatever you do! I don’t own a 1.6 tdi car of any sort whether its VW, Skoda etc though I know they’re all the same but have read too many horror stories on the matter on other websites, see honest John for further proof. Basically the 1.6 fix has caused more problems with EGR valves failing at up to £800 depending on the car and injector failures as well amongst other issues. This can depend ultimately on the overall condition of the engine in the car and how it is run and treated but I do know that it makes the car harder on fuel as a good friend of mine’s father had a 1.6tdi Golf Plus which had the fix done and was much harder on fuel than before the fix, so much so he traded it in against a newer model. My brother has a 2.0 tdi Yeti and isn’t getting it done due to the issues with the 2.0 tdi vehicles also. I just hope this message gets to Bill before he gets its done as it’s irreversible as far as I know.
Best Regards
Steven
In the USA market, the EGR is classed an emissions device and would be covered by a statutory 120,000 mile warranty. VW would have to pay fir replacement!
Regarding future legislation affecting diesel cars, the Financial Times newspaper has reported a high-level meeting between German car makers and German ministers and regulators. Described as a “lifeline” to the car makers facing demands for restrictions upon urban usage of diesel cars as a consequence of the VW emissions fallout. Mercedes Benz have announced a major recall affecting 3 million EURO 5 and EURO6 cars and also Audi (850,000 cars) to install new software to reduce Nox emmissions.
In addition Der Spiegel journal has reported evidence of collusion by car makers in a cartel to limit implementation of emissions-curbing technology in the vehicles.
The legislation for clean air can only increase and the car makers have to improve their act or face the consequences of the regulators.
Picked up my brand new A7 S line 3.0tdi 272 quattro last week, fantastic deal sorted through carwow and audi blackburn.
Car is amazing, space, comfort with massive power on tap delivered so smoothly.
I drive carefully and I am hitting 42mpg on 10 mile work run already.
My family and our dog love the car, we can fit all holiday luggage inc 3 biggest cases in the boot, kids can see out of the windows and the all black interior is so classy.
Very impressed!
don’t have it done it’s not a legal requirement.
”The POLAR network is growing SIGNIFICANTLY, with Chargemaster installing more than 250 of its UK-manufactured Ultracharge rapid chargers this year. POLAR plus membership, which provides unlimited access to charging points in the network (over 85 per cent of which are free to use) costs £7.85 per month.”
If it is said that oil fuelled cars will be replaced by 2040. if you say by that time you will need at least 5 million chargers. You have to start now installing 125,000 a year for 23 years to meet demand if the number is 10 million then thats 250,000 a year. the government better get a move on.
Also electric cars will not reduce congestion, in fact it may make it worse. When self drive cars come reality would you need to take a driving test. in that case could everyone have a car.
I drive a Freight Rover van with a Perkins Prima engine… I sometimes achieve 60 MPG… it’s fabulous.
As a city dweller with lungs and likes to breathe, I would rather have a 35mpg petrol car which complies with Euro 6 Nox emissions than a 56 mpg diesel car if the latter has the typical factor of 5 non-compliance for Nox emissions
Analysis of the VW defeat device code, and witness statements from the USA EPA/Carb legal trials show the Adblue dosage is purposely capped and underdosed simply to conserve the limited capacity of the Adblue tank, other evidence includes the recent submission by VW of collusion between manufacturers to misrepresent the running costs of a diesel car, a legal deposition in the USA showed that a VW Tiguan required a litre of Adblue every 68 miles of driving when correctly calibrated to meet USA emission requirements. the cost of replenishing Adblue at such high consumption levels practically nullified any mpg advantages of the diesel car, an unpleasant fact that commercial interests do not wish to be public knowledge.
Bring back all rover cars, maybe using tata platforms
This new Honda diesel engine, will it operate to Euro 6 Nox emissions of 80 microgram/km, or, will it operate to the 210% of 80 micrograms/km?
does this new SUV have a low rear sill with dog carrying capacity? When are manufacturers going to reintroduce space capacity diagrams again and not just pretty pictures of body profile?
Good!
Did I really write this in October 2014?
Vw sirricco 2.0 tdi 13 plate ERG value being replaced with Goodwill from VW.
Joining VW claim group as apparently next problem may be replacement of DPF.
Emmissions fix was done earlier in year. Seems to be related.
Expect car resale value will be impacted.
I agree this is the way to go, not battery powered electric cars that consume precious materials that will very soon be depleted.
For existing cars we should retrofit dry cell electrolysis hydrogen generators that will not only give a minimum 20% reduction in fuel consumption but allow the vehicle to continue to a normal projected life of 20 years. These systems improve emissions to and have minimum impact on the earths precious resourses
I have owned this model for a year now, and find it to be a truly phenominal vehicle. Improved upon the predecessor in every conceivable way (I owned that model for 5 years prior to the Type-S). The improved BHP to 180(178) with only marginal fuel costs and excise hikes is astounding..! What I will say is that choosing the right tyres is key to making sure the hit is as small as it can be (Goodyear-EfficientGrip). Trim level is excellent and there is very little else I think the car does not have. All mod cons (at no extra price like German marques) coupled to easy-going cruising on all kinds of roads, is a perfect balance of value, running costs, performance and comfort.
Is it the same engine that is in the Kia Sportage 1.7d 114 b.h.p. As the Hyundai Tucson 1.7d. 114b.h.p. 2015 model?
Yep same engine.
Reminds me of taking my BSA Bantam from home (Cheshire) to college (Surrey). Had to stop midway for a service, reset points, timing and de-coke the spark plug.
I agree. The best alround solution is to also ensure that existing vehicles actually fulfill a proper lifecycle i.e. min of 20 years. Why are we rushing headlong into scrapping perfectly good vehicles as if the planet has infinate resourses? Because of profit of course and the general attitude that everything is throw away.
Existing vehicles should be subject to upgrading technology such as HHO, and after cleaning of combustion gas and many other technologies that are already on the market.
For example a simple HHO electrolysis system gives improved fuel efficiency significantly due to improved combustion.
Improved combustion results in a cleaner exhaust and also extends the period between oil changes.
“Running costs”
In the near future the importance of TCO (total cost of ownership) will feature in the marketing of electric cars and Mazda will need to demonstrate that their new engine technology reduces TCO. Whether they will ever be able to claim TCO parity with electric cars (EVs) is very doubtful given the much reduced cost of servicing EVs.
Your other option is to go for a diesel that doesn’t use AdBlue at all which whilst I know they are few and far between these days, isn’t impossible. For example I drive a Renault Kadjar which whilst I know isn’t an executive saloon to my mind is every bit as good and doesn’t need AdBlue.
Don’t do it it’s like don’t have a smartmeter fitted. Each free smart meter cost £420 to fit and of course they are not passing on that price to the general public are they.
Also do you know they can be hacked and turn off your electric and gas supply. Just imaginge 100,000 people losing there heating in winter. Can’t happen that’s what they said aboout the NHS last year.
diesel cars are getting slated these days. Watch out for higher taxes as the government starts to set it sights on the diesel car.
John
I have done around 450,000 miles in 30 years in 5 French cars, 2 British cars, one Italian and one German car at a cost of £19,000 so I would like to see who could beat that! Some were new cars but most were 3 years and older – cars are a waste of money but as I live in the North East with poor transport links I need a car so the less I have to pay the better- I’ve never had a great income anyway so always had to count the pennies.
Hi , I have got the GVN 60 retrofit fitted to my golf mk 7 2014 ,could you tell me how I can update maps as I keep getting a message telling me it needs updating yours hopefully Mr B Longhurst.
Dear Keith and other Citreon picasso egs oweners I also have the clutch judder problem with my 09 exclusive I found a solution to the problem on my car In the cold weather I select 2nd gear manual for the first few starts flicking to auto when ready for 3rd gear After about 5mins all is ok Hope this method works for you. Larry
How can I join vw claim group
Have just replaced my 2 egr on Skoda fabia 1.6tdi 122700 miles
I’ve had a long history of remapping, chipping and mechanically tuning Pugs, mainly 406s but also 306s, 307s and 407s. The only time I ran into a problem was with my, guess what, 307 1.6 HDi 110. It went like stink after being remapped (no DPF removal) but I did keep getting the engine light on because it was a poor quality remap done on the cheap. I currently own a 307 Feline (2.0 177bhp) which is about to be remapped; in the past, this car has just cut out on its own, I’ve had to pull over, it wouldn’t restart for a minute then spontaneously went back to normal. It’s done it twice but the last instance was a year ago. I think it may have been the fuel filter. Also 307s do tend to have head gasket problems. To be honest though, I’d say this sounds like a dodgy map. Pugs respond really well to tuning but are sensitive to poor quality work.
A quick quote from ‘Roadcraft – the Police Driver’s Handbook’, passage headed ‘Acceleration Sense’:
“Acceleration sense is the ability to vary vehicle speed in response to changing road or traffic conditions by accurate use of the accelerator, so that you use the brakes less, or not at all.
This uses less fuel, causes less wear on the tyres and reduces carbon emissions.”
This is accomplished more easily, as Doc says, by leaving such a gap between you and the vehicle in front of you that accommodates deceleration via the accelerator rather than the brake and doing away with the two position (i.e. on and off) accelerator.
I would add to the Roadcraft passage, ‘and also reduces brake wear and traffic congestion’. Has anyone else noticed how aggressive driving and speeding results in bunching traffic?
It’s a pity that more ‘wing and a prayer’ style drivers aren’t made aware of this during their initial training and a greater pity that examiners don’t fail more learners who display inadequate driver skills.
It seems to me that the increased pressures of driving in this day and age have coincided with a significant lowering of driving skills. These latter shouldn’t be tolerated. Driving isn’t just steering and changing gear.
Good on Mazda for not following the herd and looking at all of the facts. They have proven to be a highly inovative company over the years who are not given to making wild claims. Given Mazda’s history the sheep should sit up and take note! Not to mention the amazing new diesel technology coming out of Loughborough University in the UK and Bosch in Germany.
Sir Stanley Hooker, joined Rolls Royce and his first job ( given to him by “accident” ) to sort out the Supercharger of the RR Merlin, Sir Stanley went on to develop axial RR jet engines,
Retired by the time RR were developing the RB211 which sent the company to bankruptcy, he and his colleagues came out of retirement and they fixed the RB211 in a matter of weeks.
His autobiography is titled Not Much of an Engineer, highly recommended!
The glow plug light flashing when driving means engine management fault, usually caused by EGR malfunction, and may be accompanied by limp mode. Restarting the car may turn off limp mode and extinguish the glow plug light. From what I’ve heard, the issue will only get worse over time, and the emissions fix increases the chances of this issue occurring possibly due to greater use of the EGR valve.
Thanks Ryan your blog is quite helpful for understanding about my car .
I own a 2013 Holden Cruze cdx 2 ltr. Diesel engine.
So it doesn’t have a timing belt instead it’s
has a chain in it as the mechanics said.
I use unichip product on my mitsubishi triton 2.5cc non vgt L200 year 2013 automatic transmission which use 2 board and 1 map selector. On map selector no 1 is original mapping and factory tuning. No 2 for economy fuel and power. No 3 for economy fuel and more power. No 4 for more power and little bit black smoke suitable for street use. No 5 for drag use and more black smoke. It produce 234 hp compare to original stock only produce 134hp.
My c4 1.6hdi Picasso auto has just started slipping all of a sudden in all gears, any ideas?
Perkins Prima set the way! Took years for VAG to develop a similar quality diesel, the IDI 1.9’s were well behind and that was used for years in the T4! 1Z and AEF TDI’s basically used the Prima approach and refined it, 10 years later! Can’t argue with the XUD.
I but a secondhand tdci engine in my car car was driving good for 2 months and the water in the diesel warninglight begin to show and car start to drive slow i took it for daignose at mechanic and he findout 1 of the injectors blow he but new 1 in but car is doing the same must i change all 4 of injectors and drain the diesel and flush the fuelsistem or must i check my timingchain help please
Great to see Audi keeping up their tradition of evolutionary improvement to their diesel engines with improved/increased power with low emissions.
Your reader poll is too narrowly loaded with its options/choices!
I will probable never again buy a new diesel or petrol or hybrid car because battery EVs have at last come of age!
I love our diesel but technology has now made true zero emissions a practical reality. (AT LAST).
I have ordered this new Duster back in August and I’m still waiting for it , it’s now October the dealer that I ordered it for keeps up dating me but no definite date of arrival I have phoned customer complete dept and they are NOT giving me any information as they don’t know what’s happening VERY DISAPPOINTED at the lack of customer services.
One very disappointed customer
Hi Alice
Drop me a line at editorial@dieselcar.com with your name and address, and I’ll speak to Dacia direct for you.
I have just returned from France where my EGR decided to give up the ghost. This meant that it had to be changed in Poitiers. On having this done, I noticed that the engine stuttered all the way back to St Malo home as if it were a petrol engine suffering from an ignition lead breakdown. I checked the car into my local garage who changed the air mass flow valve, but the problem still exists although the effect is less jerky. The EGR valve appears to hunt rather than producing a graduated flow but does not produce any adverse readings on the car instruments or the external fault finding equipment. Please have you any ideas before I end up having to consider replacing the valve once more?
Forgot to say the car is a Seat Altea XL 1600 with 34000 miles on the clock.
I would like to know what the difference is for sports plus edition and business sports edition in BMW’s 3 series M sports package, automatic. I am considering the late 2011 (2012) e90 model. I would also like to know which one has a better performance in driving
Can tracking cause the tyre to come away from the wheel?
Nice.
They should fit Gardner diesels to the new Defender range, as well.
I have an idea.
Don’t buy French!
My 2005 VW Golf Plus with a 2 litre PD engine DSG lasted till 150,000 miles before Gearbox problem,cannot remember the Fault code,it was stated as Mechanical Fault.The gearbox would go into neutral when warm at a slow speed.This box did not like crawling either.It did have regular oil changes from the box stated every 40,000 miles.I now have a new Vitara with a similar Gearbox called TCSS,I will find out how long this one will last.
Completely impractical long-term solution to impending short term significant changes in global laws relating to combustion engine vehicles whether non-hybrid or hybrid!
Only ZERO emission vehicles are the long-term solution whether electric or hydrogen or other.
Admittedly brilliant engineering but flawed in essence due to game changing advances occurring NOW and onwards!
Such short-sightedness will cost customers dearly.
Combustion and combustion-hybrids WILL lose tremendous value in a few short years.”Wait and see”.28-november-2018.
Just the best car ever made. I have had three of them and loved every single one. Every other car I have looked at just doesn’t appeal. So sad that this line of brilliantly chassied and well specified cars was destroyed by the media haters and BMW’s decision to ‘go cheap’. Long Live Rover. JLR need to recognise the value of this brand.
I have a Range Rover evoque D-Lux registered in June 2015 and affected by ULEZ charge. This car is fitted with DEF/ Add blue to overcome this problem.
Does this not meet the Euro 6 emission limits?
Put your registration number into this website and it’ll tell you whether you’ll need to pay or not:
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/vrm-checker-ulez
Just a fantastic car (our second)lovely to drive and quite possibly one of the best Rovers ever.
I have just bought an active tourer with 18 inch run flats and suffer with very loud road noise. My question is do you need to change all 4 to non RF or would just changing the front 2 be enough?
You would need to replace all four tyres so that it didn’t upset the handling due to the different sidewall strengths.
OK thanks. Do you know if the noise difference would be that noticeable with non RF versus RF, I am just wondering if the spend would be worth it, or whether I should switch to 17 inch instead of 18 as well?
hi, love my 2017 series 2 m sport, but the road noise is giving me headaches . I will keep the car but MUST find a better tyre. stu.
Of course Adblue lowers emissions so it makes sense to buy a diesel that uses it. It’s easy to top up the tank yourself rather than go to a dealer. Adblue on Jaguar Xe and xf really lowers emissions hence an a 2ltr diesel XF is only £30 a year road tax on the 180 BHP model !!
I bought a 52 plate diesel Tourer (Moonstone with Sandstone interior) 2 years ago. It has cost a fair bit to put back in showroom condition & I’m not finished yet! By far the most charismatic, comfortable & best looking car I’ve ever owned – a thoroughbred classic in every way. Part of the reason I won’t sell her is being a member of the Rover Members Club. It’s now a Family Affair & the help, advice & available spares make this motoring experience such a pleasure.
What is the fuel comsumption of the Ventura 1.5 petrol engine as there are no figures in the brochure for this yet?
The statistics for the petrol engine won’t be revealed until they arrive in showrooms in December.
We are seen where technology are been combined together to make things work in a better perspective order great stuff.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
SOOOOOOOOOOOO
SAD ?????????????????
Henry Will turn in his Grave
WOW! Thats a lot of Miles.
I’ve got an ST-Line X PHEV version of these on order as a company car. Will replace a Golf GTD Estate, which has served me well – quick and economical. However, this government’s punitive treatment of diesels means that they’re no longer economical due to the BIK implications for company car users.
My monthly tax bill for running a company car will reduce by around £180, which over the 48 months I’ll have it means I’ll be over £8,500 better off.
A diesel would still make more sense for the longer journeys I do, but the economics just don’t stack up. Will miss that torque from 1,500 to around 3,500 rpm on the GTD though!
What are scuff plates. Photo would be great.
It’s the silver element at the bottom of the front bumper
I bought a new Corsa e in March 2020 and can’t yet access the E remote on My Vauxhall app through my smartphone.
It has a message “Waiting for idemtification” which I think is a dealer code that should be entered on purchase and I’m trying to sort this out although the dealer, Drive Vauxhall, appears to be dumb about this! Frustrating.
It might be worth speaking to Vauxhall Customer Services at Head Office if you aren’t getting any joy from the dealer.
Well done Peugeot for being at the forefront of e-vans,with affordable pricing to spell success.
No excuse now for not embracing the future and reducing pollution.
It’s for our kids and grandchildrens future.
MY Citreon deal has just charged me £18 plus VAT for this service on my Berlingo Multispace, yet you say under a tenner?
Have I been mischarged?
While the post was from three years ago, the fact that they charged more than double what head office recommend, I would go back to the dealer and ask them why. I would expect a pound or two increase, but double is too much.
I tried one of these but wasn’t fully convinced.
The problem is since Brexit and the £ to euro of exchange rates change caused major price rises, cars which were under £10,000 are nor £12,00 and the Honda Jazz at £14,500 is now £18,500
I added Redex diesel to my car over a week ago i have purchased diesel power blast fuel cleaner and stabilizer as it says about adding stabilizer in my car manual can i add the power blast or do i need to wait a little longer to add it Fiat 500 L automatic
I would suggest doing one treatment at a time and wait until you’ve used this full tank of diesel until you try another treatment.
I think the overarching phrase within the VW statement “All figures relevant to type approval for the vehicle will continue to apply” applies to when the car is on test ie (rolling road Eu 5 emissions test) in that situation the car will give the same numbers for torque / fuel consumption etc as before the technical fix.
In my opinion VW are not promising the car will operate unchanged in real-world driving following the install of the software update. As Mr David has perceived, the real world driving characteristics of the car have changed
Hello the Subaru XV and the Forester are now supposed to be in the mobility program can you please tell me which dealers in the south east of England are in the program as I have drawn a blank.
It must be a very new addition, as Subaru aren’t listed on the Motability site at http://www.motaclarity.co.uk. Keep an eye on the website, and no doubt when dealers are added, it’ll be listed on there.
I have a cx5 which is just out of warrenty. I had the same problem with all the warning lights come on . My local garage diagnosed the problem as the exhaust pressure sensor so I took it to Mazda at Newport. The job cost me £1400 to replace sensor and clean carbon from system although vehicle has only covered 45000 miles, all of which involved fast motor way driving. Mazda uk denies there is a design problem, whilst the main agent insists it is caused by the way I drive. Apparently,vehicle should be driven for long periods at max. revs in third gear !
I have same problem, vehcle only covered 45000 miles in 3 years,most of which on motor way at high speed. Mazda Newport charged £ 1400 to remove carbon and replace exhaust pressure sensor. Mazda uk denies any knowledge of recalls or problem despite considerable information on line. Will not be buying any more Mazdas and get rid of this one as soon as possible.
Some very sensible points raised by Dr Diesel for the diminishing return of cruising at 80 mph speed compared with 70 mph.
I wish to see the figures for a similar analysis to compare the vehicle at 70 mph and 60 mph.
A work colleague with 9 points on the licence for speed offences had a daily drive of 50 miles each way from Kent to outer London by the A20, in fear of another conviction and a ban he dropped his bad habits, his journey time increased by only a few minutes and his savings in fuel costs, fines and insurance were sufficient to cure his folly of ignoring the limits
I have one 75 toruer one mg zt-t and one mgtf and 3 v6’s early types cowley,l love these cars, the l think the early models will soon be very sort after,
Hi everyone
I’m a frustrated single women!
Having purchased my first BMW 218D Active Tourer 2015
Having problems with Sytner as I’ve just realised that all the tyres on this Approved Used Car are all different Brands
I’m not happy about and they are not prepared to do anything for me
I part X a 1 series with 4 good matching brand tyres
My concern now is I’m not sure of what tyres are on the car now how do I know ??
That’s so annoying, and Sytner haven’t done anything wrong, in theory. But every car expert will tell you that you should have the same brand on the same axles, along with similar tyre wear patterns. How long have you had the car? Is it still within the 30 day return period of being approved used? Or was it not part of that scheme?
I cannot see where I can purchase a single digital copy of the Christmas edition of Diesel Car?
If you log onto http://www.pocketmags.com you’ll see the digital single issues there. Pocketmags takes care of our digital service for us.
When is the possibility of this being available in RHD In the UK? & what filling points will be available?
It arrives next spring and will cost in the region of £60k to £65k. The choice of hydrogen stations is still quite limited sadly 🙁
The reason for the longevity of cars in the USA is simply that European brands have little presence, Japanese cars with their superior standard of manufacture and testing have a major presence in the USA carmarket
Only thing I’ll say in relation to some of the poster’s comments is don’t buy alloygators for diamond cut wheels as the water gets in between the alloygator and the wheel ruining the finish quicker than time itself. In addition that there are some tyres the brands of which escape me but a quick look on the likes of Black Circles will tell you, that you can get tyres with rim protection. I have 19″ diamond cut wheels on my diesel Kadjar and have to be very careful as my tyres don’t have rim protection but such tyres slightly more expensive as they are but cheaper than replacing the wheel itself if they are damaged do exist.
The UK new car market is split into two halves, VW group with Audi/VW/Seat/Skoda hold 20% of sales, Ford 10%, BMW and Mercedes occupy the next 20%, this leaves around 30 to 40 brands fighting for the other 50%, for some, possibly too low a market share to make it worthwhile. If Mitsubishi is the latest casualty, how long brands such as Subaru and Smart follow brands such as Lancia into withdrawal is your guess.
I think there was a glitch in the Pocketmags system for an hour this morning. Would you mind trying again please.
Many thanks