*********Motors Chat - Round 9 *********

Mycroft H

Averaged 50mpg from Kildare to Wexford and back and a few spins in and out of work. Not too shabby for a big estate. Cheap motoring.

Special Circumstances

Mycroft H wrote: »

Averaged 50mpg from Kildare to Wexford and back and a few spins in and out of work. Not too shabby for a big estate. Cheap motoring.

Did you have to lodge a lump sum with the dept of transport, or did you eventually find an insurer willing to risk such a high performance beast ;-)

They are a grand bus. Lad at work has one.

quadrifoglio verde

challengemaster wrote: »

:pac:

Last time I filled the tank was August 2013 :eek: That said, I track everything using Road Trip, so I know exactly how many litres of fuel was used since then (19,500 miles). It's like the most accurate fill to fill ever :pac: 42.3 MPG over 2 years isn't too bad, particularly as I don't exactly have a light foot

Also fuel is the best price it's been in the last 4 years. (The massive spike was when I was in the UK)

You've done 19500 miles in the last two years?

That's perfect big engine petrol territory

Try 20000 a year in a petrol getting 26 mpg....

ShaunieVW

I'm currently doing 13000 miles a year, averaging 33 or 34 mpg. Debating switching to a diesel until I get a deposit for a house together. See the thing is I know there is cars out there with much better mpg and all that jazz. But the a3 is so damn reliable, well specced and quick enough that I don't want to sell it.

CrowdedHouse

After over 2.5 years of ownership I discovered my car has a dipstick for the oil- cool

Hal1

Just finished washing my car and to my horror just up a ways from me was a guy using a long brush and bucket on his new insignia :eek:.

GvidoR

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

After over 2.5 years of ownership I discovered my car has a dipstick for the oil- cool

Was it hidden or something?

CrowdedHouse

Not totally hidden but very inconspicuous

CIP4

The dipstick on mine looks like it's an oil filler pipe because of the oil filler cap shaped top so it took me a while to realise it even had one. I just read the oil level of the computer and then maybe dip it every month- two months.

CrowdedHouse

CIP4 wrote: »

I just read the oil level of the computer and then maybe dip it every month- two months.

Me: must check oil- press button

Computer: BONG! Engine must be warmed up, no check

Me: week(s) later with warm engine, must check oil

Computer: BONG! Car must be on level surface, no check

Me: feck that for a game of cowboys, if it's that clever it will tell me if it wants oil!

GvidoR

You and your fancy car computers...

CIP4

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Me: must check oil- press button

Computer: BONG! Engine must be warmed up, no check

Me: week(s) later with warm engine, must check oil

Computer: BONG! Car must be on level surface, no check

Me: feck that for a game of cowboys, if it's that clever it will tell me if it wants oil!

You can only check mine when your starting the car and it's running its check if you press a button at that time it will show up oil level. It's only a kind of rough guide but that's all you want it's not going to be majorly out either.

jimgoose

GvidoR wrote: »

You and your fancy car computers...

Say it, brother. "BONG" your sister - give me a decent, Christan dipstick!!

challengemaster

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

You've done 19500 miles in the last two years?

That's perfect big engine petrol territory

Try 20000 a year in a petrol getting 26 mpg....

You see, theres a small problem with that 'logic' - I like having money

Thats €2k saved in fuel costs in 2 years by not driving a petrol. €3k if you include the difference in tax to a 2.5L.

Supergurrier

challengemaster wrote: »

You see, theres a small problem with that 'logic' - I like having money

Thats €2k saved in fuel costs in 2 years by not driving a petrol. €3k if you include the difference in tax to a 2.5L.

Take your filthy logic and begone good sir !

jimgoose

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Me: must check oil- press button

Computer: BONG! Engine must be warmed up, no check

Me: week(s) later with warm engine, must check oil...

Why on earth would you need to be warm to check the oil, unless it's one of these funny dry-sump setups like an Aprilia/Rotax? It's not the pressure it's reporting, is it??

challengemaster

jimgoose wrote: »

Why on earth would you need to be warm to check the oil, unless it's one of these funny dry-sump setups like an Aprilia/Rotax? It's not the pressure it's reporting, is it??

Every car/manufacturer has something different in their user manual for how to check the oil. For the E46 it's get the car to full operating temp, turn off the engine and then check the level ~10 minutes later.

All to do with physics, things expanding when hot and whatnot

jimgoose

challengemaster wrote: »

Every car/manufacturer has something different in their user manual for how to check the oil. For the E46 it's get the car to full operating temp, turn off the engine and then check the level ~10 minutes later.

All to do with physics, things expanding when hot and whatnot

Mmm. Not much use when you want to dip the thing and it's drier than an Arab's arse in a sandstorm. However, I shall defer to their Teutonic Tenacity!

Mc Love

Cant find the thread about the car sales people, or I'm not even sure there was one, but i called about two cars last week, two different garages and the sales people I dealt with were probably the two worst in the industry! One is a reputable dealer in Limerick, who was the grumpiest fecker ever, asked about a car and just got a NO and dropped the phone, was there a reason he didnt offer me something else or enquire what I was looking at to see if they could source one?

The other was a place in Co. Cork who could have offered the alternative in the Marque that he was selling? How are these lads making any money if they are on commission or how are they still being employed?

CrowdedHouse

jimgoose wrote: »

Why on earth would you need to be warm to check the oil, unless it's one of these funny dry-sump setups like an Aprilia/Rotax? It's not the pressure it's reporting, is it??

Dunno Jim, dat's what the 'puter says, as you see it's greyed out here

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Any reason there's a mountain of saabs for sale cheaply in the UK ?

Seem to be tripping over them in any spec you want for cheap.


A newer than 08 93 1.9tid auto with cream leather interior and plenty of extras for less than 2.5K

Noccy_Mondy

Mc Love wrote:

Cant find the thread about the car sales people, or I'm not even sure there was one, but i called about two cars last week, two different garages and the sales people I dealt with were probably the two worst in the industry! One is a reputable dealer in Limerick, who was the grumpiest fecker ever, asked about a car and just got a NO and dropped the phone, was there a reason he didnt offer me something else or enquire what I was looking at to see if they could source one?

Are you upgrading?

ShaunieVW

Is there parts available for them now since they no longer exist?

CIP4

challengemaster wrote: »

You see, theres a small problem with that 'logic' - I like having money

Thats €2k saved in fuel costs in 2 years by not driving a petrol. €3k if you include the difference in tax to a 2.5L.

That's the way I would think. I'd like a petrol weekend car but wouldn't see the sense in covering massive miles in an older uneconomical petrol because it revs higher than a diesel and sounds quieter when idling I mean what difference does that make on a day to day basis. Don't get me wrong I'm sure 2.5 v6 petrol and 335i bmw petrols etc are really nice cars but standard petrol cars are nothing to get excited about. I drove 6 or 7 standard mid size petrol cars when last changing and the only one I liked was a mk5 1.6 fsi golf 6 speed which was a lovely car and id of probably bought that only for it was 3dr which I simply didn't want. I mean I drove a 1.4 petrol Astra which was quite frankly horrible i30 was ok to drive but I don't like them. My point is comparing them to there equivalent diesel versions in a lot of cases the diesel is nicer to drive.

Dartz

220km driven. Not even a half-tank used. That's an odd feeling.

Seems to have recovered from its bout of **** petrol-itis.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Hummer parked in the middle of o connell street dublin on the center pedestrian area with a clamp on it !

Mc Love

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Are you upgrading?

God no! Love my mondy

Was calling for the MIL

166man

challengemaster wrote: »

You see, theres a small problem with that 'logic' - I like having money

Thats €2k saved in fuel costs in 2 years by not driving a petrol. €3k if you include the difference in tax to a 2.5L.

€2k in two years isn't exactly a mahoosive saving given the other costs incurred with owning and running cars...

At that mileage, it'd be petrol all the way for me. A 320ci is nicer to drive than a 320d.....

CIP4 wrote: »

That's the way I would think. I'd like a petrol weekend car but wouldn't see the sense in covering massive miles in an older uneconomical petrol because it revs higher than a diesel and sounds quieter when idling I mean what difference does that make on a day to day basis. Don't get me wrong I'm sure 2.5 v6 petrol and 335i bmw petrols etc are really nice cars but standard petrol cars are nothing to get excited about. I drove 6 or 7 standard mid size petrol cars when last changing and the only one I liked was a mk5 1.6 fsi golf 6 speed which was a lovely car and id of probably bought that only for it was 3dr which I simply didn't want. I mean I drove a 1.4 petrol Astra which was quite frankly horrible i30 was ok to drive but I don't like them. My point is comparing them to there equivalent diesel versions in a lot of cases the diesel is nicer to drive.

Covering massive miles in an older big engined petrol is illogical alright. Plenty of standard petrol cars out there to get excited about, you just haven't driven any...a 1.4 petrol Astra isn't going to compare to a 1.8t car......

YbFocus

166man wrote: »

Covering massive miles in an older big engined petrol is illogical alright. Plenty of standard petrol cars out there to get excited about, you just haven't driven any...a 1.4 petrol Astra isn't going to compare to a 1.8t car......

When he eventually gets one he'll understand
21k on mine since January, no want at all for diesel

5ub

I've done easily upwards of 20k miles in an E36 328i in the last 12 months. No issues and it certainly wasn't breaking the bank (and I'm not exactly flush with cash!). Most of it was motorway mileage, and the cost of running it compared to a 320d (my last car) were marginal.