Car Problems!!

Started by downgirl, January 04, 2009, 08:34:55 PM

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tyrone girl

Annual mileage around 12/13 k. Its vauxhall astra. The one im thinking of buying is 1.6 petrol automatic but seems very bad mpg compared to manual diesel ones which are also cheaper to buy.
Have you had any experience with either? Any experience also with Charles Hurst?

GJL

Quote from: tyrone girl on March 05, 2018, 11:06:58 AM
Annual mileage around 12/13 k. Its vauxhall astra. The one im thinking of buying is 1.6 petrol automatic but seems very bad mpg compared to manual diesel ones which are also cheaper to buy.
Have you had any experience with either? Any experience also with Charles Hurst?

My father used to say 'the day you buy is the day you sell' I would apply this to a 1.6 petrol Astra auto. It would be very difficult to sell on when you are finished with it. I have no real experience with them but a manual diesel would be much more popular here. If you really want auto go back a couple of years and buy a VW Golf TDI auto. Better quality and will hold it's value better.

GJL

Quote from: maddog on March 05, 2018, 10:58:55 AM
Hi GJL - any ideas on how to stop the fan on a VW passat from squealing. On settings 1 and 2 it squeals some of the time but when you turn it up to 3 and 4 it stops. Guess something wants oiling ? Is it something that would be hard to get at ?

Sounds like the bearing in the motor has a bit of play in it. Get to a breaker yard and get a second hand one.

Owen Brannigan

Quote from: tyrone girl on March 05, 2018, 11:06:58 AM
Annual mileage around 12/13 k. Its vauxhall astra. The one im thinking of buying is 1.6 petrol automatic but seems very bad mpg compared to manual diesel ones which are also cheaper to buy.
Have you had any experience with either? Any experience also with Charles Hurst?

Surely apples and oranges.  You are making two jumps at once, first to petrol and secondly to auto box.  Compare petrol to diesel manual to see how much that is costing in mpg.

Would recommend an auto on the basis of driving my third auto(semi auto), Golf 2L TDI which gives 48 mpg over all driving. It has its quirks as a double clutch auto. Previously had torque convertor in a C Class which was much smoother and although 170 bhp it returned slightly better than the Golf.  Prior to that I had a 2L TFSI A3 auto petrol and it returned 29 mpg but no worse than the similar manual car, it was a very fast car and didn't encourage economy.

Will still go for an auto next time but probably with a petrol.

maddog

Quote from: GJL on March 05, 2018, 11:13:06 AM
Quote from: maddog on March 05, 2018, 10:58:55 AM
Hi GJL - any ideas on how to stop the fan on a VW passat from squealing. On settings 1 and 2 it squeals some of the time but when you turn it up to 3 and 4 it stops. Guess something wants oiling ? Is it something that would be hard to get at ?

Sounds like the bearing in the motor has a bit of play in it. Get to a breaker yard and get a second hand one.

Cheers GJL will do.

Frank_The_Tank

Anyone ever use RadWeld Plus for a leaking radiator - the car is a 2007 Diesel Vauxhall Astra - the radiator is leaking fairly badly - having to top up the water once a day. 
Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience

maddog

Quote from: Frank_The_Tank on March 05, 2018, 04:14:38 PM
Anyone ever use RadWeld Plus for a leaking radiator - the car is a 2007 Diesel Vauxhall Astra - the radiator is leaking fairly badly - having to top up the water once a day.

yes i have but it wasn't needing topping up everyday. It was about every 2 weeks. Never leaked a drop since.

Frank_The_Tank

Quote from: maddog on March 05, 2018, 04:18:56 PM
Quote from: Frank_The_Tank on March 05, 2018, 04:14:38 PM
Anyone ever use RadWeld Plus for a leaking radiator - the car is a 2007 Diesel Vauxhall Astra - the radiator is leaking fairly badly - having to top up the water once a day.

yes i have but it wasn't needing topping up everyday. It was about every 2 weeks. Never leaked a drop since.

yeah unsure whether it will fully cure the problem but even if it helps a bit I think I'll give it a go - car isn't really worth investing much money in fixing tbh
Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience

Hound

Quote from: GJL on March 05, 2018, 11:12:11 AM
Quote from: tyrone girl on March 05, 2018, 11:06:58 AM
Annual mileage around 12/13 k. Its vauxhall astra. The one im thinking of buying is 1.6 petrol automatic but seems very bad mpg compared to manual diesel ones which are also cheaper to buy.
Have you had any experience with either? Any experience also with Charles Hurst?

My father used to say 'the day you buy is the day you sell' I would apply this to a 1.6 petrol Astra auto. It would be very difficult to sell on when you are finished with it. I have no real experience with them but a manual diesel would be much more popular here. If you really want auto go back a couple of years and buy a VW Golf TDI auto. Better quality and will hold it's value better.

Not sure, you can say that for certain now re lower sell-on value. A lot of people predicting Diesel 2nd hand values will go through the floor in coming years.

As Owen said above, the main reason for lower mpg is petrol v diesel rather than automatic v manual.

I changed to an automatic about 10 years. Now I get to drive a manual for 1 day a year when the car is in for service. I enjoy it for about 10 minutes, but then pine for my automatic.

tyrone girl

Thanks for your help guys. Appreciated.

Have now found a 2.0 diesel automatic (same car) same year and with same amount of miles. Its in scotland so by time i get it home it will cost about £500 dearer. Maybe worth it in the long run?

Owen Brannigan

Quote from: Hound on March 05, 2018, 04:34:00 PM
Quote from: GJL on March 05, 2018, 11:12:11 AM
Quote from: tyrone girl on March 05, 2018, 11:06:58 AM
Annual mileage around 12/13 k. Its vauxhall astra. The one im thinking of buying is 1.6 petrol automatic but seems very bad mpg compared to manual diesel ones which are also cheaper to buy.
Have you had any experience with either? Any experience also with Charles Hurst?

My father used to say 'the day you buy is the day you sell' I would apply this to a 1.6 petrol Astra auto. It would be very difficult to sell on when you are finished with it. I have no real experience with them but a manual diesel would be much more popular here. If you really want auto go back a couple of years and buy a VW Golf TDI auto. Better quality and will hold it's value better.

Not sure, you can say that for certain now re lower sell-on value. A lot of people predicting Diesel 2nd hand values will go through the floor in coming years.

As Owen said above, the main reason for lower mpg is petrol v diesel rather than automatic v manual.

I changed to an automatic about 10 years. Now I get to drive a manual for 1 day a year when the car is in for service. I enjoy it for about 10 minutes, but then pine for my automatic.

After finding it doesn't slow/stop when you brake coming up to lights/junction!   :)

Tony Baloney

Quote from: Frank_The_Tank on March 05, 2018, 04:14:38 PM
Anyone ever use RadWeld Plus for a leaking radiator - the car is a 2007 Diesel Vauxhall Astra - the radiator is leaking fairly badly - having to top up the water once a day.
Yes used it a few years ago in an old yoke (the radiator had drained whilst I was in work) and never lost a drop afterwards.

tyrone girl

Update!. I went with the diesel automatic. Seems a decent wee car.

theskull1

"Seems"  ;)

Good luck with it
It's a lot easier to sing karaoke than to sing opera

Frank_The_Tank

Quote from: Tony Baloney on March 05, 2018, 06:05:13 PM
Quote from: Frank_The_Tank on March 05, 2018, 04:14:38 PM
Anyone ever use RadWeld Plus for a leaking radiator - the car is a 2007 Diesel Vauxhall Astra - the radiator is leaking fairly badly - having to top up the water once a day.
Yes used it a few years ago in an old yoke (the radiator had drained whilst I was in work) and never lost a drop afterwards.

Cheers - bought some anyway and topped it up last night so ill see what happens with it over next few days
Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience