So... what car do you guys drive when not flying?

[ALH]

I like old cars. My MG is 51 years old, needs to be coaxed into life on cold mornings, can be temperamental and is in need of a tune.
Unlike modern cars which only require you to steer them, this beast needs to be “driven”. No synchro in 1st, and no airbag ...... I love it

I’m happy to drive

 

[Deleted member]

I often think id like an old car, but then I think of carbi's, dizzy', points and a range of regular chores they need and think I'm happy with my new one.

I have the old car BAM built in the late 30's, lucky it has no motor!

Matt

Yeah, but deep down your pine for the imperfections of old technology.

 

[straitman]

Does anyone here drive a current Subaru Outback diesel? I'd be interested to hear what you have to say about the DPF.

Ours is coming up to 2 yo and 27,000km. What do you need to know Buzz?

The only trouble we have with this car seems to love visiting the panel beaters. (five times so far and none of them our fault)

 

[UP4014]

Yeah, but deep down your pine for the imperfections of old technology.

I had an old Lancia once, that just put me off cars that were made in Europe!

 

[Buzzard]

Ours is coming up to 2 yo and 27,000km. What do you need to know Buzz?

The only trouble we have with this car seems to love visiting the panel beaters. (five times so far and none of them our fault)

I'm told that if you continuously do short trips, say to the shops and back, it causes problems with the diesel particulate filter which can cost thousands to replace. The alternative I'm told is to regularly go for a half hour drive along the freeway so the DPF will clean itself. From my perspective, if I need to drive it for this reason, spending money on fuel plus wear and tear, adding unnecessary mileage, I may as well just buy the petrol model.

 

[straitman]

I'm told that if you continuously do short trips, say to the shops and back, it causes problems with the diesel particulate filter which can cost thousands to replace. The alternative I'm told is to regularly go for a half hour drive along the freeway so the DPF will clean itself. From my perspective, if I need to drive it for this reason, spending money on fuel plus wear and tear, adding unnecessary mileage, I may as well just buy the petrol model.

Sorry Buzz. Not something I’m familiar with. We live in the country so it gets a good mix of short and long driving.

 

[kookaburra75]

I like old cars. My MG is 51 years old, needs to be coaxed into life on cold mornings, can be temperamental and is in need of a tune.
Unlike modern cars which only require you to steer them, this beast needs to be “driven”. No synchro in 1st, and no airbag ...... I love it

Steer? Is that a button?. Carburettor and manual choke, "Super" leaded petrol... Ahh those were the days.

You forgot the bonnet up on the side of the road, hands covered in oil, smell of petrol on your clothes when the carb spurted on you.

My first car was a Bug Eyed Sprite - and I have no fond memories of that car at all. Then I went onto a Renault 16TS - now there was a car

 

[UP4014]

I'm told that if you continuously do short trips, say to the shops and back, it causes problems with the diesel particulate filter which can cost thousands to replace. The alternative I'm told is to regularly go for a half hour drive along the freeway so the DPF will clean itself. From my perspective, if I need to drive it for this reason, spending money on fuel plus wear and tear, adding unnecessary mileage, I may as well just buy the petrol model.

Correct, it doesn't get hot enough to burn off the particulates in a short trip, clogs up and the vehicles won't run. If you don't do at a 150km continuous country or freeway drive once per month then you should get a petrol.

 

[tgh]

I had an eg tdi for 9 years, very low k's and nearly all short runs.
Never a squeak from the dpf.
Every few months I floored it through the lower gears on a freeway ramp after it was well warmed up .. perhaps thats what saved it.

 

[cove]

I’ve gone Rogue. It’s a hire car. I try to get non Californian plates so I can pick it out in a car line up.
It’s a Nissan.

 

[mjt57]

I'm told that if you continuously do short trips, say to the shops and back, it causes problems with the diesel particulate filter which can cost thousands to replace..

My wife's Captiva was alwasy popping up an alert that the DPF was clogged or needed regenerating or whatever. And the instructions said to take it for a sustained "high speed" run.

The Jeep (Grand Cherokee) also has a DPF. To date it hasn't caused any problems, nor do I know any other GC owners who have had issues with it. But if it does, then the above remedy applies.

Common Rail Diesels come with the disclaimer that they are expensive to maintain. We bought ours to tow a caravan. No other reason. Otherwise I'd probably be driving around in the last of the HSVs. May still do so, if I can find one.

 

[kelvedon]

Then I went onto a Renault 16TS - now there was a car

Ah, the Renault 16. A friend had one when we were teenagers. Very comfy ride but used to lean so much in the corners we thought the door handles would scrape on the road,... which as a teenager was often the goal.

 

[Quickstatus]

CRail very expensive as the injectors are super high tolerance bits of kit they are about $500 each plus plus plus at least on the Landcruiser 200). And likely to have to replace all of them. Pity if there is a V8

DPF:
Buy petrol if driving < 15000km/year, city driving mostly, short drives.

Need to get the DPF hot. To get DPF hot need time - about 10min driving. And DPF will not be allowed to go into regeneration (burn off spot) mode involving extra heat unless there is enough airflow to dissipate the extra heat of the burn off. Hence the need to drive at > 80kmh for at least 15min

After burn off what’s left is little bits of ash which accumulates and eventually clogs the DPF.

If too much soot it will not go into regen mode because the resultant temps will cause a fire - New DPF in this case.

Also need low ash engine oil which is more expensive as ash cannot be burnt off.

My 2009 VW Golf diesel DPF is currently predicted to last till 240000km according to vehicle computer download. Currently 192000km.

Can’t say about Subaru
However both Subaru and Golf DPF are not serviceable unlike the truck DPF which can be taken apart to empty the ash.

Replacement cost $3500 as the Golf DPF in integrated with the catalytic converter.

Diesel lower fuel cost better fuel economy but higher costs at the other end.

 

[Dr Bob]

[QUOTE=" Then I went onto a Renault 16TS - now there was a car[/QUOTE]

Ohh the memories. Couldn't they hum. Albury to Brisbane at an average speed of 72.5 MPH including fuel stops.

 

[Buzzard]

If I get a diesel Subaru, I might have to stay here more often

 

[Quickstatus]

↑
Doing the speed limit on the M1 and most people go past. Speedo could be wrong but I'm not testing that theory.

99% of cars are a neat 5% fast, easy to check with a gps or a phone app.
GPS will be spot on.
..

Most cars are actually SLOWER than the indicated speed

My LC200 speedo reads 6kmh faster using the speed checking on the freeways when speedo is 110kmh

I believe the error varies with the speed

 

[straitman]

View attachment 127669 If I get a diesel Subaru, I might have to stay here more often

We’ll come for a visit Buzz!

 

[kelvedon]

Most cars are actually SLOWER than the indicated speed

My LC200 speedo is 6kmh faster than the speed checking on the freeways when speedo is 110kmh

I believe the error varies with the speed

The ADR states that vehicle speedometers must be accurate to within +-10% yet strangely require 4% accuracy for odometers. Why is distance more important?
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2007C00025/e85eded2-4440-426d-b3d0-cec060612097

 

[Quickstatus]

The ADR states that vehicle speedometers must be accurate to within +-10% yet strangely require 4% accuracy for odometers. Why is distance more important?

Perhaps because the value of a vehicle directly relates to the odometer

 

[tgh]

I think my post could have been clearer.

My experience is that when most cars speedo's indicate 100kph , they are doing 95 or less according to a gps.

Clearly MdoV