paul@midway:
Thats nothing.I can get over 80mpg running down hill in 6th with no foot in.
Learn to drive isn’t the solotion conor.
When you’ve two wagon drivers doing an identical 450 mile run in the same vehicles with the same loads with one using 220 litres and the other using 280 litres then yes, learning to drive IS the solution. In the example I’ve given, over a year it would be £15,000 cheaper to pay me to do the run than the other driver. Come redundancy time, who do you think would get their P45?
If it isn’t the solution then why are all these companies such as Geopost wasting £100s per driver on economical driving courses? When I did mine I got paid for the week and put up in a 4 star hotel for 4 nights as well as being paid 300 miles travel expenses. If they didn’t think it was worthwhile they’d not have spent the money doing it, would they?
Driving economically isn’t about driving slowly, its about driving smartly. Certainly one of the requirements of the economic driving course I did that was on the final examined drive you had to do it quicker than the first “benchmark” drive of the test route and with fewer gearchanges. You only do faster with fewer gearchanges and more economically by planning ahead and driving smart.
*You might have to wring it’s neck a little at some point mind conor if it has a DPF fitted.Those DPFS need a little heavy foot sometimes to burn off the deposits otherwise they block up and fail requiring replacement at cira £1000
Thats not how you “clean a DPF” and in the manual for my car it even says that if you do trips with increased acceleration and deceleration that you may want to do a journey where you can maintain a constant speed for around 20 minutes to support the automatic regeneration process. It requires a journey done at a speed and duration sufficient to get the temperature in the particle trap above 550C without adding more soot as your suggestion would. I do those type of journeys pretty much most of the time.
You dont have to tell me about economic driving.My place of work have been at it for years.
The point i’m making is this lot in charge after promising to put a stop to run away fuel prices have allowed the raid to continue and forced people off the road
Because of this the amount of duty they collect from fuel has dropped slightly.To get it back the shisters have dumped vat on and now looking to raise the duty.
Its a short sighted plan.
Re dpf. Your manual is telling you what every other car manual says to do and how dpf should work.
If the bloody thing wont regen and they sometimes wont even with your journeys,the garage will tell you to try a force regen driving in low gear high revs out of town to try and get the regen going.If it still wont do it they will have it in and likely wring its ■■■■ off plugged in.
They have had a lot of bad press and lots of disgruntled drivers(even those doing journeys like yours) looking at 4 figure bills to replace the ■■■■ things.Upto now the car manufacturers dont see dpf as a warranty item.
I got lucky and missed out on dpf becoming compulsory by a couple of months.My car doesnt have one.
waynedl:
Not everyone can afford a nice new mondeo tdci to save a few quid on fuel
I got nearly the same out of the car it replaced - a 2004 MK3 Mondeo TDCi 130 I bought at 3 years old with 90k on the clock and sold 3 weeks ago with 165k on.
I couldn’t afford the car your new 1 replaced
I have a 2000 BMW 530d with 168k on it, not bad because it shifts my caravan like it’s not there, but it was a cheap purchase (due to the age and milage) but is ■■■■■ on fuel, 25mpg average, it’s an auto and lots of stop starts, but even at 60mph with a bike trailer on the back to Bellshill and back (from Manchester) it only averaged 40mpg calculated - osd showing 42.7mpg.
I averaged 9.1mpg out of an Actross on container work and about the same out of a Daf CF on container work, so I know how to drive economically.
I could get rid of the beemer and get something smaller and cheaper to run, but then I’d have to get rid of my caravan too, for the money and the job I need my car to do, the beemer was the best value for money.
Newest car I’ve had since 1998 is a 51 plate Nissan diesel, but it wasn’t capable of getting moving when I stopped at a red light on an uphill in Wales with my van on the back, so it had to go.
£2.60 for an all day rider, … miles cheaper than my Hyundai Sonata 2.0 auto
From my house to the town centre is approx 1 mile, when I moved in here it was 50p each way on bus (I know, I drove the bloody thing), now it’s £1.50 on the cheap bus and £1.70 on the other buses, so a round trip is £3 or £3.40 depending on time, cost in car, around 40p and can take upto 4 passengers too.
Daily tickets round here are £3.70 for Stagecoach and £4.50 on First bus, since they alternate you might want an ‘any bus day saver’ which is £4.80… This is for 1 adult.
City centre is around 7 miles each way, so 15 mile round trip +/-. around 4 quid to take the car + parking, now if I want a drink I might consider the bus or coach, but usually just take the car because I never go alone, so it’s cheaper.
I seem to remember that way back in the mist of time - ie the end of the last century - there was a plan to increase fuel duty with the deliberate intention of forcing motorists onto public transport.
We are in a period of transition which will hurt some people in the short term but benefit us all in the longer term. The days when a driver could afford a 50 mile or even a 30 mile commute in a car are gone, and will not return unless someone comes up with a cheaper way of doing it.
A hundred years ago, almost everyone walked or cycled to work - maybe that will be the case again in the not too distant future.
Santa:
I seem to remember that way back in the mist of time - ie the end of the last century - there was a plan to increase fuel duty with the deliberate intention of forcing motorists onto public transport.
We are in a period of transition which will hurt some people in the short term but benefit us all in the longer term. The days when a driver could afford a 50 mile or even a 30 mile commute in a car are gone, and will not return unless someone comes up with a cheaper way of doing it.
A hundred years ago, almost everyone walked or cycled to work - maybe that will be the case again in the not too distant future.
That’d be ok if all the NIMBY’s didn’t stop any plans to build in the area.
If I want to work within walking / cycling distance of my house, there’s a choice of about 6 firms, none of which pay well and none of which have any vacancies.
Or, I change job and do something else.
Or I commute to Trafford Park or similar - you know, an Industrial Area built for the kind of job I do.
Or I could move house and live near Trafford Park or similar… No thanks
Santa:
I seem to remember that way back in the mist of time - ie the end of the last century - there was a plan to increase fuel duty with the deliberate intention of forcing motorists onto public transport.
We are in a period of transition which will hurt some people in the short term but benefit us all in the longer term. The days when a driver could afford a 50 mile or even a 30 mile commute in a car are gone, and will not return unless someone comes up with a cheaper way of doing it.
A hundred years ago, almost everyone walked or cycled to work - maybe that will be the case again in the not too distant future.
Thats all very well if you live in a town with a regular bus serviced. I live 3 miles from the nearest bus route (10 from the nearest town, my brother lives 10 miles from the nearest one and it only runs twice a day so not a lot of use. Its the rural population that is getting totally screwed once again ref the island fuel prices, what must be really galling is that the bloody oil is coming ashore there.
If you hadn’t noticed all the small local businesses have been closed and everything has been centralised into industrial estates on the outskirts of the big towns and cities.
map-man:
When things like fuel costs are an issue then the solution is simple - buy less of it and find alternative ways of doing stuff. As Waynedl pointed out, not everyone can afford a new efficient car so you have to look at other options.
As I pointed out, the previous car was 7 years old with 165k on the clock and did nearly the same.
Santa:
The days when a driver could afford a 50 mile or even a 30 mile commute in a car are gone, and will not return unless someone comes up with a cheaper way of doing it.
Fuel wise I’d be paying the same now to do a 30 mile commute as I was in 2001 when petrol was about £3.50 a gallon. Difference is that back then I did it in a 2L petrol car averaging 33MPG and now I’d do it in an oil burner averaging nearly double that.
robbo863:
VXR8 6.0 V8 and 450hp, I get no where near that.
My pals drag car (road legal):
Sierra XR4x4, 2.8 V6 gas-ringed engine, ladderd/girdled bottom end, Turbo Tecnics twin turbo kit, Eaton M112 supercharger and Nitrous kit. Does 4mpg going steady, and 300 yards per gallon giving it the beans.7
He’s currently putting a Wessex helicopter engine into a Cortina
Conor, in my experience trip computers are not particulary accurate and if anything, over-egg the actual MPG for manufacturer willy waving purposes.
DPF filters don’t cost anywhere near a grand when they’re blocked. Last one I did (7.5 ton Isuzu NQR) cost about 2 hours labour, the time it took to remove, steam clean out and refit
I’ve cleaned out about 20 now, with good results. Replacement is not the answer.
robbo863:
VXR8 6.0 V8 and 450hp, I get no where near that.
My pals drag car (road legal):
Sierra XR4x4, 2.8 V6 gas-ringed engine, ladderd/girdled bottom end, Turbo Tecnics twin turbo kit, Eaton M112 supercharger and Nitrous kit. Does 4mpg going steady, and 300 yards per gallon giving it the beans.7
He’s currently putting a Wessex helicopter engine into a Cortina
Conor, in my experience trip computers are not particulary accurate and if anything, over-egg the actual MPG for manufacturer willy waving purposes.
DPF filters don’t cost anywhere near a grand when they’re blocked. Last one I did (7.5 ton Isuzu NQR) cost about 2 hours labour, the time it took to remove, steam clean out and refit
I’ve cleaned out about 20 now, with good results. Replacement is not the answer.
i lost count of the amount of bellends i picked up on the 25 saying i don’t understand! my computer says i’ve got 10miles of fuel left.then i point out they’re going up a hill.
I’m sorry but I can’t contain my self any longer. Conor, you are ■■■■■■■ hero. I love you man I really really do. You are the greatest in the world and, and, you are saving the planet. Any chance you could come and show me how I can climb out of inverness with a fully loaded trailer and return more than 1.4 to the gallon? Hall full loads and get my ■■■■■■ to return more than 7.1? That’s average over 70,000 km. oh yes by the way my wagon is producing above average fuel figures out of our 24 identical Motors.
robbo863:
VXR8 6.0 V8 and 450hp, I get no where near that.
DPF filters don’t cost anywhere near a grand when they’re blocked. Last one I did (7.5 ton Isuzu NQR) cost about 2 hours labour, the time it took to remove, steam clean out and refit
I’ve cleaned out about 20 now, with good results. Replacement is not the answer.
They do from a dealer dependant on what car you have.Or should I say stealers.
I run a derv BMW with no dpf.If it had DPF and failed I would have one of three choices.
1.Replace at £1200 plus vat plus labour.
2.Have it flushed like you do @ £■■?
3.Pay circa £600 to have it taken off,the internals removed,put back on and the ECU programmed to not look for it anymore.
*Can’t remove and straight pipe anymore,with the MOT regs they will be checking if your should have DPF and if it’s fitted.If not Fail and nice bill for a shiny new one.
Daf are having problems with DPF atm.They lads running the DAFS from brand new on their second lot of DPFS as they keep blocking up and failing.DAF are covering the bill mind,unlike lots of the car manufacturers ignoring the problem and stinging the owners.
*I won’t be running another derv when this car is due to be chopped in,switching back to petrol and likely 6 cylinder
Santa:
The days when a driver could afford a 50 mile or even a 30 mile commute in a car are gone, and will not return unless someone comes up with a cheaper way of doing it.
Fuel wise I’d be paying the same now to do a 30 mile commute as I was in 2001 when petrol was about £3.50 a gallon. Difference is that back then I did it in a 2L petrol car averaging 33MPG and now I’d do it in an oil burner averaging nearly double that.
Well good for you but I know which drives better out of a petrol car and a diesel car.
Also, even though my car loves petrol…
I think it’s a fair price to pay for keeping the Plebs off of the road, the whole of the UK has been far better to drive in since fuel prices doubled.
I had a mk3 Mondeo tdci 130 six speed with 65k on the clock, always did 50/55mpg average, and 60/65mpg on a run with the family onboard and luggage, very impressive car indeed, only sold as I was desperate for another BMW, given the current state of fuel prices and coming pricing trend beginning to wish I kept it !! Currently got a 330i and average 30mpg with a 40 mile round trip commute each day !! When I had the Mondeo I was working 4 miles round trip away, typical eh !!!
Funny enough I am not missing my old 6.2 litre V8 vxr8 atm, that thing was 14 - 24mpg lol
