Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) issues and comments

Guys_Dad

steve-L wrote: »

People buy diesels for reasons other than just fuel economy, especially ones with real engines (the point of a 1.4D is somewhat lost on me) .. but at 4 miles a day I question not only the sanity of a nearly new MPV 2.0L but buying a car at all???

There goes someone who doesn't live in an isolated village !

GolfBravo

steve-L wrote: »

People buy diesels for reasons other than just fuel economy, especially ones with real engines (the point of a 1.4D is somewhat lost on me) .. but at 4 miles a day I question not only the sanity of a nearly new MPV 2.0L but buying a car at all???

No-one ever got rich telling consumers they are wrong - even if it is the blind truth.

steve-L

Guys_Dad wrote: »

There goes someone who doesn't live in an isolated village !

Not any longer, much as I grew up in one. (Waddington, Lancs)

Regardless I now live in a small town and my 3 year old walks 5 miles a day (unless weather is REALLY BAD) so he gets exersize....

steve-L

GolfBravo wrote: »

No-one ever got rich telling consumers they are wrong - even if it is the blind truth.

True .......


Still ..... the consumer is going to spend the same amount on a car.
If they are advised to get a diesel for the wrong reasons they could have been advised to get a more appropriate car and spend the same.

My main reason for buying diesels is not fuel economy alone.
I buy 'fleet cars' because they are built to cost less to the canny fleet management departments.

They are also maintained, probably almost as well as the best maintained (ex Police cars) because its part of the contract with a company car. So they get the real OEM parts, Manufacturer recommended oil... etc. etc.

They also come with all the options if you shop about, often the options alone cost more than the 1.2 Corsa when both were new.....

As such their main devaluation has occurred, they then keep the value much better whilst I enjoy the ride, extras and build quality.

(I have a Honda Accord TDCI estate and BMW 330D)
Although both do upwards of 10k a year its not the only reason for buying diesel..... cheaper road tax and insurance also count!

After a previous service the mechanic asked me all sorts of questions when I collected the car.... because he was an ex Honda mechanic. He said he only ever saw the problems until he worked outside ... then he realised how reliable they were .... he was considering a Honda himself.... neither is he the 1st mechanic to comment that he can hardly believe its got 175k ....

My mums Corsa has about 45k and despite a good service history feels like it is falling apart.... and over the last 3 years has certainly cost more (in the 10k my mum did in 3 years) than my Accord.

Hence: My reasons for buying diesel are to buy 'a well built car' (engine excluded in this definition) that won't fall apart.

The fact is most ex-fleet cars are diesel and I do enough miles for it to be economical.....
My actual milage is unpredictable.... I haven't driven (my car) for 3 weeks... but then I might drive 200 miles a day for 3 months....

When I travel for work I get 45p/mile.... driving a diesel leaves me 30p/mile in depreciation.... )This is how I bought the BMW ....

Yolina

steve-L wrote: »

They are also maintained, probably almost as well as the best maintained (ex Police cars) because its part of the contract with a company car. So they get the real OEM parts, Manufacturer recommended oil... etc. etc.

Not necessarily - I have seen mentioned in some forums that sometimes company maintenance contracts specify a different (cheaper) grade of oil to save a few pennies.

steve-L

Yolina wrote: »

Not necessarily - I have seen mentioned in some forums that sometimes company maintenance contracts specify a different (cheaper) grade of oil to save a few pennies.

True,
Obviously you want to see the service record.
I don't care about a single instance (my Honda had 1 quick fit oil service in 150k that was then changed 5000 miles later)

For fleet cars you should get the FULL history.... if you don't then they are hiding something. (They need to keep everything for tax records up to 6 years then usually keep them anyway)

My Honda came with a veritable 'books worth' of receipts/work/checks probably 200 pages if I counted.....and I went through the lot before buying....

As with buying any used car, be prepared to walk away!
The easiest things to check are brakes/tyres/oil.....
If they are using economy brands then it soon shows up..... and while old brake pads long replaced or tyres don't affect your car today its a good indicator of cut price servicing......
(Anyone who replaces tyres with £100 tyres is unlikely to skimp on other parts that require replacing)

Incidentally my Honda came with trash tyres..... the dealer just put the cheapest legal tyres on to sell...... but the service history showed the original owner had always put on quality tyres.... and used OEM parts (indeed almost everything was done at Honda). If I add up the costs of servicing it was way more than I paid for the car

Yolina

I recently sold my 10 year old 206 (so not worth that much), needed a couple of new tyres earlier in the year, but knowing I was going to get rid a few months later, I put cheapos on :rotfl: but obviously before that it's always had good boots If I had decided to keep the car any longer, I would also have had the brakes (discs and pads) done - they were still ok obviously - but I just made sure that the buyer was aware that it would need doing in the near future, which I think is fair. Handed over a stack of receipt too so at least the buyer knew it had been looked after

flashg67

Yolina wrote: »

Not necessarily - I have seen mentioned in some forums that sometimes company maintenance contracts specify a different (cheaper) grade of oil to save a few pennies.

I work in the industry, and can categorically say this is not true (for the company I work for anyway) - the cars get the oil the manufacturer recommends, not the dealer, (which is where there may be a difference in opinion).

Lease cars actually belong to the lease company, so it makes no sense to skimp on servicing in the long run - they need it to be worth something when they sell it.