The 'Great Keep Your Car Tip Top For Less' Hunt

thefirs

http://www.blackcircles.com/ supplied me with tyres - fitted by a local tyre and exhaust centre - for £5 less than the same centre could quote me over the phone.

seaweasel

Good advice, although I'm told that it does engines good to let them handle some high revs every so often, especially turbo diesels.

starkj

seaweasel wrote:

Good advice, although I'm told that it does engines good to let them handle some high revs every so often, especially turbo diesels.

To get to high revs is it best to mean accelerate hard in a low gears? or cruise in a low gear?

How often is every so often?

Thanks

meana

i would say its best to cruise...say 65 - 70 in 3rd Gear for a good couple of miles..
thats what an RAC chap said to me once...

it blows the muck out of the Air Filter and pipes and worth doing every 3-4000 miles and just lets the engine work a bit harder and let the oil circulate more quickly..
new cars with modern engines are always so low revving in all gears they don't get properly run in..

also recommended for older cars that have carburettors.

ElvisThePrince

Tips is no particular order:
1. VAG Turbo Diesels (VW, Skoda, Seat, Audi) driving "Like a granny" may actually cost you money! It seems that in 5th somewhere below 75mph the fuel consumption goes up!, it would appear that the Turbo stops spinning fast enough so to compensate the ECU dumps more fuel into the engine! Also see the notes about the engine needing a good high speed run above!
2. When MOT time is near pour a whole bottle of Red-Ex diesel system cleaner into the fuel tank when you fill up for the 2/3 tankfuls before the test, also make sure the engine is nice and warm, should help with the emissions test.
3. German, Swiss, French (http://www.gsfcarparts.com/) seem to be the cheapest for VAG cars, dunno about other makes.


Stephen

Growmac

If you have a fairly new diesel, then be very careful of this suggestion.

Moden diesels use a technology called 'common rail' - the fuel is injected at incredible pressures, about 24,000 psi, or about the same pressure as in the barrel of a rifle. The pumps used cost thousands of pounds to replace if they fail, and rely on the diesel for lubrication. Biodiesel can also separate under the pressure, messing the system up.

5% biodiesel, such as that available on some forecourts, is absolutely fine, but you'd be mad to put veg oil in any new diesel - you could be looking at needing a new engine and fuel system!

Hope that's helpful.

G

crossleydd42

If you must have a new'ish car, buy one that's about two years' old and sell it when it's about four years' old. Much depreciation will have taken place before you buy it and the price will remain fairly stable while you have it. Also, you'll have the benefit of one years' warranty left.

starkj

ElvisThePrince wrote:

Tips is no particular order:
1. VAG Turbo Diesels (VW, Skoda, Seat, Audi) driving "Like a granny" may actually cost you money! It seems that in 5th somewhere below 75mph the fuel consumption goes up!, it would appear that the Turbo stops spinning fast enough so to compensate the ECU dumps more fuel into the engine! Also see the notes about the engine needing a good high speed run above!
2. When MOT time is near pour a whole bottle of Red-Ex diesel system cleaner into the fuel tank when you fill up for the 2/3 tankfuls before the test, also make sure the engine is nice and warm, should help with the emissions test.
3. German, Swiss, French (http://www.gsfcarparts.com/) seem to be the cheapest for VAG cars, dunno about other makes.


Stephen

I have been told that fuel supplements can clean carbon away from piston rings resulting in lower compression. Don't know if true or old wifes tail.

IanatSeaton

Before buying new tyres ring around your local suppliers before you ring Kwikfit. They operate a "beat the local prices" policy, and willl try to beat the best price you have obtained for the same tyre. You are therefore guaranteed to get the best price available locally. Don't forget to confirm that the price you have been quoted includes balancing and new valves from all the suppliers you ring.

IanatSeaton

If you need new tyres always ring all of the local tyre suppliers for a quote and then quote the lowest price you have found for the tyre you need to Kwikfit. They operate a policy of price matching and will beat the price you have been quoted , maybe by just a few pounds but they all add up. I have even deducted £5 per tyre from the price I tell them they have to beat to get my business, and found that they will still beat it by a few pounds.
Not a lot but you know you are getting the best price available, and all those £s add up.