New modern car advancements ,likes and dislikes.

Once you rip off the bits of plastic, it is merely an combustion engine. Nothing magical about it, just like an Amazon delivery: too much unnecessary packaging.
 
jonbeeza said:
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Hope this never goes wrong, would have no idea how to fix it. Loved the days of my old cars, Capri, Cortina , Avenger , Austin 1100, I could fix them all.
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Pop the plastic cowling off the top - where the dipstick is and you have your engine your used to seeing.

But even then, with all the sensors on a modern engine and you needing all sorts of computer stuff nowadays, I agree in that respect, nothing like an old engine to work on. [emoji3]
 
I am sure car will give many years of trouble free motoring. :)
 
Modern likes, don't know haven't got any, still got the original cassette player in our car, 19 years old and passed it's mot last week with no faults.

Enjoy your new car and may it last as long as mine and cost as little to maintain
 
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andyred said:
Pop the plastic cowling off the top - where the dipstick is and you have your engine your used to seeing.

But even then, with all the sensors on a modern engine and you needing all sorts of computer stuff nowadays, I agree in that respect, nothing like an old engine to work on. [emoji3]
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Loved seeing an engine running as a kid, loved it ever since. I am sure, even taking a sneaky peek under that plastic cowling, would invalidate the warranty in some way.
 
You see, that is another like of new cars for me. I've got no problem plugging my laptop in and reconfiguring things. Often features are actually already there and wired, just not enabled via the computer. For people like me, that is great as I'm happy to reprogram, and wipe my traces.
 
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tijuana taxi said:
Modern likes, don't know haven't got any, still got the original cassette player in our car, 19 years old and passed it's mot last week with no faults.

Enjoy your new car and may it last as long as mine and cost as little to maintain
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I not too long ago got rid of my Pioneer Cassette player, it was great it was the twiddly knob style. Combined with a graphic equaliser / booster , and massive speakers in the back. It was an incredible sound, ahh those were the days. All the local girls loved me and my little music system. Now only the missus loves me. :)

While music teleology in cars has vastly improved, and the things you can do and synch is amazing. There is a little bit of magic missing. Or maybe rose tinted glasses?
 
andyred said:
Pop the plastic cowling off the top - where the dipstick is and you have your engine your used to seeing.

But even then, with all the sensors on a modern engine and you needing all sorts of computer stuff nowadays, I agree in that respect, nothing like an old engine to work on. [emoji3]
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Back in the good old days (? dark ages ?!!!), we could fiddle with the carb(s), adjust the timing etc. to our hearts' content but now are reduced to looking at it and paying someone else to fix it! As JP says, a lot of stuff IS user fiddleable BUT only if the user knows what he/she's doing and however well traces might be hidden, should the worst happen and a problem develop and the user is unable to reverse any fiddles he/she's done, any warranty or insurance could be null and void. Of course, on a 2nd hand vehicle, you could try denying any knowledge of any software tweaking but harder to blame previous owners if there have been none!
 
I'm all for new technology but I fail to see any point at all in electric parking brakes. Why replace a fully variable Bowden cable / lever with an electronic on/off system ? It has more chance of failure & is less useful :(


Ps. If you hadn't guessed ... I HATE electric parking brakes :D
 
mrgubby said:
I'm all for new technology but I fail to see any point at all in electric parking brakes. Why replace a fully variable Bowden cable / lever with an electronic on/off system ? It has more chance of failure & is less useful :(


Ps. If you hadn't guessed ... I HATE electric parking brakes :D
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I just can't see the benefit myself, what happens in an emergency ? The passenger would find it difficult to apply it in an emergency. Surely hitting the button, would lock the wheels. I do not know, I have not tried putting it on, while car is moving.
 
nilagin said:
You should find the VIN at the bottom of the windscreen and on the drivers side B pillar / door frame. What engine did you get in the end?
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Found the VIN, and just put it in website you suggested. It has found our car, and all the details come up.

Thanks. :) (y)
 
jonbeeza said:
I just can't see the benefit myself, what happens in an emergency ? The passenger would find it difficult to apply it in an emergency. Surely hitting the button, would lock the wheels. I do not know, I have not tried putting it on, while car is moving.
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I haven't tried sticking mine on at any speed above a trickle but according to the man wot looks after our servicing requirements now, a customer of his passed out while driving so his wife pulled on the brake switch (on the centre console in mine and his), grabbed the wheel and managed to get the car to the side of the road safely. At a guess, the ABS stops the wheels from locking up in such a situation but I don't know for sure.
 
Nod said:
I haven't tried sticking mine on at any speed above a trickle but according to the man wot looks after our servicing requirements now, a customer of his passed out while driving so his wife pulled on the brake switch (on the centre console in mine and his), grabbed the wheel and managed to get the car to the side of the road safely. At a guess, the ABS stops the wheels from locking up in such a situation but I don't know for sure.
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Just hope I will not ever need to find out. :)
 
dejongj said:
Once you rip off the bits of plastic, it is merely an combustion engine. Nothing magical about it, just like an Amazon delivery: too much unnecessary packaging.
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Unless you want a noisy engine, it is necessary.
 
nilagin said:
Unless you want a noisy engine, it is necessary.
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Hmm I find this difficult to argue as you are an engine expert :) However my Audi V6 doesn't have it, nor did my BMW V12 and neither were noisy. I've taken it off on my Golf R and can't say I notice a difference. But granted never taken it off our Mercedes GL. Instinctively I don't agree. However I can see that it all depends on the engine I guess. I don't generally have rattily little diesel engines in my cars.
 
dejongj said:
Hmm I find this difficult to argue as you are an engine expert :) However my Audi V6 doesn't have it, nor did my BMW V12 and neither were noisy. I've taken it off on my Golf R and can't say I notice a difference. But granted never taken it off our Mercedes GL. Instinctively I don't agree. However I can see that it all depends on the engine I guess. I don't generally have rattily little diesel engines in my cars.
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It probably depends on the construction of the rocker cover and what it's made of and how the noise resonates inside it. The cover also provides additional crash protection for pedestrians. When hit by cars, it was found pedestrians suffered head injuries not just by making contact with the bonnet but also the close proximity of the engine beneath the bonnet. The height of bonnets and th subsequent gap between the bonnet and engine has increased to reduce the injuries. By having a plastic cover for added protection on the engine means the bonnet doesn't have to be quite so high and allows the front of th evehicle to remain relatively aerodynamic.
 
Yes, I guess that makes a lot of sense. Thanks
 
I frightened the life out of an engineer a while ago, an oil pressure fitting on the engine I was testing came off and around 2 litres of oil squirted out, because of the pressure sensors fitted to the engine during testing, it shutdown straight away. After clearing up the oil and putting 2 litres of oil back in the engine, I restarted it and it sounded really rough, the engineer looked concerned, and we went to investigate what may have been making the awful noise, fearing the few seconds of oil starvation had taken a serious toll. Turns out I'd forgotten to replace the oil filler cap. ;) Refitted it and the engine was just purring again.(y)
 
Russ77 said:
Uprated replacement battery prices too. From what I've heard they're around £120 compared to £50-£60 for a "normal" replacement battery.
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if you can afford a merc ...it ain't no ting man :naughty::naughty:
 
So far finally figured out were the lights and fog lights are. Not done much else in searching out all the bits and bobs on the Galaxy. Not even bothered to try out the touch screen, will be leaving it. Probably till I have a clearer mind, had a bit of cleaning up to do today.

I seem to have lost the touch, when it comes to tinkering with new car controls. Now if it was a new camera, I would be messing with it non stop. :)
 
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jonbeeza said:
I not too long ago got rid of my Pioneer Cassette player, it was great it was the twiddly knob style. Combined with a graphic equaliser / booster , and massive speakers in the back. It was an incredible sound, ahh those were the days. All the local girls loved me and my little music system. Now only the missus loves me. :)

While music teleology in cars has vastly improved, and the things you can do and synch is amazing. There is a little bit of magic missing. Or maybe rose tinted glasses?
Click to expand...


I had my last car (MK1 Focus) from new in 2000, the day after I picked it up the factory stereo was removed, new one put in along with amp, sound (bass processor... audio control epicentre for anyone who might be interested) and 2 12" subs.

When I changed cars in 2011, I was told that I was "too old" for all that now and whilst the sound isn't too bad in my newer focus, it's just not the same :(
 
Russ77 said:
I was told this about the new focus that has stop/start, if you can only afford a Focus then it is something you need to worry about :LOL:
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If you buy a new car I'd say the next owner will have to be only slightly worried about that when it hits 10 years old or so :)
 
Things I dislike about modern cars/driving.
Can't stand electronic hand brakes. Most disengage when you pull away without touching anything, but I miss the lever. One of the reasons I bought the Mazda 6 was it still has a normal handbrake, but also hill start assist, the handbrake holds for a couple of seconds after release if on a hill.

A pillars. These have got huge in some cars, which if you're short,tend to obstruct vision at t junctions just at the wrong place. I find insignias terrible for the. The doors are taller these days as well to increase side on protection, so side visibility is reduced.

All of the driver aids and toys fitted to cats these days. Nulls a driver into a false sense of security, rather than being in control.

Good things are Bluetooth connected phones, fuel economy, quietness
 
Slightly odd that you seem to dislike safety measures (although I do agree that they contribute a lot to risk compensation) but like a major distraction to drivers - phone connectivity. Bluetooth is, I agree, better than handholding the phone but any phone use is a major distraction from the task in hand. Seeing around the door and A pillars is easy enough - lean forward a few inches!
 
The worst cars we ever owned were a Mazda 3 (seat belt warning light staying on, sensors kept giving out wrong messages, the inlet manifold had an air leak and although it was under warranty the main dealer refused to acknowledge the fault) and an Audi A2, which caused me three trips to the main dealer because the camshaft sensor caused the car to go into "limp mode", and cost £50 each time to have it reset.
The best car we have ever had is probably our current eleven year old Skoda Octavia 1.9 diesel. We have it part serviced (I do the easy stuff), it passes MOT's, still feels comfy and tight and has done around 150K miles.
Prior to 1993 I had "carb" cars - BMW 2002, MGB's, Alfa Giulietta's, and they were definitely not as reliable as fuel injected cars which I owned, even though I kept them well maintained.
 
I like the electronic hand brake when it is done well. When it's done badly it's a nightmare. Mine only comes off when you press the accelerator pedal. It doesn't go on automatically but it has a hill holder type thing where it seems to sort of know you are on a slope so after coming off the brake it doesn't roll back before you get to the gas pedal. It feels just like a torque converter auto to drive so it's easy peasy.

I've tried all combinations and I just like a handbrake that works and holds the car and is easy to take off and has a reasonable amount of feel so you can do smooth hill starts.
 
The parking break in my Passat is fine.. Barley notice it nowadays. Has stuck [emoji767] on once though which caused me a panic.. Took the battery out and was unstuck fine though! Mine is the old Passat though, which has the break in the top right. Makes more sense in the center console like newer cars nowadays.
 
Nod said:
Slightly odd that you seem to dislike safety measures (although I do agree that they contribute a lot to risk compensation) but like a major distraction to drivers - phone connectivity. Bluetooth is, I agree, better than handholding the phone but any phone use is a major distraction from the task in hand. Seeing around the door and A pillars is easy enough - lean forward a few inches!
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Abs, great invention, stability control is awful on the mx-5, cuts power to the wheels just as you have it balanced on the throttle. I turn it off.

Auto cruise control, follow me mode, lane control, really? It just distances the driver from being connected to the car, allowing further distractions in the vehicle to take over.

Sat navs, whilst a godsend at the final part of a journey, is being used as an excuse for any planning. Many people don't even know major cities, towns on route and so rely on the sat Nav.

Phone connectivity is useful for music, answering of phone calls, voice operated dialling etc. It should stop drivers using the phone when driving, but most seem to be on book etc these days.

So most of the modern car 'toys' no I'm not a huge fan off because I honestly believes it distances you from the car/driving
 
tijuana taxi said:
Modern likes, don't know haven't got any, still got the original cassette player in our car, 19 years old and passed it's mot last week with no faults.

Enjoy your new car and may it last as long as mine and cost as little to maintain
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Before I met the missus I always maintained my own cars, and I could do the odd jobs to get them through the MOTS. Our cars now, are dictated by what the missus can get it in and like.So have to be modern and new, I can no longer work on them, should they go wrong.
 
Nod said:
Back in the good old days (? dark ages ?!!!), we could fiddle with the carb(s), adjust the timing etc. to our hearts' content but now are reduced to looking at it and paying someone else to fix it! As JP says, a lot of stuff IS user fiddleable BUT only if the user knows what he/she's doing and however well traces might be hidden, should the worst happen and a problem develop and the user is unable to reverse any fiddles he/she's done, any warranty or insurance could be null and void. Of course, on a 2nd hand vehicle, you could try denying any knowledge of any software tweaking but harder to blame previous owners if there have been none!
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If I remember correctly, you would twist the dizzy cap and tinker with the contacts. Oh and give the rotor arm a clean. Items that I have not tinkered with, or seen in over twenty years.
 
Russ77 said:
I had my last car (MK1 Focus) from new in 2000, the day after I picked it up the factory stereo was removed, new one put in along with amp, sound (bass processor... audio control epicentre for anyone who might be interested) and 2 12" subs.

When I changed cars in 2011, I was told that I was "too old" for all that now and whilst the sound isn't too bad in my newer focus, it's just not the same :(
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With all the music stuff in built, it is hard to get your own personal sound. Not so easy to choose your own sound machine, and the all important speakers. :)
 
Something like that! A decent mechanic could do it in an instant and would often do it for a beer. These days they plug a computer into the car, press a couple of buttons and charge you £100 + VAT.
 
I got lucky with the ICE in mine. The original buyer had gone for the B&W upgrade along with the connection pack in the centre console. iPod stays plugged in so is always kept charged and can be controlled from the steering wheel for skipping tracks and volume. Found the subwoofer a while back - fills the space under the back of the spare wheel!
 
Nod said:
Something like that! A decent mechanic could do it in an instant and would often do it for a beer. These days they plug a computer into the car, press a couple of buttons and charge you £100 + VAT.
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Way way back, I replaced the timing chain tensioner in my Hillman Avenger. Took me two days to do, at a cost of about £11 all in. I even made the gasket out of a potato bag, brown paper bag type. Garage wanted £60 for the job. The borrowed Haynes Manual, was covered in oil, when I took it back to library. I would probably need to borrow another Haynes Manual, just to remove the battery of a modern car. :)
 
This is what a car engine should look like, photo taken today at the "Festival Of The Unexceptional"

Maxi.jpg
 
OMG !! A Maxi

We got rid of ours after the gearbox [ Auto ] went on fire for the second time !!
 
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