Bought a new car

yOu most cars don't you


Sorry, I couldn't resist....

yOU've had an RS2000, Samantha??

 

Chap at work got so pissed off with the heavy steering on one of our none PAS Citroen vans that he put rather too much on, the steering was much lighter as a result and all was going well....until he had to stop in the wet. What followed was a long skid followed by a swift stop as he stacked straight into the back of an old XJ6 Bit too much pressure there, the tool!

Just re-read that AT, 12psi down is quite a lot, no wonder it was heavy

 

I was in the car with my mum (who was driving) when the power steering died. Even though she only had to drive through 4 turns to get it to the dealer, she really struggled with it - especially doing a 180 degree around a small roundabout. Moral of story... 2.1 tonne, front-engined V8 saloons with 9" wide tyres need PAS.

 

Yes I would think that probably did.

 

At one point about 3 years ago I had a 2.5L Nissan D21 one tonne pickup (2wd) and my other half had a Renault 5. Neither had PAS, I found the the Nissan was a piece of piss to manoeuvre but the Renault 5 with it's skinny little tyres could be bloody hard work! Mind, the Nissan had a big steering wheel.....!

 

Yeah thats one of the problems if this Fiesta, it has a modern thick small wheel with an airbag. It still feels a little heavy but I had no problem at all with it once I pumped up the tryes, its just pulling out into the road I find the most difficult as the car going at such a low speed.

 

OK 20 miles later, main faults which need checking are slight play (about 30mm) in the steering once speeds exceed 25mph, and throttle pedal could do with tightening as it is a little bit loose.

Other than that brakes seem fine, it goes in a straight line (dooes not pull to the left or right) suspension seems ok but the roads are so rough round here you will get the old trim rattle on a 12 year old car.

Boot is very big, managed to pick up a full size based unit, 22" tft and a printer for a customer and it fit nicely in the boot.

Biting point is a little high but I have not any issues even on hills so I sure its not slipping its very easy to control at >5mph speeds.

Because of my hearing problem I am finding it hard without a rev counter, as I so used to glancing at that to make sure I am in the right gear, now all I have to go off is the sound of the engine so that will get some getting used to.

Getting the oil changed, tappets adjusted, steering, suspension and brakes all checked tomorrow. This will also give me a good opportunity to have a good look at the floorplan to assess how long term this car might be. I am hoping to get it through one more MOT then sell it for what I paid for it.

 

Because of my hearing problem I am finding it hard without a rev counter, as I so used to glancing at that to make sure I am in the right gear, now all I have to go off is the sound of the engine so that will get some getting used to.



...if smoke starts coming from under the bonnet..you need to change gear

 

How come you don't have a rev counter?

 

I've had a couple of cars that didn't - an old fiat uno (?) and a charade... but tbh - they were the first cars I drove and I managed fine without them and I don't normally use mine now (I don't think!)

I'm sure AT'll cope tho...*









* he'll start a new thread next month to say his engine / gearbox has blown...

 

He had to let him go. Haven't you heard there's a recession on?

 

Most do now.

Even my transit.

Some still don't like my old caddy van.




shoiuldn't be a problam though surely AT?

When I first started nothing had a rev counter.....unless it was quite dear.
YOur basic 1.6 cortina didn't get one. It mostly had to be the 2.0 xyz.

 

Not really a problem but would be nice . I have worked out what luxeries my car has and here is the list:-

None brand CD player
4 speed heater
Rear wiper
Cigar lighter
Woofers on the door shelf and tweeters next to the door handle
Carpet

That is the complete list of luxeries

I just look at it and think I have failed so badly . The only good thing about it is it was so cheap it feels like I bought it with pocket money.

Its going in the garage tomorrow and then on Sunday I am going to spend a day doing none machanical repairs to it (cosmetic stuff).

Edit regarding the rev counter I think it was entirely possible upto around 2005 to buy a car without one.

 

I dare it still is.....

It is noticeale that it is standard fitment in most family cars now.

Economy vesions (sorry AT) like my non turbo caddy went without.

Re your pocket money Fiesta....that was always the score wasn't it????

YOu'll proabaly find your non brand cd player is just as cr*p as mine is.


You'll find the rear wiper is good.....the c/lighter will let you use a sat nav......but do remember to wipe the tell tale rings off the windscreen ...or you'll loose it. ( I was speaking to a cabby Liverpool way a few years ago....he'd lost a small fortune in them....very nickable)




edit; my dad lost his a bit ago.

That was most strange.....he only realised when he'd got home.

He left his car for an hour or so....the cheeky monkey guess he'd got a sat nav ( though no rings....) jogged the car to trip the c/locking.......rumaged carefully through the car....found it........and fled.

Dad thought he'd just left the car unlocked carelessly.

Got home; no sat nav.

The insurance coughed up.

 

blimey - didn't think that was possible!

 

I suppose I should be greatful that I don't have to manualy turn the crank to start it.

I sort of think its more fun this way, providing my mechanic dosn't think its a heap of rust which is unsafe I will be spending sunday spraying the off bits, t-cutting the other bits and giving it a very good clean to make look like new.

I also have a new parking space, right next to a tree, everybody else avoids as the tree branches may scratch the paint work, personaly with my car the more scratches the more charector it has.

I also feel I have started the apprecentiship, like all my family has done, start of with older bangers and move the way up to posher bangers.

I really really cannot for the life of me work out why people spend £7k on a brand new 3 pot Corsa.

I will be careful what I keep in the car, there will be some computer parts in the boot but they will mainly be worthless test items such as RAM, PSUs, old motherboards etc.

Not decided about a sat nav yet, the speed limit thing would be very useful but then it could also make me complicent, e.g sat nev is not beeping so must be within the speed limit. I also like to manually work out routes so I can avoid thinks like big round abouts etc.

 

Avoid big roundabouts? Why?

Satnavs are terrible things. People use and rely on them, and are totally incapable of reading a map or ever figuring out where they are when it inevitably goes wrong.

 

Get that looked at ASAP, definitely not normal for a car which has rack&pinion steering. That said - there is a difference between 'play' and 'dead around centre once moving due to basic steering geometry' though. I've no experience with Festers, but many FWD cars use a negative -offset geometry for stability reasons, which can feel like this.

At the very least, if you are concerned and since the car is new to you, get the 'tracking' checked. It's usually free at any of the major tyre suppliers if OK; if it's not ok, the low cost of adjusting it will pay for itself instantly in saved tyre wear, and show up any issues with worn balljoints.

 

PS on satnav - it seems to have the unique ability to turn thinking people into idiots. There's no reason to have it.
</luddite>

 

Felix when I do dry steering (not good for the tryes I know) the wheels move exactly to the steering wheel so in that sense there is no play and it might be normal. Will get it checked out. Worrying my mechanic will find a big 12" hole in the chasis tomorrow

PS I think you're right about sat navs, I can read a map so I will just stick to that.