Bought a new car

David - if you know better than the tyre manufacturers, car manufacturers and industry experts, good luck to you. If you can handle step-off oversteer in an FWD car (which is significantly more difficult to recover than an RWD car) then you are a fantastic driver.

Meanwhile, for us mere mortals, new tyres always go on the back.

 

Isaac is right. And you also want to avoid very old tyres on the rear whatever nominal wear they show. So move the rears to the front and new on the rear.

Paul

 

Hi,

I go along with Isaac as well. I have even seen this demonstrated on tv. It can be quite bad when the back end slides about.

SCIDB

 

Issac.

A slightly unecessary tone....?

....however....

I think i have got to the bottom of this...

Just spoke to my Dad who says things have changed.

At one time you would have taken into account the posibility of a blow out....and you would have said to hav been able to control a blow out better when at the back than at the front. At the fron you ahd no chance.

Things have changed. We change tyres sooner and blow out are (it seems ) less of an issue......so we have a new doctrine. Asking my Dad about this discussion a few minutes ago, he said he had read about this change of idaes (which I obviously hadn't) which probably reflects what your saying.

My Dad still says ....he lost the front end on a (C plate)Cavalier years ago up in north wales.on ice.....cost him a break down trip and new front suspension. He says there is prety much no way HE would control loss of front end grip......but MIGHT JUST catch a tial slide.

These days I am aware of what tyres I have got on.....and drive accordingly.....don't have issues normally with slides.

To conclude, agreed, policy seems to have changed. Dad was putting new tyres on his subaru the other week and weighing up precisly this argument.

 

I had a blow out on a front tyre whilst I was travelling at 80mph on a motorway - a flap the size of my hand just burst out of the tyre. That was a few years ago in my first car, and it was my first and last foray into remoulds! It was very exciting at the time , especially as I was overtaking a bloody huge lorry when it happened. The skid marks I left on the road were only matched by the ones in my pants .

I actually believe that playing silly buggers on old airfields or deserted car parks in the wet or ice have saved me a few times - deliberately getting your car to slide and skid in a safe place prepares you for how to react when it happens unexpectedly.

 

dont mean to sound horrible to anyone... but I'll state my opinion..

If I couldn't afford to keep a car in a safe state for myself and other motorists, I simply wouldn't have one.

 

I don't think anyone has suggested otherwise have they?

 

sounds more than a little exciting.....

nice one.........lol

tell me about it..

in th early days (like when first driving) we lived in south wales.....near Llandow aerdrome (actually [I discovered 25 years later] an important spitfire base during the 2WW).

When we were there it was basically disused....the premises occupied by small local businesses...........and me doing what Mr cat says above......in my old vauxall chevette (RWD of course). I left the road many times.............how I didn't get myself into mischief I've wondered often since.

 

Thanks for the tyre tip, sadly the car started overheating today but I fitted a new thermostat which cost me £3 and it seems to solve the problem, the need stays in the middle now which I am guessing is normal? Only done 8 miles in it since the new stat was put in so not sure if its long enough to tell.

 

Tricky one....shouldn't overheat day 2 whaever?!?

With a a bit of luck changing the stat will have sussed it.

Naughty selling ona car (probably knowingly) going to do this. if it aint the stat....I guess its a matter of flushing the system; checking the rad etc.

I'm assumimg you're checked the rad for water levels+possible leaks? (nearly wrote leeks.........shouldn't be any of those.........)

 

Yes, (IMO) if the temp needle comes up from naught afer about 5 mins running (from cold), continues to about 1/3 or 1/2 way after 10mins....1/4 hour....thats about right.

FWIW, I don't think theres anything wrong with needle creeping up a bit past half way......but only when the cars been idling whist stationary.....THEN THE FAN SHOULD CUT IN!!!!!

Thinking about it , have you checked the fan?

The fan should bring the temp needle away from the red, EVERY TIME!

Also, once the car is moving the needle should (swiftly) move back to the 1/3 or 1/2 way position!?

Does it do this?





D.

 

I am convinced there is a conspiracy against AT by Ford.

 

Still overheating but no coolant loss and no sign of any leakage. The pipe from the thermostat is red hot, the fan is not coming on (but it did kick in yesterday only when it got into the red yesterday) so it seems to be late into kicking in. The radiator is hot but dosn't burn you but the pipe to the radiator burns you, so it am I right in thinking it needs bleeding?

Is this a job I can do myself?

 

Na its fucked.

Never mind.

 

....should come on far sooner than the red.....

sounds like the fan sensors knacked?

The fans clearly working....a good sign...

...just needs to work a bit more!

don't know....possibly

 

its beginning to seem like it...

 

You're in good company AT.

The lad next door bought an s plated volvo estate from soem one down the road. He was going to use it as a workhorse with his existing cars (couple of mercs).

I noticed yesterday the volvos alarm go off ....both mercs (+ daughters escort) there.....+ it stopped, so I didn't worry.

I just saw him.....he said theres a fault in the wiring and he can't trace it for love nor money. Not quite the bargain he thought it was goig to be........?

The cars immaculate otherwise.......

 

Ok we have taken it out for an hour and went in traffic and on motorway, the fan is not kicking in now (only kicked in yesterday when it went into the red) but it stayed in the middle all the way but we didn't get stuck in a traffic jam.

The radiator works (burnt my hand on it) the water pump works (can feel the water running through) so I reckon it is just the fan sensor possibly.

Either way it is not over heating and the car went lovely nothing wrong at all on the drive and the chassis is very very good.

I can't find the fan switch sensor anywhere, on my old car its on the theromstat but there is no electrical connection into any of the hoses or radiator which is confusing

 

I think the only thing wrong is that sensor.

It seems to be running to temp otherwise......halfway in the middle is fine.

The fan kicking in only when the needle gets to the red DEF IS NOT!

That would be my view anyway.

I ve never had to investigate one of those fans before , so can't really say.....

For goodness sake don't cook the damn thing having just got it!

 

Just another thought AT.

For the moment, if you DO get stuck in traffic and you see the needle shooting up, theres nothing to stop you putting the heater on in the car....pull some of the heat into the cabin. YEs, its b***dy uncomfortable.......but maybe worth it. Not a long term soln though!

Of course you may have already thought of htis....?