Your fleet running reports

[mik]

SHOCKED that Mik hasn't asked for an emergency start video

GG, get it sorted please

An excellent point. Make it so @GG.

[DeskJockey]

SHOCKED that Mik hasn't asked for an emergency start video

GG, get it sorted please

An excellent point. Make it so @GG.

Also, no comments about lack of white letters on the tyres?

[16vCento]

New tyres and full alignment done on the Jag, new tyre day really is lovely.

It's always amazing how much difference new tyres make, and a proper alignment as well.

Had it done to XFR geometry as it's running the same adaptive suspension and springs the R has, certainly feels more on its toes now.

It's amazing how lovely hydraulic power steering feels after being used to the crap electric set up in the A3, I look forward to the Kuga arriving and the A3 going back!

[16vCento]

As an aside, I took my friends mum car shopping this weekend.

She had one of the last 108s, which is the ideal size for her, and she's didn't want anything much, if any bigger.

The only thing I could find she liked was a Hyundai i10.

Test drove one, settled on spec (1.2 Premium Automatic), colour (Turquoise) and sorted part ex etc out, to then be told you can't get the colour anymore on new orders.

No answer as to why this wasn't advised before we went through all of that, and the sales manager was only interested in telling us how much better the new model year one was, only difference was colour of trim, shape of DRLs and bumper revisions.

Needless to say we left, I found a 500 mile ex demo on autotrader for 3k less than a new one with the same options would have been (still 18.5k! For a i10!) And it should be delivered next week, no waits.

The i10 is a lovely little thing to drive though, very smooth and refined, drives like a much bigger car, has proper climate control, wireless carplay, heated seats, steering wheel and mirrors, cruise control, speed limiter, swivelling bi xenon lights

Feels like it's not long since you'd need a high end big car to get all of those things!

[jamcg]

My mam had one of those 108’s. It went back to the dealership as at aged 75 she decided she’d had enough of driving and give it up. It was on one of the Peugeot just add fuel deals- pcp with maintenance basically. She got £3500 back when she sold it back to them and it was on their forecourt for about 5 days before it had a new owner- no one really makes small cars anymore

[mik]

As an aside, I took my friends mum car shopping this weekend.

?/?/?

[16vCento]

She's 78 Mik!

[mik]

It wasn’t like this in the past

[IanF]

It wasn’t like this in the past

Think he’s just being coy and means yes/ofcourse/twice

[16vCento]

[GG.]

SHOCKED that Mik hasn't asked for an emergency start video

GG, get it sorted please

An excellent point. Make it so @GG.

Clearly I’m getting old as I have had ample opportunity to use it but haven’t gone near launch control yet…

0-60 is 3.8 seconds apparently so should be quite dramatic! The 60-100 test will probably be more informative as to whether it really is much faster or just sounds much faster.

@mik re the rear wiper - it looks like it’s never been used and sounded like I’d broken the rear window when I accidentally triggered it in the dry. I did do a wipe in the wet and it left a very odd clean patch kind of in line with the rear view mirror high up on the glass. I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve driven it on the motorway in a downpour but I never really felt the need for it in the 997. The cars with a wiper often are the ones where the first owner went silly with the options boxes, however, which is true of this car to an extent

[Delphi]

That said - no car is without its niggles:

*The BOSE sound system is inexplicably crap. I don't know how they've managed to do it but it sounds even worse than the system in the 997. Also no Apple Carplay so I'm using a phone mount for satnav like it's the year 2010
*EPAS rather than hydraulic steering is also poor around the straight ahead versus the hydraulic equivalent. It doesn't spoil the overall experience too much and does feel in keeping with the more mature drive of the car.
*Fuel economy is noticeably worse than the 997 - obviously I've not been driving miss daisy and the temptation to sit at 70 in 4th on the motorway to hear it howling along is incompatible with economical driving but... in 350miles it's averaged 20mpg. Then again it has a specific output of 113hp per litre (within a gnat's whisker of a 430 Scuderia) so go figure.
*The PDK inexplicably has a kickdown even in manual with sport plus - I mean what?? I may want to give it full throttle without dropping a gear. It would be tempting to have the button beneath the throttle taken out as I can't imagine any situation when I'd want it.

It also seems to attract a LOT of attention compared to the 997 which in some ways is puzzling. I had a young kid tail me the whole way back up the A3 in his Polo GTI which was amusing - interestingly it is generally people wanting to sit behind you rather than lairy street racing behaviour which is good!

You've clearly bought an absolute worthless pup. I tell you what, I'll give you a grand for it and I'm doing you a massive favour at that, trust me.

[JonMad]

Hmm, how much do I want to spend? Clutch options (all incl. the release bearing, but plus fitting) for the torque-monsta* rally car
- Garage-quoted, std jobbie. £193
- Black Diamond Stage 1 organic. £286
- Helix organic. £531

*Not really

[jamcg]

Based on those prices I’d be tempted by the stage one

[16vCento]

I'd go stage one.

The helix one, is it still one piece or a paddle clutch?

They can make cars horrible to drive, the black diamond one will not change the feel much I imagine, possibly it will have a slightly stronger pressure plate making the clutch a bit heavier, but the paddle ones can be ridiculous.

[Sundayjumper]

Agreed. Hopefully a slight upgrade without going silly.

How much labour on top for fitting it ?

[mik]

What they said. For an extra £90 it seems an obvious choice for your use.

When I had my Leon, the forum spoke highly of the Black Diamond stuff. In fact, I think I may have fitted their discs & pads on the front of mine.... hazy memory now.....

[JonMad]

Good stuff, that was my gut feel but wanted to check it wasn't a case off 'Go Helix or nothing'.

£300 to fit

[Beany]

Intermittent power steering tonight coming back from the shops. I'll have a proper look at that tomorrow, either low fluid or a fucked pump I guess.

Perfect when I need to drive to Coventry in two weeks time

[integrale_evo]

Fluid possibly, they usually start moaning and groaning when low though. Is the belt in decent nick and feel nice and tight?

I’ve been reading on the x5 forums about the crank pulley vibration damper breaking up. They’re rubber filled and when they go the outer part that drives the belts can slip on the inner part bolted to the hub. It Might only be a diesel thing, I’ve honestly not payed a massive amount of attention, but I know the 3.0 petrol ones use the exact same engine as your 330i