Your fleet running reports

[jamcg]

Gav, your new car looks great. I’m not sure if it is based on the same platform as the Yeti or (more likely) the next generation of that. A Golf may be all anyone needs but something like the Ateca is much more what people want and use.

My stepson is after a car since he’s about to return his company car and he was talking about getting a loan for £14k for a wet belt Puma Ecoboost. I’ve persuaded him away from them when he is taking the risk of the engine failing… something like your car would suit him perfectly. I might have to start researching something other than Kia’s (he likes the idea of the long warranty, and he’s not a car guy…)

No wet belt on the cams in the puma, they swapped to chains for the 2019 focus. If you’re wanting to confirm belts or chains- the belt engine is turbo at the front, and the chain is turbo at the back

There is a wet belt driving the oil pump, but as long as you use correct oil is apparently fine as it’s fully submerged permanently

[Jobbo]

Even the 1.0 Ecoboost from about 2021? I hadn’t realised they’d switched away. My dad had a 1.0 Ecoboost Fiesta from 2020 and I assumed that was the wet belt.

[Matty]

Mazda dropped off at the dealership for fitting the alcantara interior today.

Alcantara is so much nicer than leather - much more comfortable on severe weather (very hot/cold days) and looks much better with the contrast. The MY23+ QV has gone full leather seats from half/half and it looks like a big downgrade.

Are the seats identical, bar the material?

The seats are alcantara with nappa leather bolsters from the factory (if you get one with Recaros like mine) - so they are unchanged. The alcantara bits are the dash and door cards.

Ah, I assumed you'd changed the seats. Looks much better either way now it matches.

[Gavster]

Gav, your new car looks great. I’m not sure if it is based on the same platform as the Yeti or (more likely) the next generation of that. A Golf may be all anyone needs but something like the Ateca is much more what people want and use.

My stepson is after a car since he’s about to return his company car and he was talking about getting a loan for £14k for a wet belt Puma Ecoboost. I’ve persuaded him away from them when he is taking the risk of the engine failing… something like your car would suit him perfectly. I might have to start researching something other than Kia’s (he likes the idea of the long warranty, and he’s not a car guy…)

Golf and Yeti were same platform then VAG completely re-designed their platforms and the Ateca is a different platform to the golf. But yeah, it's kinda crazy how quickly SUVs have taken over.

[jamcg]

Even the 1.0 Ecoboost from about 2021? I hadn’t realised they’d switched away. My dad had a 1.0 Ecoboost Fiesta from 2020 and I assumed that was the wet belt.

Fiesta was very slow on the update.

Fiesta wetbelt Ecoboost with turbo at the front, under heat shield:



Puma with the newer engine, cam chains and wetbelt oil pump, turbo hidden at the back of the engine:

[Jobbo]

I was totally unaware of that, cheers. Still steering him away from the Puma - he’s had 5 as company cars

[Ascender]

Obligatory and clichéd 911 Christmas picture.

[IanF]

Obligatory and clichéd 911 Christmas picture.

Can we block Ascender now please!

[Mito Man]

Car could do with a spruce up

[Gavster]

Car could do with a spruce up

That's what white cars look like 38 seconds after being washed in the winter

[mik]

Car could do with a spruce up

[Ascender]

Car could do with a spruce up

[GG.]

So the Smart is throwing a succession of wobblers.

First the speedo is malfunctioning and needs to go back to Smart for investigation and now the EML is on and flashing with the engine running poorly and smelling of fuel. I expect maybe an O2 sensor but could be something worse.

I was going to say that its ironic the Japanese part of the whole contraption is causing an issue (thinking that the 3Cyl was Mitsubishi sourced like on the earlier cars) but it seems the 2016 and on cars have a Renault engine... which makes a lot more sense.

[V8Granite]

Excellent tree based joke there

Wet belts are fine, they just do not tolerate any other oil in them at all. They don’t work for their intended purpose of being given to the general public.

Dave!

[Ascender]

Hilux was due its first MOT and service... and needed some decent all terrain tyres. Local garage collected from the house in the morning and delivered back at night along with a bill for £1500. Tyres are a massive improvement and now looks like we have matching tyres on the two main cars.

Also, hats off to Porsche for the easiest & quickest roof bar mounting system I think I've ever used. The roof bars also came with a neat storage bag and of course, a pair of Porsche branded gloves so you don't get your hands dirty when fitting them.

[NGRhodes]

Boring update.
Bought a pair of wiper blades for Steve the CRV as the fell apart in cold weather.
4WD + 20% offroad all season tyres unsurprisingly good on snowy roads.
Surprisingly decent to drive on little moor roads for a family car with no sporting aspirations on narrow 65 profile tyres. Body roll is well controlled and stiff enough to not bottom out on my favourite humps and dips, mild understeer with complete lack of feel, but predictable, suits slow in fast out to get most out of the front biased 4WD.
Ability to do 30-70 in 3rd makes for swift and smooth bypass/dual carriage way driving and good overtaking ability on the a65 to the lakes.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Excellent tree based joke there

Wet belts are fine, they just do not tolerate any other oil in them at all. They don’t work for their intended purpose of being given to the general public.

Dave!

I watched a wet belt change vid a couple of weeks ago on a Transit, and the belt had degraded quite significantly yet it was well within its service schedule specified by Ford.

Given how shit modern rubber seems to be on vehicles it seems like a disaster waiting to happen to me.

[integrale_evo]

Yep, plenty of examples of them failing while only ever seeing oem servicing.

[Mito Man]

Won't the engine with a degraded belt also be permanently damaged? IIRC something about the belt fibres blocking the extremely tiny oil passages which leads to hot spots.

[V8Granite]

It will 100% put debris in the oil passages, the problem is it uses a bit of oil naturally, which then gets topped up with the wrong oil but right spec and damage happens.

If it were operated in the perfect environment it would be fine but you can’t produce an engine like that to be used by the masses, it’s not fit for purpose.

I’d have one no problem but would change the belt and strainer straight away, then service it myself.

Dave!