Your fleet running reports

[Jobbo]

Have you considered leasing a reliable car, Rich?

[Rich B]

Have you considered leasing a reliable car, Rich?

Car? no. Maybe a van, i’m totally sold on the concept of having a van now!

[Beany]

Have you considered leasing a reliable car, Rich?

The header quote for this forum is quite clear on what needs to be done.

(I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader if this is "leasing an EV" or "flipping Jobbo off")

I experienced N52 lifter tick today (Actually a couple of days ago and picked up some oil via Amazon because I was a bit worried that maybe the electronic oil level sensor was lying to me - banged half a litre in today) and my *god* it's obnoxious.

I think it was triggered by parking downhill - it's never done it before, and 95% of the time I park uphill. It's just a thing that happens. Can be helped by swapping 5w30 for 10w40 apparently, not like it does any harm but oh my god it sounds bad.

Took it for a run tonight and kept it in second gear around town and it....just went away.

Booked in with the garage for the early Jan to have all the fluids swapped (And oil changed to 10w40) and I'll probably get them to look at a couple of other minor niggles that I've not dealt with yet (wiper, er, wipers in the motor needing cleaned, some clunks which might be top mounts or reinforcement underbody plates needing tightened up, etc.

[Jobbo]

R5 needed a wash so I’m waiting for that to be done while I have a coffee.



It’s now done about 8,500 miles and the cost per mile for that has been negligible (excluding depreciation). It’s still great and I have no regrets about getting it. Mostly Mrs Jobbo uses it so I don’t get to.

Pondering cars again because my Audi turns 3 next April - no real plans to change that though I do keep thinking I should try an E53 AMG estate because the 60-odd mile EV range and nearly 600bhp appeals. But it’s a massive cost to change compared to the Audi and I still enjoy the S6 very much.

MX5 might get another set of alloys imported from Japan now I’ve found some at a more sensible price (£1400 delivered including shipping and duty for a set of 4) but I’ll worry about that in the new year.

911 plans are still on hold pending me working out what I actually want and what I’m willing to spend. I don’t want to resent it because it costs me too much and doesn’t get used enough.

Jimny is I think on borrowed time. I’m having more and more thoughts about replacing it with something more useful for tip runs and bike carrying while still managing green laning. Think that change will happen in 2026.

Cayenne I’m starting to like. I also need to get the dog carrying stuff out and fold the seats down to see what the boot space is like - if I’m after a Touareg to replace the Jimny it’ll be basically the same size.

[Mito Man]

Got to use the new Hyundai hot water pressure washer which was nice when it was 5 degrees outside. It’s a hybrid so electric pump with a diesel heater the latter of which is pretty draconian. It smokes like a 90’s diesel van

Looking inside it seems a pretty simple mechanism. Copper pipes which the water passes through and then 3 diesel injectors just spraying over a heating element


Doesn’t get close to “up to 80C” advertised - I’d say at full blast it’s the temperature of a shower, and a bit more when going slower. Let’s say 38C.
However this is sufficient to remove tree sap and resin which is huge here as I thought I’d have to clay everything and then be forced to go through the ordeal of polishing and waxing. I don’t know where it comes from as there’s no trees directly above.

Oh, seemed to use 300ml of diesel in the time it took me to wash the car. Overall a worthy upgrade though.

[Rich B]

Well. My van is fixed! In truth, in turns out it wasn’t even broken in the first place.

The battery for the tracker fob was dead, unfortunately the battery for the tracker fob on my spare key that i tried just in case the battery in the main key tracker fob was dead, was also dead!

The AA guy was brilliant, worked through anything “easy” in a logical manner til we worked out the issue.

[mik]

Got to use the new Hyundai hot water pressure washer which was nice when it was 5 degrees outside.

Did not know thing existed. Sounds interesting.

[Beany]

I assume it's a reasonable premium over it's non heated equivalent?

I don't mean "because it's a rip off" but because integrating a diesel heater into a pressure washer will have a cost, like.

[Mito Man]

I assume it's a reasonable premium over it's non heated equivalent?

I don't mean "because it's a rip off" but because integrating a diesel heater into a pressure washer will have a cost, like.

Yes at £700 it’s much much more however it is still the cheapest hot water pressure washer on the market by a big margin and the only one which isn’t the same size as a G wiz.
Machine Mart sell what I believe is an identical machine just with a different moulding, usually for £100 less on sale. But all the local ones have closed, for good reason. At least if this goes wrong I can call up Bezos and get him to collect it.

[GG.]

I assume it's a reasonable premium over it's non heated equivalent?

I don't mean "because it's a rip off" but because integrating a diesel heater into a pressure washer will have a cost, like.

Yes at £700 it’s much much more however it is still the cheapest hot water pressure washer on the market by a big margin and the only one which isn’t the same size as a G wiz.
Machine Mart sell what I believe is an identical machine just with a different moulding, usually for £100 less on sale. But all the local ones have closed, for good reason. At least if this goes wrong I can call up Bezos and get him to collect it.

Probably cheaper to get a hot tap installed outside...

[Mito Man]

I assume it's a reasonable premium over it's non heated equivalent?

I don't mean "because it's a rip off" but because integrating a diesel heater into a pressure washer will have a cost, like.

Yes at £700 it’s much much more however it is still the cheapest hot water pressure washer on the market by a big margin and the only one which isn’t the same size as a G wiz.
Machine Mart sell what I believe is an identical machine just with a different moulding, usually for £100 less on sale. But all the local ones have closed, for good reason. At least if this goes wrong I can call up Bezos and get him to collect it.

Probably cheaper to get a hot tap installed outside...

And where do you propose the hot tap will get its water from on a workshop 300 metres away from the main house?

[Beany]

Yeah I'd assume that you've got one of those specifically because there's no convenient hot water source to run through a regular washer.

[Mito Man]

I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to fit a instant hot water heater. Not sure if they have enough flowrate to supply a pressure washer but the bigger issue is that it's another 32 amp draw and at this point UK Power Network are changing fuses here on a monthly basis.

[John]

My wife has had her Vitara for three years now so I'm starting to look around for a replacement. She shows very little interest in cars but says no to almost everything that I suggest

She has however seen photos of the new Grand Panda hybrid that is coming out soon and has taken a bit of a shine to it, I must admit I quite like it too





There's the possibility of a 4x4 too

[Simon]

Pondering cars again because my Audi turns 3 next April - no real plans to change that though I do keep thinking I should try an E53 AMG estate because the 60-odd mile EV range and nearly 600bhp appeals. But it’s a massive cost to change compared to the Audi and I still enjoy the S6 very much.

As I've said before, E53 AMG is where I'm looking next too. I keep speccing a non-plus Patagonia red estate and it's very nice indeed.

[Jobbo]

Pondering cars again because my Audi turns 3 next April - no real plans to change that though I do keep thinking I should try an E53 AMG estate because the 60-odd mile EV range and nearly 600bhp appeals. But it’s a massive cost to change compared to the Audi and I still enjoy the S6 very much.

As I've said before, E53 AMG is where I'm looking next too. I keep speccing a non-plus Patagonia red estate and it's very nice indeed.

…until you look at the bottom line. I know they’re doing a big discount at the moment but it’s not big enough to balance the price gouging RRP.

[Simon]

Pondering cars again because my Audi turns 3 next April - no real plans to change that though I do keep thinking I should try an E53 AMG estate because the 60-odd mile EV range and nearly 600bhp appeals. But it’s a massive cost to change compared to the Audi and I still enjoy the S6 very much.

As I've said before, E53 AMG is where I'm looking next too. I keep speccing a non-plus Patagonia red estate and it's very nice indeed.

…until you look at the bottom line. I know they’re doing a big discount at the moment but it’s not big enough to balance the price gouging RRP.

£8k off. What sort of price are you expecting it to be then?

[Jobbo]

In 2022 the previous E53 hybrid estate cost about £67,000. I paid about £65000 for my S6 Avant in 2023, about a £10k discount on RRP.

The new E53 is a bit more powerful but you know car prices have been rising by more than inflation. Justified in reviews by comparing the new RRP to RRP many years ago but not reflecting what prices have done in the interim. I’ve seen only one new shape E53 on the road since it was launched and there’s been one used one on Auto Trader which was the press car. So I don’t think they’re selling very well.

[GG.]

I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to fit a instant hot water heater. Not sure if they have enough flowrate to supply a pressure washer but the bigger issue is that it's another 32 amp draw and at this point UK Power Network are changing fuses here on a monthly basis.

Yes I was going to say that if you do have an actual workshop it would likely be useful to have a hot water supply for other reasons but if you've maxed out your electricity supply then fair enough.

Beany is also giving you way too much credit in thinking that you would only buy a hot water pressure washer for reasons of identifiable need rather than just because it was a cool toy. I say that without it being much of a stinging insult as I am exactly the same

[Mito Man]

At the end of the day it’s all just a bonus. I used to wash my car with just a bucket of water and watering can and that did an adequate job