Your fleet running reports

[mik]

Nothing terrifying has happened despite motorway journeys in torrential downpour but it has made me wonder about trying a different tyre (currently on Bridgestone Potenzas).

Can you get MPS4S in your sizes?

[Rich B]

You don't have to use the accelerator like an on / off switch you know...

it is more fun that way though.

[Explosive Newt]

Nothing terrifying has happened despite motorway journeys in torrential downpour but it has made me wonder about trying a different tyre (currently on Bridgestone Potenzas).

Can you get MPS4S in your sizes?

I believe so - and the pilot sports seem to be highly recommended not just in terms of grip but softer things like tyre noise, although they are pricier and wear faster. I think those would be my choice when I do change.

[McSwede]

Nothing terrifying has happened despite motorway journeys in torrential downpour but it has made me wonder about trying a different tyre (currently on Bridgestone Potenzas).

Can you get MPS4S in your sizes?

I believe so - and the pilot sports seem to be highly recommended not just in terms of grip but softer things like tyre noise, although they are pricier and wear faster. I think those would be my choice when I do change.

What about the new Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport? They're fantastic in the wet.

[DeskJockey]

The Merc seems to have a battery issue too. The start stop system keeps disabling itself, I know many of you will see this as a good thing but I like to know when something is wrong. Posts on forums point to the battery dropping below a certain level will cause it to trip out. The odd thing is that it has 2 batteries, one in the front and a voltage converter one in the boot that I'm not entirely sure what it does. It looks like a quarter scale normal battery but is £400 on europarts!

Stop/start on the Galaxy doesn't activate since I got the car back from Ford. It is enabled, but the trigger conditions never seem to happen. I wonder whether the five weeks sat at the dealership has knackered the battery. It starts fine, but the s/s is run off the second battery I think. Could also be that the draw is too high with the heating on in the car. I'll experiment a bit to test. It was never the most aggressive system though, so it can be difficult to check. But with heating and radio off, there should be nothing preventing it kicking in if the battery has sufficient charge.

[Zonda_]

The Merc seems to have a battery issue too. The start stop system keeps disabling itself, I know many of you will see this as a good thing but I like to know when something is wrong. Posts on forums point to the battery dropping below a certain level will cause it to trip out. The odd thing is that it has 2 batteries, one in the front and a voltage converter one in the boot that I'm not entirely sure what it does. It looks like a quarter scale normal battery but is £400 on europarts!

Stop/start on the Galaxy doesn't activate since I got the car back from Ford. It is enabled, but the trigger conditions never seem to happen. I wonder whether the five weeks sat at the dealership has knackered the battery. It starts fine, but the s/s is run off the second battery I think. Could also be that the draw is too high with the heating on in the car. I'll experiment a bit to test. It was never the most aggressive system though, so it can be difficult to check. But with heating and radio off, there should be nothing preventing it kicking in if the battery has sufficient charge.

The thing is the start/stop in the Merc will become active at random times then shut down again. You only know its activated as the Eco light changes colour.

[Matty]

Not my fleet, but still fairly relevant - took the Evora on the long trek south to buy Ste's TT V6. Not for me, my BIL was after one. Nice car, well priced. Didn't get a chance to do a TT vs Evora in gear test on the way home, the roads were mega busy.

I mean, where is everyone going on a Sunday afternoon? And why the fuck is there a 2 mile queue of rubber neckers because of a police car on the hard shoulder? 2 mile queue! It's police car, ffs, not a alien ship People are idiots.

By the way @Matty , despite being tagged in DJ's post it didn't show up in my notifications?

Wha'gwan [mention]Simon[/mention]. Did that work?

[Simon]

Not my fleet, but still fairly relevant - took the Evora on the long trek south to buy Ste's TT V6. Not for me, my BIL was after one. Nice car, well priced. Didn't get a chance to do a TT vs Evora in gear test on the way home, the roads were mega busy.

I mean, where is everyone going on a Sunday afternoon? And why the fuck is there a 2 mile queue of rubber neckers because of a police car on the hard shoulder? 2 mile queue! It's police car, ffs, not a alien ship People are idiots.

By the way @Matty , despite being tagged in DJ's post it didn't show up in my notifications?

Wha'gwan @Simon. Did that work?

Yup that one worked. Weird.

[jamcg]

One of the Boxster’s key batteries has died. Seems like replacement is a fairly easy job, just have to make sure I can reprogram it ok.

Have noticed it is tail happy in the current weather if I am judicious in 2nd gear. Nothing terrifying has happened despite motorway journeys in torrential downpour but it has made me wonder about trying a different tyre (currently on Bridgestone Potenzas).

I’ve had those tyres, but only on front wheel drive. Quite a lot of VAG stuff comes from the factory on them and they are terrible for wet weather, despite the rating system on tyre websites making them appear ok

[DeskJockey]

The Merc seems to have a battery issue too. The start stop system keeps disabling itself, I know many of you will see this as a good thing but I like to know when something is wrong. Posts on forums point to the battery dropping below a certain level will cause it to trip out. The odd thing is that it has 2 batteries, one in the front and a voltage converter one in the boot that I'm not entirely sure what it does. It looks like a quarter scale normal battery but is £400 on europarts!

Stop/start on the Galaxy doesn't activate since I got the car back from Ford. It is enabled, but the trigger conditions never seem to happen. I wonder whether the five weeks sat at the dealership has knackered the battery. It starts fine, but the s/s is run off the second battery I think. Could also be that the draw is too high with the heating on in the car. I'll experiment a bit to test. It was never the most aggressive system though, so it can be difficult to check. But with heating and radio off, there should be nothing preventing it kicking in if the battery has sufficient charge.

The thing is the start/stop in the Merc will become active at random times then shut down again. You only know its activated as the Eco light changes colour.

Odd.
I've done a bit of testing. Even with the car fully up to temp and having just done a 20 min run the s/s doesn't kick in despite turning the A/C and radio off. Calling the garage tomorrow, as it used to activate under those conditions on the same run (weekly repeat journey taking the kids swimming).

[mik]

Try charging the battery first?

[Beany]

You don't have to use the accelerator like an on / off switch you know...

This coming from the guy who used to brake boost his 'Grale to get it to make whooshy noises.

Also, YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH

[integrale_evo]

Also daily drove a 300bhp rwd car with zero driver aidz on country roads for 9 years without throwing it in a ditch

Will probably bin a 1.4 fwd spam chariot tomorrow

[DeskJockey]

Try charging the battery first?

I have no means of doing that, apart from running the car. I've done several decent long runs since I got it back, so it should have charge. I know when we bought it the dealer had to replace the second battery to get s/s to work because it wasn't good enough.

[integrale_evo]

Stop start hasn't worked on the mighty mito since my mum got it 7 years ago. My investigating why has gone no further than driving it for a bit with the auto climate control off in case it was that upsetting it by demanding a constant interior temperature.

Rest of the car works fine and is still on the original battery.

Have often wondered whether a new battery would fix it, but I won't be buying a new one until the old one starts to struggle to start the car.

[Explosive Newt]

One of the Boxster’s key batteries has died. Seems like replacement is a fairly easy job, just have to make sure I can reprogram it ok.

Have noticed it is tail happy in the current weather if I am judicious in 2nd gear. Nothing terrifying has happened despite motorway journeys in torrential downpour but it has made me wonder about trying a different tyre (currently on Bridgestone Potenzas).

I’ve had those tyres, but only on front wheel drive. Quite a lot of VAG stuff comes from the factory on them and they are terrible for wet weather, despite the rating system on tyre websites making them appear ok

Interesting. Not many comments about them on the fora but people seem to consistently moan about the wet weather performance. I reckon about 3-4mm of tread left on them anyway, so it’s an easy choice to change in a while.

[mik]

Bridgestone use the Potenza name on loads of diff tyres though.

I liked the RE050A on the scoob and VXR8.

I hated the RE040 on the RX8. Cold turned them into bars of soap with a very snappy breakaway.

[scotta]

One of the Boxster’s key batteries has died. Seems like replacement is a fairly easy job, just have to make sure I can reprogram it ok.

Have noticed it is tail happy in the current weather if I am judicious in 2nd gear. Nothing terrifying has happened despite motorway journeys in torrential downpour but it has made me wonder about trying a different tyre (currently on Bridgestone Potenzas).

I’ve had those tyres, but only on front wheel drive. Quite a lot of VAG stuff comes from the factory on them and they are terrible for wet weather, despite the rating system on tyre websites making them appear ok

Interesting. Not many comments about them on the fora but people seem to consistently moan about the wet weather performance. I reckon about 3-4mm of tread left on them anyway, so it’s an easy choice to change in a while.

I ran potenza S001 on the Golf R. Never felt them short on grip - even in the wet. I replaced two sets of them with the same. [mention]mik[/mention] will testify to the levels of grip on the secret road.

[Simon]

I think s/s is largely dependent on outside temperature. Since we've been going into the winter months the Merc has been doing it very little, even after 20 minutes on the motorway and then pulling up to a stop at a junction.

[GG.]

Bridgestone use the Potenza name on loads of diff tyres though.

I liked the RE050A on the scoob and VXR8.

I hated the RE040 on the RX8. Cold turned them into bars of soap with a very snappy breakaway.

I found the N rated RE050As were similarly bad in cold weather on my Boxster.

The PS2s were a big step up and clearly they’re an old tyre and miles away from a PS4S on performance. Oddly one of the biggest improvements I remember was in ride comfort.

The PS4S I just took off the 911 to swap on the winters had easily more grip at the crossover point in temperature (admittedly the winters are past their sell by date and have been like travelling around with the grim reaper recently).