OV9

My exhaust is broken and we are away in the thing all week. Embarrassingly loud but not too bad on the motorway. One plus is an average of 34mpg today.

I’ve been using the Defender daily and have now run 5 tanks of Millers Ouls Diesel Power Eco Max in it. 70ml per tank before filling it with diesel.

Last month I fitted an updated intercooler and set the boost and it’s going better than ever. Very little smoke when in boost, just a haze when full load in 5th at about 40mph. When cruising it’s clean as a whistle and I’m not getting any intercooler heat soak so long hills are burning cleaner than before.

I have a 9 mile commute currently, the start of which is a steep hill with lots of traffic on so I let the engine idle for a couple of minutes before I get on the road and sometimes have to thrash it so I’m not a rolling road block.

So I n the last 2 tanks which consisted of 1 long run of 130 miles and then all trips of around 9 miles.

436miles to 66 litres = 30,15mpg
422mikes to 63 litres = 30,4mpg

Hugely pleased with that, it was 26mpg before on the other tanks up here and I think I’m set for a 500mike tank without all the cold starts.

God bless science and the clever folk at Millers Oils.

Dave!

But is it worth sacrificing that many Mikes for just and additional 4mpg?

Felt a slight vibration, then before I could fully read the error message advising me to slow down to 50 mph due to a puncture it turned into a rather big vibration. Weirdly it didn’t fail where it blistered but half the tyre wall came apart - still managed to nurse it 40 miles back home.

Guess I can’t put off changing it any longer.

You should drive in that Formula one.

Mito Man wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:51 pm Felt a slight vibration, then before I could fully read the error message advising me to slow down to 50 mph due to a puncture it turned into a rather big vibration. Weirdly it didn’t fail where it blistered but half the tyre wall came apart - still managed to nurse it 40 miles back home.

Guess I can’t put off changing it any longer.

Was Verstappen chasing you down?

Reckon I could still peddle it round Silverstone faster than Bert Mylander

Now I have the conundrum of 2 new rear run flats, or the more painful option of 4 new normal tyres but that’s also annoying as the fronts are pretty new. Or £500 vs £800

Mito Man wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 5:30 pm Reckon I could still peddle it round Silverstone faster than Bert Mylander

Now I have the conundrum of 2 new rear run flats, or the more painful option of 4 new normal tyres but that’s also annoying as the fronts are pretty new. Or £500 vs £800

”Dad can I have £500.”
“Dad can I have £800.”

Mito Man wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:51 pm Felt a slight vibration, then before I could fully read the error message advising me to slow down to 50 mph due to a puncture it turned into a rather big vibration. Weirdly it didn’t fail where it blistered but half the tyre wall came apart - still managed to nurse it 40 miles back home.

Guess I can’t put off changing it any longer.

Pirellis?

Random question. Early ‘00s BMWs. How ‘must have’ are the xenon/angel eye lights? Would it put you off one if it didn’t have them? And are they much better than the std alternative?

My Megane had directional xenons and they were awesome. Maybe that’s my answer right there.

Marv wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:46 pm

Mito Man wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:51 pm Felt a slight vibration, then before I could fully read the error message advising me to slow down to 50 mph due to a puncture it turned into a rather big vibration. Weirdly it didn’t fail where it blistered but half the tyre wall came apart - still managed to nurse it 40 miles back home.

Guess I can’t put off changing it any longer.

Pirellis?

You’d think so but they are Bridgestone Potenza - so same crap F1 tyre blowing connection.

JonMad wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:00 pm Random question. Early ‘00s BMWs. How ‘must have’ are the xenon/angel eye lights? Would it put you off one if it didn’t have them? And are they much better than the std alternative?

My Megane had directional xenons and they were awesome. Maybe that’s my answer right there.

Not used xenon's in one of them but I'd imagine they are as much of an improvement as they ever are (so generally a good thing)

I don't find the halogen units in mine to be at all bad though; I haven't seriously looked at upgrading then, beyond throwing some brighter bulbs in it, which is fine for me.

It's not like the Puma where the standard headlamps were legitimately bad, bordering on dangerous.

(Mondeo had directional lamps, I don't miss then terribly, they weren't that useful in the real world, for me at least)

JonMad wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:00 pm Random question. Early ‘00s BMWs. How ‘must have’ are the xenon/angel eye lights? Would it put you off one if it didn’t have them? And are they much better than the std alternative?

My Megane had directional xenons and they were awesome. Maybe that’s my answer right there.

Only if it was an M3 or M5

Modern Led bulbs would beat them anywho

Nathan wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:16 pm

JonMad wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:00 pm Random question. Early ‘00s BMWs. How ‘must have’ are the xenon/angel eye lights? Would it put you off one if it didn’t have them? And are they much better than the std alternative?

My Megane had directional xenons and they were awesome. Maybe that’s my answer right there.

Only if it was an M3 or M5

Modern Led bulbs would beat them anywho

I'm still not sold on LED bulbs yet (aftermarket, not OEM specific stuff). They actually any cop these days? Beam patterns passable, etc?

The cheap ones light up a town but dazzle everyone

There are better ones at £30+ with proper patterns but it's a bother trying to find the YouTube reviewed items on aliexpress rather than pay inflated Amazon prices

Beany wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:15 pm

JonMad wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:00 pm Random question. Early ‘00s BMWs. How ‘must have’ are the xenon/angel eye lights? Would it put you off one if it didn’t have them? And are they much better than the std alternative?

My Megane had directional xenons and they were awesome. Maybe that’s my answer right there.

Not used xenon's in one of them but I'd imagine they are as much of an improvement as they ever are (so generally a good thing)

I don't find the halogen units in mine to be at all bad though; I haven't seriously looked at upgrading then, beyond throwing some brighter bulbs in it, which is fine for me.

It's not like the Puma where the standard headlamps were legitimately bad, bordering on dangerous.

(Mondeo had directional lamps, I don't miss then terribly, they weren't that useful in the real world, for me at least)

I'm much the same with my E91 - some people seem to think that the std halogens are like candles and xenons are a must, but with some decent bulbs in I can comfortably see several hundred yards at night. And my nighttime vision isn't great. When we had the F20 125i I couldn't see much further with the Xenons - it just tended to light up more of the surroundings which I found distracting

They’re mostly still shite in reflector type headlights from the huge majority of reviews and comparisons I’ve seen.

Personally, on cars where Xenons were an Option I’d either seek out a car which already had them, or see what the retrofit options are.

The standard halogen lights on both our 2001 e46 and 2006 merc clk were awful.

I used aftermarket projectors in the oe housings on the e46, copying the factory fit xenons, and retrofitted factory hid units to the merc.

Both were massive improvements and I’d do the same again.

Early 2000s BMWs has shit halogens or xenons which by now are also shit. Replacing the bulbs was around £150 a side when I owned mine, so I lived with them. Wouldn’t go back.

Our 2014 E91 headlights are shocking - I really must remember to get round to sorting them. It’s only been 3 years so far I’ve meant to...

So are they shit or not shit