Cars have definitely changed

whoops. You live & learn.

Jeep Cherokee. Enough said. ;-)

More seriously, just because the dealer thinks it's the transmission in this day and age it could just as easily be a £5 sensor somewhere that's duff. My DSG Touran gearbox started playing silly buggers and the dealers didn't have a clue. Eventually a wheel sensor fault flagged itself up. Lo and behold, the gearbox was "fixed" by changing the wheel sensor.

Tim

It's not a joke, it's routine for American cars to be delivered faulty.

NT

Some of the software controlled stuff on cars is pretty good, look for example at fuel consumption.

It strikes me that once you have a lot of sensors, and only half-intelligent software that always tends to look on the dark side, then you have a recipe for this sort of disaster.

And actually, it's not necessarily the "computer" that is the problem. I cherish the story of a doctor friend from the mid 70's.

Driving from Cornwall to Bristol one evening with a two year old in the car, a "brake warning" light came on. In those days, I think it could only have been the fluid level switch in the reservoir cap (possibly the pad wear sensor). The brakes were still working fine, but being of a cautious nature she called out the AA. The van arrived, they said "Oh it is a brake warning, we don't touch those, we have to call out the Relay recovery vehicle". Another delay while this turned up, and took her to the Somerset border where they had to change vehicle (it's the rules). But the new vehicle had a puncture, and no spare, so there was another few hours delay while that was sorted. Then they didn't have the right kit for loading the car (Renault 5). In loading it, they ripped both drive shaft gaiters and denting the sump. So she gets to Bristol from Cornwall after 14 hours (with a two-year old passenger). Car gets dropped at her garage. Next day, they phone to say they couldn't find any brake fault. But it is in the garage for a week for a sump and drive shaft replacement, paid for by the AA.

In those days, the cars I was driving didn't have a fluid level sensor, but I guess *most* of us in those circumstances would have driven home defensively, checking brake function and fluid level periodically.

So what do we need for modern cars, with sensors everywhere? Well, since the 1960's the "space" sector has usually had three or four sensors for each critical parameter, usually with some diversity, plus a voting system (2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4).

I can't help thinking that we are going to need something like this in cars.

well that obvious isn't it.

what sort of numpty programs an engine management system to show DOA because of "parking sensor fault"

tim

I wonder. I assume you are referring to cutting the engine when stopping at lights, etc. Sure, it must save fuel, but how much? Well, with a 2l engine it's around 600ml/hour. But how many cars idle for an hour during a journey? Also, after a while engine cut-out won't work (at least, it doesn't in my Jazz because it's designed that way). In practice, it probably saves considerably less than a gallon a month.

I think that Honda makes its consumption figures up anyway. My figures, based on the trip meter and petrol pump reading average 4 mpg less than Honda's trip meter consumption reading every time I fill up.

(snip)

Good luck with that. I have to click on a sort of legal agreement on the lcd display every time I start the car! The lawyers won't allow anything which exposes the company to any possible legal action.

Try "Honest John mpg" - it's a website that collates users' mpg figures by car.

rick wrote: [snip]

Perhaps it was getting bored!

or have women driving

Interesting link, but it's not clear how the real mpg figure is obtained. It's not the EC official figure I'm questioning, but the mpg figure on the car's display.

I checked my average for last year, and the Jazz's displayed mpg average was 50.3 (Honest John's real mpg figure is 49.6). My calculated average figure (trip meter mileage divided by petrol pump reading when pump automatically stops) was 46.3.

I'd find a new dealer. One who actually understands how a car works.

The disaster is having mechanics who are only fit to take what computer diagnostics say as gospel and throw lots of expensive new parts at it. And customers stupid enough to pay for this approach.

How many tanks did you do this over? One isn't enough. You can't guarantee you started and ended with the same amount of fuel in the tank.

Tiff Needel on Fifth gear did a test in town driving (lots of lights congestion etc) and got the result that it saved north of 1% (exact figure eludes me). So worth having on a 'city car'.

Friend of mine's is a driving instructor his car has this auto engine off feature he reckons it's a god-send for his type of driving (lots of stationery to explain things) and reckons it can save him up to 10% on his fuel bills

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

I've said before about my nearest main Jeep dealer, who has to borrow the diagnostic tester from Jeep UK as they haven't got one, thought they had thrown out a lot of the little used Jeep equipment when they moved premises so hadn't the kit to free off the tracking and said "Is it a

I'm still stuck with this Jeep, as I haven't found a cheap enough Disco, Shogun or whatever, and I'm sure the chuffing from the back inaccessible injector has returned.

On the other discussion here about mpg, this is a fixation of mine. I don't believe the mantra that petrol is better for low mileage's. Petrol auto Omega 40 mpg motorway, 7-9mpg taking elderly ladies shopping as always "full choke". Diesel auto Disco or Grand Cherokee 26mpg motorway 22mpg shopping. Diesel Manual Octavia 70mpg motorway 35mpg shopping

All values approx but measured over several fill-ups. Everything depends on the style and requirements of driving.

Does he write everythuing down then?

A total of 18 tankfuls over last year (I do around only 5500 miles a year). The tank is filled every 300 miles - give or take - and to when the pump automatically clicks off; I never try to drip-feed it to the top. So although I can't guarantee everything is equal (different pumps, slightly different amounts of petrol), I think it's a pretty accurate average.

FWIW, the figures for 2014 and 2015 for my Mk1 Jazz were:

Indeed. The skill is in interpreting what the diags tell you.

And that at the expense of a beefed up starter mechanism (or early starter failure) and a much more expensive battery that has to be "integrated" with the EMC. I have always wondered what the net lifetime saving of this pseudo green system actually is.