OT: Look North Leeds bias

[Indy Jess John]

That is what London Transport reckoned for their buses, and some of them did a lot more than that. The demise of these buses was the layout, Not the mileage. With the cab entirely isolated from the passengers, this made a conductor essential, and to save staff costs the replacements had the entrance doors beside the driver who drove and took fares. Nowadays the emphasis is on "modern" buses so longevity is no longer particularly important.

A lot depends on the driven life of an engine. I bought an ex-minicab, a petrol driven Rover 3-litre which had spent its whole life shift working; one driver doing days and another using the same car for nights. The company aimed to get the ferry and airport runs for preference, because there was usually a return fare. So the engine never got cold, and was rarely switched off.

When I bought it, it had a quarter of a million miles on the clock, and I put another 120,000 commuter miles on it before I sold it (Mortgage interest rates and petrol prices shot up at the same time, and I ran out of money; otherwise I would have kept it).

I didn't do anything to the engine apart from services, and as far as I know the cab company didn't either. A third of a million miles on a petrol engine isn't bad going. I saw it around for over a year after I sold it so the new owner obviously didn't have too many problems either.

Jim

[The Natural Philosopher]

That depends on how you drive and where you drive. I've never burned a clutch out in my life, ever.

But then I used to double de clutch down and match revs going up.

And avoid town driving as much as possible..

Now I drive autos mainly.

[The Natural Philosopher]

That is usually the case.

but 'what the car is worth' is a moveable feast. Often a car whose record you know is worth a lot more than you will ever sell it for.

[Capitol]

The problem with modern autos is that many of them have lost the hydraulic torque converter and planetary gearbox. I have yet to drive a single/double clutch double cone auto which does not roll backwards on a hill. The lifespan of modern small autos seems very poor. I am informed that only Nissan can actually build one which works.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Mine hasn't. Jatco box.

Torque converter with lockup plus planetary sets.

[NY]

That's what the handbrake is for, to prevent the car rolling back on a hill when setting off - just as in a manual car. I would always use the handbrake to hold the car on a hill when setting off from rest or when stationary, and additionally put the car into neutral when stationary at lights, even in an automatic car. When I took my advanced test, that's what the IAM recommended - although I had a manual, I asked in case I ever had to drive an auto.

When I said that I needed new clutches at around 70-90 thousand, that wasn't because of slippage. It was simply that wear on the clutch frictional surfaces had reached the point at which self-adjustment could no longer compensate and the bite point started to rise to the point where it became difficult to engage the clutch smoothly without having to raise my heel off the ground.

[Capitol]

Torque converter autos do not IME roll backwards on hills. Handbrakes are a last resort when all else has failed. Torque converter autos IME do in excess of 150K miles without problems.

[NY]

So, because TC autos generally don't roll back on hills, do you actually dispense with momentarily applying the handbrake between taking your foot off the footbrake and applying power, or do you do the same as with a manual? Maybe I'm a bit OTT and anal about doing this even in an automatic.

And are you one of the people I hate (only kidding!) who leave their foot on the footbrake (and the gear selector in drive) all the time they are stopped at lights instead of applying the handbrake and going into neutral, causing their brake lights to dazzle the driver behind?

My driving instructor was a police Class 1 driver in a former life and he drummed into me various things that I've never forgotten:

- "footbrake is only for stopping; handbrake is only for staying stopped"

- always waggle the (manual) gear lever from side to side to prove the car is in neutral before starting the engine and before letting the clutch up prior to turning off the engine: saves embarrassing lurches forward if you have left the car in gear!

[JHY]

Me neither and I drove the Golf for 40+ years, every day to work and back.

I have never done that.

Or that.

I only do that in other people's cars and work cars.

[Davey]

You can do an awful lot of repairs for the cost of buying a new car.

[charles]

True, but being stuck at the roadside while you wait for a tow is not my idea of fun.

[Davey]

That depends on your level of maintenance!

[charles]

a great many faults cannot be eliminated by maintenance. eg How do you know a piston ring is going to break? These days most faults seem to be caused by faulty sensors - again not a mainetnance issue.

[JHY]

That doesn?t qualify as a great many faults.

Yes.

[charles]

agreed, but It's one that's happened to me.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Piston rings break because of inadequate lubrication unless its a manufacturing fault which should be covered by warranty.

Regular oil and oil filter changes will prevent this.

[Davey]

I agree. I have never had that failure.

[charles]

I am talking about 50 years ago. It was a second hand vehicle, so I've no idea how it was looked after before I bought it.

[tony sayer]

What's the team's thought on Synthetic oil, its supposed to last for ages so I'm told?...

[Tim Lamb]

In message , tony sayer writes

Pass.

I notice it cost £41.95 the last time my wife's Fiesta was serviced by a main dealer:-(