Car Talk

[NeilB]

16 hours ago, Jayfire said:

It's a 2011 Triumph Sprint GT 1050

......with panniers and top box for when I go 2 up or I'm carting my booze to the boat 

Honestly, what was I thinking being all sensible 

Should have gone for this !

[Mouldy]

4 minutes ago, NeilB said:

Should have gone for this !

Motorcycle and sidecask?  

[RumPunch]

No, it's cleary empty. I'll let you off it YOU emptied it ( thereby hangs a tale. RAF, parade on a Sunday in Norwich. Barrel put on for the victims. Being a Sunday only 6 turn up. 2 Driving so one pint and scarper.  Remaining 4 still there at 19:00 when bar opened and defending 'their' barrel with drunken billigerance )

[BroadAmbition]

So, we have recently sold MrsG's ageing Ford Focus, it's gone to a new owner and we will both miss it

MrsG now has a new steed.  Its got a lot to live up to.  It is also the first Audi we have ever owned

So I was wondering what are forumites experiences with these cars?

The model now sat on our drive is a Q5 2018 quattro sport Diesel 190bhp with only 12'000 miles on it.

It sports an automatic gearbox so she will have to get used to that.  There is NO dipstick either - Horrors

Btw - this was MrsG's choice of car.  My input was to give it a thorough going over / inspection before we pulled the trigger.  My first impressions - I quite like it, in fact I can see me liking it a lot  There might be some farkling being carried out in the not too distant future.  It'll certainly be capable of carrying mates / guns / dogs on game shooting days especially being 4wd

Griff

[ranworthbreeze]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

So, we have recently sold MrsG's ageing Ford Focus, it's gone to a new owner and we will both miss it

MrsG now has a new steed.  Its got a lot to live up to.  It is also the first Audi we have ever owned

So I was wondering what are forumites experiences with these cars?

The model now sat on our drive is a Q5 2018 quattro sport Diesel 190bhp with only 12'000 miles on it.

It sports an automatic gearbox so she will have to get used to that.  There is NO dipstick either - Horrors

Btw - this was MrsG's choice of car.  My input was to give it a thorough going over / inspection before we pulled the trigger.  My first impressions - I quite like it, in fact I can see me liking it a lot  There might be some farkling being carried out in the not too distant future.  It'll certainly be capable of carrying mates / guns / dogs on game shooting days especially being 4wd

Griff

Hi Griff, 

I have been loaned Q3's & Q5's when my car A S3 has been in for service. I was not too keen on the Q3 manual which was a little under powered. The Q5 Quatro was a beast and very fast on exhilaration. After saying that I still prefer my S3 convertible again a Quatro so four wheel drive and currently set as comfort drive, you will find similar settings on your wife's car.

Regards

Alan 

[unclemike]

has it had the recall to fit indicators? 

[Smoggy]

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

There is NO dipstick either

Don't be daft every audi has a dipstick, have you checked behind the steering wheel? That's where you normally find it.

They also use this feature on skodas......

[Mouldy]

6 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

They also use this feature on skodas......

Oooooooooooh!  That hurt!!!!!

[Smoggy]

2 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Oooooooooooh!  That hurt!!!!!

Me and Ali drive a skoda, that is why I added it.

[NeilB]

18 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Me and Ali drive a skoda, that is why I added it.

So does my wife but for the sake of my health I'm saying nothing......

[Happy]

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

So, we have recently sold MrsG's ageing Ford Focus, it's gone to a new owner and we will both miss it

MrsG now has a new steed.  Its got a lot to live up to.  It is also the first Audi we have ever owned

So I was wondering what are forumites experiences with these cars?

The model now sat on our drive is a Q5 2018 quattro sport Diesel 190bhp with only 12'000 miles on it.

It sports an automatic gearbox so she will have to get used to that.  There is NO dipstick either - Horrors

Btw - this was MrsG's choice of car.  My input was to give it a thorough going over / inspection before we pulled the trigger.  My first impressions - I quite like it, in fact I can see me liking it a lot  There might be some farkling being carried out in the not too distant future.  It'll certainly be capable of carrying mates / guns / dogs on game shooting days especially being 4wd

Griff

Both my Jaguar xf and also the wifes Volvo XC60 have no dip sticks.  I originally found this a pita but neither use any oil so not too much of a problem.

[WherryNice]

 

3 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

There is NO dipstick either - Horrors

Not sure if it is the same but the VW models that don't have a dipstick usually have a level display in the Service menu on the infotainment unit. 

Not quite the same as a proper dipstick I know but better than just a low level light.

Edit to say, I assume most people know Audi and VW are the same family, along with Seat, Skoda, Bugatti, Lamborghini,Porsche, MAN, Ducati and probably others...hence my comment:)

Edited March 12, 2021 by WherryNice

[annv]

It may also not have a sump plug as these aren't fitted to German sold vehicles to stop DIY oil changes. John

[WherryNice]

All of our British sold VW stuff has a sump plug(always has) but for a while they promoted the extraction of oil via dipstick tube. This has now mostly been abandoned and on many models they prohibit extraction stating that not enough oil is removed when using that method.

[Victoryv]

Oh dear, Griff, Audi

I bought an A8 demonstrator from Doncaster Audi (very nice people to deal with, good job, I was there every week) 

It broke down, a lot, in the following months I think I probably drove every Audi model on the market, whilst mine was being repaired.

We had owned it for about twelve months, my wife came home one night and said I think you better have a look at the car, its making a funny noise and there is smoke coming out from under the bonnet, I looked and there was a lot of smoke coming from the bonnet, I shut it and went to bed, just hoping that I would wake to a shell, I didn't but the air suspension pump had burnt out, try getting nearly three ton of car rescued !

In the end they had to take it back, vowed never to buy another Audi !

Thats a few years ago, I know have an Audi.

[annv]

Hi Werrynice does this apply to Mercedes Audi and Porch do you know, always thought this was bad practice, at least boat suckon pipes come from sump bottom unlike cars, same with deleting dip sticks, although mercedes did do a service dipstick when they deleted this on their customers cars, they will do anything to make customers go to main agent. John

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Is the JD Customers survey still alive?

[CambridgeCabby]

My 2017 Mercedes 220d has no oil dipstick , you have to get level via the onboard computer screen , whilst I am all in favour of progress I fail to see what advantage the replacing of the old fashioned dipstick for an electric sensor , the same goes for the electric handbrake , there is no need at all .

i was always told that if it wasn’t broken don’t fix it , obviously car designers don’t agree

[WherryNice]

43 minutes ago, annv said:

Hi Werrynice does this apply to Mercedes Audi and Porch do you know, always thought this was bad practice, at least boat suckon pipes come from sump bottom unlike cars, same with deleting dip sticks, although mercedes did do a service dipstick when they deleted this on their customers cars, they will do anything to make customers go to main agent. John

Hi John, not sure about the other brands, I only work on VW. I would like to think that Audi and Porsche have followed suite but there are often surprising differences across the VW Group brands. I think extraction would be fine if changing the oil really regularly but with the extended intervals we have now it doesn't seem the best idea. 

I think with boats it is also a case of 'needs must', draining not being an easy option in most cases. Personally I extract via dipstick on my boat but thats because it has no pump fitted! I also change oil far more often than official intervals so am not too bothered if a bit remains.

19 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

the same goes for the electric handbrake , there is no need at all

A lot of things like the electric handbrake are being added to vehicles in preperation for autonomous operation, manual gearboxes are the next thing to be quietly phased out I think. Quite a few models(mainly high performance) in our range no longer have a manual option.

[annv]

hi Werrynice yes i agree i always advised oil and filter change every year regardless of mileage i do the same with boat, fortunately all my boats have had access to sump plug or dedicated pump out from bottom of sump,   dipstick tube doesn't always go too bottom of sump, hope yours does.John

[Mouldy]

43 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Is the JD Customers survey still alive?

Yes, mate:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-power/95238/best-cars-to-own-driver-power-results

Interesting to still see cars of Japanese and Korean origin doing so well, as well as the much maligned and disrespected Skoda marque.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Skoda has come on in leaps and bounds since being taken over by VAG group as expected however a joke from before this time;

Man walks in to a car accessory shop and asks Can I have a sunroof for my Skoda?

Shop owner replies Yes,sounds like a fair swop!

[Mouldy]

21 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Skoda has come on in leaps and bounds since being taken over by VAG group as expected however a joke from before this time;

Man walks in to a car accessory shop and asks Can I have a sunroof for my Skoda?

Shop owner replies Yes,sounds like a fair swop!

Yeah, go on - what do you call a Skoda with a sunroof . . . . . . . . . . A skip!!

Ive heard them all over the past 13 years since buying my first one.  A friend of mine calls them ‘a thinking man’s Volkswagen,’ as many of the internal parts are shared and they’re usually cheaper, but it’s surprising how mud sticks and some people will still not buy one, due to past reputation.

[thunder]

1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:

My 2017 Mercedes 220d has no oil dipstick , you have to get level via the onboard computer screen , whilst I am all in favour of progress I fail to see what advantage the replacing of the old fashioned dipstick for an electric sensor , the same goes for the electric handbrake , there is no need at all .

i was always told that if it wasn’t broken don’t fix it , obviously car designers don’t agree

I was told that the reason behind the electronic sensor was so that you cannot do your own oil changes! Once the sensor detects low oil it shuts the engine down and can only be reset by Mercedes. keeps servicing in house

[OldBerkshireBoy]

3 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Yeah, go on - what do you call a Skoda with a sunroof . . . . . . . . . . A skip!!

Ive heard them all over the past 13 years since buying my first one.  A friend of mine calls them ‘a thinking man’s Volkswagen,’ as many of the internal parts are shared and they’re usually cheaper, but it’s surprising how mud sticks and some people will still not buy one, due to past reputation.

In case of any misunderstanding, that joke was from what? The 70`s or 80`s maybe and long before VAG group took over in `91. I would agree with the thinking mans VW friend of yours. 

PS Once saw one with VW badges applied - Sad git fooling nobody or somebody making a point?