All Activity

now your talking, best one I ever had was a 1983 TI Green Cloverleaf which I acquired in 1988 with 46k on the clock, that went to the south of France twice and Yorkshire several times as well as numerous trips to the coast, the previous owner had Koni shocks fitted and it went round corners like it was on rails the fortunate thing about this era was the numbers in my local scrap yard from whence I acquired a set of nearly new set of Dellorto 40IDFS and a Scorpion exhaust manifold, quick trip down the local rolling road and I had won an extra 15hp it flew, spark plugs about £12 a set for the proper Lodge item and the proper Selenium oil and filter about £20, inboard discs which if set up properly would stop on a sixpence no power steering and as much feedback as you could ever want through the steering wheel, we were on holiday in Cornwall when the rear pads started squeaking because they were low, no problem, drove to the nearest car spares place and bought a new fitting kit with pads for £40 and changed the lot in forty mins outside the holiday let, simple engineering and easy to fix, no electronic callipers, no diagnostic port, Bosch electronic ignition which I only changed the spark plug leads a couple of times with the distributor cap, no ESP that was down to me to keep it on the tarmac, it finally succumbed to the metal maggot, so I bought a Sprint Coverleaf which did not handle as well, if they bought this out again minus the rot I would buy one today.

I have driven 58 years, and every car I've owned has been a used one. But that's another story if, as I assume, you're referring to contemporary automobiles. I value the conveniences found in contemporary automobiles, such as air conditioning, heating, steering wheel and seat adjustments, cruise control, dependability, etc. Next, there are the safety and performance considerations, such as improved braking, tires, power steering, fuel efficiency, and crash resistance. Those considerations are commendable in and of themselves, but they dilute the uniqueness of each model. Even though some of the features were a real pain in the rear, I really enjoy the nostalgic, quirky, and character-filled aspects of older vehicles. A Mk1 Ford Consul's vacuum wipers come to mind; when the throttle was fully open, the car would move at a snail's pace, in stark contrast to its hinged quarter lights, which provided powerful face ventilation. The Mark 2 Zephyr that whisked me across Europe and fooled gas station attendants everywhere with its concealed filler cap—it was cleverly concealed behind the hinged rear number plate. The Granada Cosworth that rivalled a Golf GTI on a challenging hill climb. Before I could afford garage services, all of them were entertaining but laborious to maintain running. Looking back, I see no use in returning to my younger self; I have better things to do with my time here than spend it squished under a dirty car.

Yes, I do value my Audi's air conditioning, heated seats, and superior safety features in comparison to my previous vehicles. Aside from the autonomous braking system that detects collisions. Well, that's disappointing. Any time it has continued, it has been for no apparent reason. I was fortunate that no one was following when the emergency brake went off... Driving on the opposite side of the road is something I have to get used to for a while, so lane detection is only useful when I'm in Europe.

Blue Mg ZR 180 was my favourite. It was a retirement crisis, but it was a little bit of a boy racer car! A police officer once questioned my ownership of the vehicle, stating that it appeared to be too old. Easy enough to mess around with for the average person, everything ran smoothly, but you couldn't help but worry about the head gasket every time you were out. Instead of being "in your face" with electronic safety features, the 2019 Golf GTI 7.5 strikes a nice balance with them (and heated seats!!). In contrast, later VWs are like walking into a TV showroom. Sadly, it appears that the latest Audis are also heading in that direction. I believe the 2023 A3 strikes a nice mix between technology and safety once again. DanPow, despite her reliability issues, my daughter loves Alphas and is on her third Gloria. She refuses to give it up.

My answer would be "yes," but only if it serves to commemorate the time you spent with it. Because it served its purpose and was otherwise unremarkable, I am at a loss to describe the Kia I once owned. However, despite the head gasket, battery problems (I crawled into my boot more than once to open the driver's door), and a leaky sunroof, I still have fond memories of my Rover.

The Guilia has always been one of my favourite car types. Is the occasional breakdown necessary for you to truly appreciate a car? My original Mk1 Clio was fantastic. Almost as much time as I spent driving it was spent pushing it and cursing at it. It was once my only option for spending the nite when I became stranded. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Oh! My gorgeous Giulia and 159 are the worst cars ever to own.

It's unfortunate that cars nowadays are being manufactured with the same level of interchangeability and forgetfulness as appliances or other white goods; I've mentioned this to friends before. The vehicles with the most personality are the ones that I remember most fondly from my fleet of cars. I remember my Nova and Rover 200; I guess you just don't care as much about cars now as you used to. Every one of VAG's vehicles feels almost identical to the next, and the company's recent efforts to fully digitise its lineups and push toward electric vehicles have been disastrous. At work, we have a Tiguan that drives like a T-roc, golf, or polo; it has lost all of its "character." A Jimny or Land Cruiser would be my top picks for a "new" or "recent" vehicle to purchase, maintain, and develop an emotional connection to. Just different models of analogue cars from a bygone era that didn't have computers. Naturally, that is only my personal viewpoint.

Two brand-new vehicles—my Audi A6 Avant and a BMW 3 series—have passed through my hands since 2015. Both vehicles have served me well and never failed me. Still, I've always thought of them as mere implements. To be honest, I wouldn't say I love them more than an electric drill. Somehow, I just can't seem to relate to them. Perhaps it's because, in comparison to older vehicles, the ride is too lifeless. I am uncertain. My Clio Williams 2 is the bee's knees. I always feel happy when I'm driving it. Is there a contemporary vehicle out there that can do the same? Is it my fault for purchasing an outdated model, or is it a universal problem with contemporary automobiles?

Incredibly grateful to all who contributed. After nearly three weeks of losing about fifteen miles per day, I disconnected the twelve-volt battery for thirty minutes, and it remained steady for twenty-four hours. I also placed an order for a battery monitor. However, hear this! The dealer was so shocked by my cancellation call that they offered me a job! Just some common sense and a quick web search, I said. Does nothing to improve my opinion of the Kia dealer, who appears to be clueless when it comes to the car's technological aspects.

My heart desires it! I'm waiting for Kia to do something, and the dealer isn't doing anything to help.

You can't; a cold reboot is required on one of the workstations.

If I were an engineer, I'd probably start by fixing the update issue, since it's likely that it's the root cause of the battery problem.

BM2 Bluetooth Battery Monitor 6V-20V. 12V Battery Tester for Car, Campervan, Motorcycle, Boat & Leisure Battery. Wireless Monitor App for iOS & Android : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

To check if the 12v battery is constantly draining, you could purchase one of these monitors. Could the constant attempts to install this update be draining it? The advice isn't very helpful, I'm afraid.

Amazon.co.uk : car battery

https://www.amazon.com/s?ascsubtag=v1-7e312b-90398-3e1ede9b91-k&k=usb+stick+for+car+navigation

The 2025 EV3 GT Line S Long range has been in my possession for seven months. Outside of a few minor issues, I absolutely adore the vehicle. For example, for the past ten to twelve weeks, it has informed me that it is updating the software due to an update. Kia is aware of the problem and is trying to find a solution, but the dealer has no idea what's going on and is completely useless. I can't stop the process to test it with a USB stick because I am halfway through. On a more serious note, I left my car parked in Southampton for thirteen days while I went on a two-week cruise. I know it's bad to leave a car unattended while it's charging, but I managed to get the battery to about 220 miles before I set out. I was astounded to see that the car had a range of 89 miles when I got back. Even though it hadn't gone anywhere, the app showed that its battery life had dropped by almost 60%!?! After getting back home, I noticed that the car is losing 10-15 miles per day while charging. Based on what I've read online, it might be because the main battery is charging the 12v battery more than what's needed. From what I've heard, it can be "reset" by removing the negative terminal from a 12v battery for 30 minutes. Does anyone have any similar experience? There will be a delay of a few days before the vehicle is scheduled for pickup at the dealership. Because I don't know what other consequences there might be, I haven't attempted to disconnect the 12v battery.

Basically, the JLR car amp is no longer providing power. Compared to the regular JLR sub, the deep bass sound is now a million times better. It took a while to get the new speaker set up in the tube and to adjust the head unit's gain and sub settings so that the sound was clear and consistent throughout the volume range.

I opted for a powered tube, which came with its own amplifier. I connected the car's audio sources, fused the battery's permanent live terminal, connected the positive terminal of the epb module to the terminal above the bcm(b), and, of course, connected an earth to the terminal of the battery's body, not the battery itself (because that would be on the wrong side of the bms).

Have you connected an additional amplifier? Surely it wouldn't be too much trouble to use the battery to power the switch using the current connections?

All four of the speaker wires must be lengthened. Two negatives and two positives are present.

The four-prong connector for the subwoofer is actually HD gauge. Uncertain of its purpose, it appears to be four times thicker than "ordinary" automobile wiring. Why do I know? Because I completed the task in my vehicle. I snuck past the vehicle's subwoofer and sought out a tube that rested against the rear seats.

I am grateful. After conducting some research (or rather, consulting ChatGPT 😅), it was recommended to use 14awg oxygen-free copper cable and to construct or purchase an 18mm MDF box with a 32 litre capacity. Beyond the actual tasks at hand, it is clear that I require an additional project...

Given that the original wire probably had very thin insulation that is rated for high temperatures, I don't see why it wouldn't work. However, a cheaper, PVC-covered wire of the same size might have a lower current rating. Technically, the best sound will result from wires that are an exact match (same impedance mainly) because there will be no signal reflections caused by the mismatched join. However, in subwoofer use, you might not even notice the difference. Any possible justification for not extending all of the wires eludes me.