My Car hates me..........

[fossyant]

It does...........

I used to drive 14k-18k miles per year in it.....

It get's used once or twice a week now - usually local journeys......

Anyway...... off to Tatton Park today - only 15 miles or so..... car starts misfiring a little on the man road - just a couple of 'jiggles' - passengers didn't notice.....I did....

On Motorway, steady 70, it starts juddering again slightly - Engine Management Light Flickers on/off... say to missus....'going to have to run it at high rev's for a bit'...drop it to third at 70..........5500 rpm and keep it there (PS I run it on synthetic oil....) for about 5 mins, then just drop to 5th - all fine..... been fine since.

My car is really suffering non use these days....sits there all week, get's used a little at weekends, and stays there..... get's the odd run out once a few months.......

Anyone else suffer 'non use' problems with their cars.........

 

[lazyfatgit]

Taken to sticking redex into it on a regular basis now. Mrs LFG uses it most days, but it only see a long run once a week.

 

[fossyant]

Yup - ran some Redex through a couple of months back, and generally run it on Shell V-Power or Esso Super unleaded...... can afford the premium on £20 a month fuel......all of about £1.....

 

[Auntie Helen]

My car's auto gearbox got annoyed with me after we moved here and I had to have a new sun, moon and planets for an eye-watering £1,400.

That was 2000 miles ago. It's starting to go juddery again. Argh!

 

[HLaB]

Sometimes I wonder why I still have a car mine might only move once a fortnight or less during the summer. I thinking of doing the Borders Sportif though and it'd be a bit hard getting there without a car.

 

[yenrod]

My Dad used to say a 'car needs a good run everysofoften' - maybe you could get tune up etc...

 

[fossyant]

Same here - although I like my car lots, very nearly got rather hisses off last year with it - a/c condenser, battery, and 4 tyres hit me for about £1k.......within a few months.....all wear and tear though.

My wife wouldn't let me get rid due to the 'flexibility' of two cars, but.....saving grace, both are getting on (eco) - my car is 6, had it 5 years, my wife's is 10, from new....and...guess who is in charge of the cleaning and maintenance.........

 

[Mr Pig]

Short and infrequent use is terrible for them. I change the oil twice as often as is recommended because our car does so many ridiculously short trips, thanks to my wife!

Cars are a pain. We've got a relatively new one right now, two-years old, so I'm enjoying the luxury of not having to lie under it every weekend! Cos it won't last.

 

[fossyant]

Mr Pig..we are/were from the same camp (npoc) - that's why I oil change every 6 months on both, but the lack of use is really doing my car no favours - my wife's car is used every day for work, but mine now sits 5/6 days out of 7.........

 

[Mr Pig]

I've not got a Primera any more, it died. I've got a Mazda 6 now. Recommended, good car. You still on NPOC? I got fed up with it, too many idiots.

 

[fossyant]

I've not got a Primera any more, it died. I've got a Mazda 6 now. Recommended, good car. You still on NPOC? I got fed up with it, too many idiots.

I tap in see what the issues are...that's it - only to see the computer system problems with the nav screens......my P12 is one of the earliest on the market and has been A1......

 

[Mr Pig]

I think the later ones were almost certainly worse. They kept cutting back, fitting the same suspension to all the cars irrespective of engine weight etc until they only made one model! Pretty sad state of affairs.

 

[bonj2]

if you don't use it for weeks on end just start the engine up every so often and leave it idling for an hour.
and leave the handbrake off.

 

[HLaB]

if you don't use it for weeks on end just start the engine up every so often and leave it idling for an hour.
and leave the handbrake off.

And hope nobody nicks it

 

[Black Sheep]

I'll sell you my 1980 fiesta 1.3 ghia.

it sits for 7 months of the year and starts first time at the turn of the key after those 7 months, as soon as its been backed down the drive and driven 100 yards allong the road its fine