Unleaded petrol mixed with Diesel in a Chrysler 2.5CRD

Firstly it should be pointed out that the vehicle is a Grand Voyager, not a PT Cruiser

It cost about =A330,000 22 months ago so I'm guessing it has a value around the =A320k mark today

And I believe it to be wrong.

If it does fail in months, it will be nothing to do with today's mishap. My experience is that CR systems fail with depressing regularity. Either it will be covered by warranty within three years [if no mention is made of petrol] or the insurance will pay. There will be no closing of any 'loophole' because it is a legitimate accident. There may be an excess and a loading according to mileage covered by the insurance company though. Usually something like a £500 excess on the engine damage and something like a 25% reduction in value for every 40,000 miles covered and possibly further adjustments for age, even to the extent of writing it off if the value of the car is below a certain percentage of the repair cost.

I would just carry on and not even think of there being a problem. The car manufacturer and dealer make a mint from the insurance companies by repairing and replacing needlessly and expensively, and if any loophole is going to be closed it is this one.

Huw

That is exactly my view.

Huw

Halve that and you'll be a bit closer.

You do realise it shared some bits with the A class don't you? I just forget which bits.

A three year old Subaru Outback H6, new cost about £27,000, has a trade value around £5K. And I know which car has the better reputation.

Richard

Probably, but not very recently. I remember back in the 1980s, 90s when next years models always were light year's ahead of last year's models, that doesn't happen any longer. All the tricks they have left now are gizmos such as SATNAV, MP3, F1-gears, rain sensors, parking sensors, distance sensors, etc. etc. all of which you don't really need to drive the car.

What ?

You made me look at autotrader !

The closest to our 2003 Limited xs costs =A317k and has more than twice the mileage of ours !

These things do hold their value quite well

Probably, after all a lot of part sharing is going on in the group. Can't pin anything down on that pair though - it's not a platform share.

Quite a philosophical entry. Reminds me of "Smoking is bad for you". It probably is, but not today and not tomorrow...

Yeah, shame the only decent ones have single figure consumption. I really love the V6...

Just doing a quick, national search on a CRD produces a couple of pages of them going for between £10.5k and £13k.

I wasn't really thinking of that kind of technology but the engine technology which has indeed leapt ahead over recent years, especially in relation to diesel engines. CR high pressure injection, variable vane turbo's with water cooling, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and exhaust gas aftertreatment both by catalyst and physical soot reduction are driven by legislation.

Huw

Except that this is a heap of inert metal and plastic with a few electronics we are talking about, not a frail human body prone to disease.

Huw

I regularly drive my diesel Focus with a 10:1 diesel/petrol mix in the Alps to control waxing. Never had a problem. Just make sure that you top it off after a quarter tank gone (with diesel naturally....:) ) to dilute out the petrol.

I've done three winters in the Alps on 10:1 diesel:petrol mixes in a modern diesel. Is that OK? My pump hasn't shat itself yet.

You could actually claim on fully comp insurance for this? Never realised that....

Mixes readily, and these types of diesel run a high pressure injection system. And, like injection cars, the fuel circulates round rather than just being pumped through like my carb box does.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect any petrol in the mix would be pumped into the relevant areas in seconds - it's not a problem with reaching the carbs, it's the actual pump that has issues.

I'd run as is, filling up with diesel a few times earlier than usual just to be on the safe side. As the solution to the problem is to replace a whole shedload of bits to be on the safe side, I'd replace them when they fail earlier.

It's the same thing as with leaded heads. The solution to VSR is to put new heads onto the engine with hardened exhaust valve seats. But since that's also the way to repair it if it all goes wrong when you don't bother, you might as well wait until then.

But the longer time it takes for the breakdown, the more clouded the cause of the breakdown would be; the insurers would reasonable be able to claim that the breakdown was unrelated. They could possibly also argue that the keeper was negligent by not having the car towed to a garage immediately after the 'mishap'.