JackH ( snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
They are available.
I learnt to drive near Sheffield, which has (or had?) a local authority run centre on a WW2 airfield at Norton. 15yo and above could go and drive round in their parent's cars, or could do a 6x3hr saturday morning course with an instructor and a car shared with two other pupils - one hour driving, two sat in the back learning by watching.
It should be compulsory.
What he said...
Yes - but any cooling system can leak. The K series holds very little water in the engine jacket so cooks easily.
Better factory quality control would solve many early problems - but this is the same for everything. The fundamental design is sound - look at how many others bought in the engine when it was a fresh design.
It's easy enough to make an engine less susceptible to gasket failure if cooked - just make it out of cast iron, with gallons of water in the jacket.
In article , Tim S Kemp writes
My VW Beetle ran fine for years with no coolant.
Mike Tomlinson ( snipped-for-privacy@nospam.jasper.org.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
If your Beetle had truly run out of coolant, the engine cooking would not have been top of your list of problems. You'd be lying there gasping like a fish out of water.
In article , Adrian writes
Pedant. :)
Mike Tomlinson ( snipped-for-privacy@nospam.jasper.org.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
It's a bastard chasing down the leaks in the cooling system, though.
So did my BSA ...
Scott Mills ( snipped-for-privacy@please.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
What's the handbook say?
What happened? Stone through the rad? Burst hose?
Would you really not even bother checking the levels in anything up to
30,000 miles? That's the maximum interval with VW's longlife schedule. How about the 18,000 miles that others give now?So how often do you think is acceptible to check them? How often do you check your tyres for damage and pressure?
Many would question any Beetle 'running fine'.
Besides, it still uses a coolant - only not water based.
It did well to make it to 3 years!
So Tim, how often do you require the fluids to be checked?
Mine was checked - all looked ok. 150miles later it was dead.
A lot of people have problems with these engines, did you see the watchdog episode where everyone was complaining about them? Even people who have them in new land rovers were moaning about the engine too. Whether it is the engine, coolant system, or lack of checking the failure rate is unacceptable - why should you need to check between servicing on a modern car?
Indeed. If a Beetle spits it's coolant out, I'd be looking for which rod had punctured the block. :-)
Just checked the exact mileage. 12500-ish when the head gasket blew.
If that was a Fiat / Alfa people would be up in arms about 'fragile Wop s**te'.
The message from "DocDelete" contains these words:
They've been in the theory test for some time.
The message from "JackH" contains these words:
It'd be interesting to see how many accidents (OK, /serious/ accidents) learners are involved in, compared to other people doing largely urban driving.
When I was an instructor I had three accidents in five years. One I was driving and got hit from behind, one was stationary when some old dear took the wing mirror off, and the other was negotiating a very sharp left bend (really really sharp - sharper than you'd find in a multistorey, and no view 'cos of fences) when some burk came the other way on the wrong side of the road. "No one's ever come round that corner before" she said. Amazing.
Instructors generally don't let learners have accidents - it's bad for business and looks seriously uncool.
The message from snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) contains these words:
Not just K-series.
Absolute s**te, innit?
I'd not mind if this car had had a hard life - but it's a cerished little thing, you'd think it was brand new if you couldn't see the reg. plates.
Considering it has a full history (at the correct time, rather than mileage, intervals) I'd say MG-Rover should be bending over backwards to pay the full cost of repair.
Scott Mills ( snipped-for-privacy@please.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
Airlock?
Sounds like there was a definite undiagnosed problem that got ignored because "it's a K-series and they all do that"
I very much doubt it, too. Doesn't make it good practice, though, does it?
No, it's a good example of how few people ever read the handbook - the handbooks will still say to check every week or few hundred miles. Ever seen a rental van/plant? Big sticker - "Check fluid levels daily"
Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ght...
SteveH ( snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
Had she checked the fluid levels, as the handbook tells her to?
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required