Davie's french attraction.

[daviemck2006]

The weather has been mild in bare figures but there has been lots of wind with the resultant wind chill factor. The northerly storm of the 5th Dec took its toll, lots of damage caused along the coast here. It's a howling gale as I type, expecting storm force again tonight. At least its southerly so no seas to contend with here. The c4 has been in local papers and on local facebook sites but Im not trying very hard just now. I hsve the hospital 27th dec so if they give me more treatment I might be better for the vts in summer. I have not been trying very hard to look for a car I want yet. That can wait for a while. I had never thought about the laguna route, but maybe will have a quick look see. Might warrant an investigation.

[Captain Slow]

Poor time of the year to sell I'm afraid. Keep it, and enjoy it. I'm currently pretending mine is a rally car

[daviemck2006]

The c4 is performing faultlessly. For a guy that does not work I'm still piling on miles, near 200 miles giving my son a run to his work and picking him up again, he would rather pay the petrol for that than use his motorbike in the weather up here, and do 100 miles on it at 100mpg = 6 or 7 quid in fuel against like 35 in the car! I do about another 100 miles a week on personal use. The civic is now at the side of the house. My son sits his driving test early in the new year, a 1.6 auto 5dr civic is not exactly a youngsters car but he can get it insured at a reasonable premium so he might run it for a while to get his no claims built up. Or It may get sold as is, as long as I get money back. Just been looking at the prices of lagunas on Mark's advice, no Lag 3 in my price range, would have to be a lag2, and kind of fancy an estate one. A diesel auto would suit, but also a diesel auto megane would too. Apart from the fact are they prone to turbo failure? Are they basically the same engine that would be in my daughters astra? It's showing signs of future problems now at 110000 now. The oil increases on the dipstick, so when changing oil we don't fill it right up now and then change it every 5k now. She will soon be leaving her job, so a big cut down on miles for her so hopefully wont have to change her oil every 3 months! Then her car might last a bit longer. It is also getting very noisy and whiney in 6th gear especially and in 5th but not so bad. Just the usual, I think that once a car reaches 100k they start needing bits fixed and replaced. Up until now its been a good and cheap car to run, she still likes it so still a keeper for her, just keeping me and my other daughters man busier looking after it! I now have a hospital appointment on Friday 27th, it's been changed so much I'm bloody demented with the nhs. I hope they can do or advise something to help. I'm fed up with the amount of tablets I have to swallow. I have tried not taking them to see if they are making a difference and they are. 28 tablets a day is kink of overkill. there must be something better. I was wondering if a sawn off shotgun would help????????????????? :missile:

[Citroenmad]

The Astra diesel if it is the 1.9 is a Fiat engine and not related to the Renault DCi.

I've heard too many bad things about DCis, mainly the 1.9 & 2.2 however Mark has found his Lagunas to be reliable. As always they depend upon how they are looked after. I've known turbo failures, resulting in engine failures, gearboxes losing syncromesh, main engine bearings wearing badly, etc.

I would definitely suggest looking for a later LagunaII with the 2.0DCi, which does seem to be a much more perfected engine. I couldn't recommend a 1.9 or 2.2, though they do driver and perform well when the are ok.

Real shame about your appointment being put back, they NHS do seem pretty useless.

[bxzx16v]

Davie does the astra have a dpf? This could be the cause of the oil increase if used in town for short runs. As Chris says a laguna 2 with the 2.0dci would be preferable over a 1.9dci.

Mark

[Citroenmad]

Davie does the astra have a dpf? This could be the cause of the oil increase if used in town for short runs.

I think it will do Mark, in fact a lot of cars which use that engine have an extra mark on the dipstick which is much higher than maximum. At this point and oil change is recommended ... I wonder how many never get checked and drown However, you're right to do frequent changes, as with that much increase, the oil will be more fuel than oil anyway.

[daviemck2006]

It doesn't have a dpf, and it should be ok for that anyway, she lives 30 miles away from home so it gets a good heat up. It definitely does have the third mark on the dipstick, and explains clearly the reason for it in the handbook. The recommended service intervals are 20 k or 2 yrs, a joke. When she bought it, it had 22k on the clock, at 15 months old and had been serviced at 20k. It's been done every 10k since until 100k and now done at 105 and away to get done at 111k. She has been told to dip oil every week, but she's pregnant and cant be bothered so it's down to me. Once she finishes work her mileage, with any luck will drop from 20k a year considerably so then it will be easier kept. It has been a good car to her, but probably worth more to her to keep it now, and she does still like it. It is the 1.9 120bhp engine in it.

I think my ideal car just now would be a C4 exclusive, 2.0hdi auto. Might be easier finding rocking horse poo, but they do exist. That would give me a decent engine, a proper auto box and not these semi auto rubbish, interior styling that I love and reasonable running costs. 2nd choice, same everything but 5 instead of 4. I am putting the 4 first, because of the lack of hydraulic suspension so less chance of failures. I find the ride in the c4 is quite good on the 17's. As I said I also love the inside of them. Gotta get rid of a bloody Honda first though

[Hell Razor5543]

Yep, they do exist;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-57-CITRO ... 4ac83664dc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But there was only one in 39 results (the others all being Picasso variants).

[Fake Concern]

Davie, it's a real pain about the Civic, I thought you'd turned into a proper wheeler dealer! I don't understand what he thought was meant by "deposit".
You could go back to plan A & sorn the VTS again, use the Civic til summer when they should both be easier to sell.
I have to say I really like the C4 Exclusive & love the pale leather & lower dash. In some foreign markets the VTS comes with that option, it looks great & would love to do mine like it.
Of course getting any C4 is difficult as there are so few around, add in if you want a specific variant & you live right at the top of GB (or at the bottom like me) & it becomes a mission!
Hope the health holds up, seeing family in a happy festive environment must help!

[daviemck2006]

Yep, they do exist;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-57-CITRO ... 4ac83664dc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But there was only one in 39 results (the others all being Picasso variants).

Thats a really nice car, but look at the price for a 2007 car! I suppose you would be hard pushed to find another. I'm getting pissed off now with transport needs, I hate the civic, cant go much farther than 20 miles in it before my back is aching, the c4 so much more comfy, and as long as I can get the door opened wide is not too much of a problem. The clutch is not too heavy and is not too much a problem unless I am in nose to tail traffic which doesn't happen here, but does if I have to go to aberdeen for anything. So two cars here, both got points thats not suitable for me, both taxed, one has to be sorned next week, one I hate, one I love, which stays on the road??????? MMMMMMMMM let me think. Thought about it.

Pity it doesn't shine like that right now with the state of the roads up here!!!!!!!!

[daviemck2006]

Well things are looking up a wee bit. Was in to see the consultant on Friday. One of my problems was the amount of tablets I have been taking. I have been convinced that they were reacting against each other. The consultant has advised me to come off of two of them, which takes out 12 tablets a day. There is now a procedure which he is going to recommend I get. It is very expensive and he has to convince the money counters that it is worth the expense in my case. Then if it is approved the waiting time for it is in the region of 18 months! Yes that is months, not years. In laymans terms the procedure is they stick an electrical probe right into my spine above the damaged bit, and another below and have a battery pack plugged in to me all the time. So what I am wondering is, is there anyone on here confident enough with electrics to whack in nails or any other maybe better probes and work out the appropriate resistors etc to plug me into the faglighter so at least I can enjoy driving the vts for the time being? I'm sorry I do not have the funding for this experimental procedure, all you get is the khudos of inventing a cure for bugered backs.

On another note, no I wont say it because I'll jinx it. I shall tell you tomorrow

[CitroJim]

Davie, looking good You must take a lot of tablets

Hope the electrical treatment works. Sounds almost like a battery charger! Maybe it's recharge you...

[daviemck2006]

Happy new year all.

I HATE NEW YEARS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you guys are all enjoying it

Right now thats all past, on to cars. C4 performing faultlessly averaging 33.4mpg which is ok for a 2.0 and the driving pleasure I get. The hunt is still on for an auto, I have spied a c5 hdi exclusive with every option box ticked including black leather heated seats, which is going to be phoned about. If he would swap for the vts I would think he's getting a car of higher value, but I wouldn't care. The c5 is in my favourite colour, not black, I don't know if at that age it's still called wicked red, but I really like that colour. Only slight off put is its a 2.2 136, and although I loved my previous 2.2 I would prefer a 2.0 at that age, or a 175 or whatever they are. Phone call required. Honda civic provisionally sold again, but this time to someone I know quite well, so should go on friday when banks open again. Not counting chickens though, been here before. I was thinking of insuring it again, solely to run Shaun (my son) to work and back. That entails 4 miles of normal single carriageways, 4 miles of back roads which are very narrow and absolutely filthy, then 1/2 mile of unsurfaced farm track. Wash the car, go there once and an inch of mud all over it. He sits his driving test soon, so I hope he passes, I'm getting fed up of cleaning the car, inside and out. Expert van was good for that job Once he passes his test then he will get his own car to destroy on those roads!

[bxzx16v]

Davie don't go down the 2.2 hdi 136bhp auto route, I had a manual and it struggled to get over 30 in town, I had mine for a year and it was great but the early 2.2 does have issues. Stick with the Vts for a few more months it will serve you better imo.

Mark

[daviemck2006]

Yep Mark, TBH my old 2.2 manual just about cracked 40mpg, in normal use, could coax it up to 45, 46 on a long run, so I would expect the 2.2 auto would be 5 worse than that, which combined with derv being more expensive would make it as expensive to run than the vts. I have not phoned about it for that reason, if it had been a 2.0 I would have, Apart from that it was my perfect car. I don't actually see the point of the 2.2 in the facelift ones when the 2.0 16v gives the same power and vastly better consumption. I do need to watch running costs and considering (slightly) a c4 1.6hdi with the semi auto box. It would have to have an impeccable service history and low mileage though. These are really cheap to run, and I know a c4 suits me. However any turbo faults or egs gearbox faults wipes out the 60 mpg and £30 road tax, even if it is after 3 or 4 years. Very wary of them. Otherwise wait for the perfect c5 to show up, which it will eventually, or again wait for the c4 2.0hdi auto, same engine and box as the c5. Or, if I am in a hurry, which I'm not, pug 407 seem plentiful in 2.0hdi auto both saloon and estate. Same engine and box again. Renault laguna I would consider, but cant see that I would get a 2.0 unless it was high miles, and don't really fancy the 1.9 or 2.2 for the same reason as a 1.6 hdi. I don't fancy things like vectra or mondeo, don't want german, and after the Honda don't fancy japs. Only other I would consider is volvo or saab. Mmmmmmm waiting game to see what turns up, hopefully in Scotland, or northern England at the farthest. I also decided yesterday as well as auto it must have cruise. I was a bit off yesterday and went up to my daughters, and used the cruise at 50 all the way as long as traffic allowed. That means I can move my legs about and ease the pain and cramps I get sitting still for too long. Of course, being on DLA now could walk into the nearest citroen garage and come out with a brand new DS3 auto,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BUT not so much fun having a new car and not having to do a thing with it. I would rather own my own car and have the money. I might do that in the future, but not just now.