Next question

[Graham]

The problem with the Escort has been solved (damaged fuel line), and now I
have another question (or two) :-)

A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and then back
again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The problem is we are
trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol. The tank holds 45 litres
(£37.00 +/- £1.50 depending on price etc) and we have worked out that he
gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting through minor roads (no motorway
miles) and doing Indian deliveries at night sometimes with a passenger (and
often with quite "sporty" driving).

Would it be safe to assume that doing 70mph on the motorway for the majority
of the journey in 5th gear, with 3 people and luggage would return a better
fuel consumption figure (i.e 260 miles to the tank?). We are not sure if the
extra weight load will cause fuel consumption to rise.

Also, the car has done 34k and he has had it from new, but learned in the
car so the clutch will be needing replaced in the not so distant future.
Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch compared to
driving through streets etc? The clutch doesn't slip at all when performing
the standard checks (i.e caning through the gears and putting it into 5th @
20mph and putting the foot down). Is there any chance that the clutch will
let go on the motorway leaving us needing a tow? There isn't any option of
taking another car and we're just at the stage of working out the total
costs involved of travelling (on a well needed break).

Thanks for any replies,

Graham

[Graham]

"Adrian" <toomany2cvs@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns95806613CCECEadrianachapmanfreeis@130.133. 1.4...
> Graham (testbox@pztech.dynu.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like
> they were saying :
>
>> A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and
>> then back again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The
>> problem is we are trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol.
>> The tank holds 45 litres (£37.00 +/- £1.50 depending on price etc) and
>> we have worked out that he gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting
>> through minor roads (no motorway miles) and doing Indian deliveries at
>> night sometimes with a passenger (and often with quite "sporty"
>> driving).
>
>> Would it be safe to assume that doing 70mph on the motorway for the
>> majority of the journey in 5th gear, with 3 people and luggage would
>> return a better fuel consumption figure (i.e 260 miles to the tank?).
>> We are not sure if the extra weight load will cause fuel consumption
>> to rise.
>
> Probably not that much, assuming you're not stacking a roof rack five
> foot high with your luggage.

Nope - just a medium sized case each (5 day trip)

> Think about it - Rough numbers, it's going to be three tanks full - or
> just over £100. £35/head. If a quid or three either way is going to be a
> huge issue, then perhaps he ought to think about flogging his nice
> valuable car and buying a shed.

Suppose - just trying to get a figure together :-)

>> Also, the car has done 34k and he has had it from new, but learned in
>> the car so the clutch will be needing replaced in the not so distant
>> future.
>
> But it doesn't show any signs of it. How do you figure that?

He keeps complaining the clutch pedal is heavy and that the biting point is
quite high.

>> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch
>> compared to driving through streets etc?
>
> Think about it - how often is he going to be using the clutch on the
> motorway?

Not very often, which is a theory I put to him, but himself and his dad are
sure that because the clutch is going faster it's putting more wear on it
(can't really argue when its 2 vs 1)

>> Is there
>> any chance that the clutch will let go on the motorway leaving us
>> needing a tow?
>
> Probably marginally less than a 747 emptying it's toilet tank at 30,000ft
> and the big chunk of frozen turds coming through the sunroof killing you
> all.

LOL :)

>> There isn't any option of taking another car and we're
>> just at the stage of working out the total costs involved of
>> travelling (on a well needed break).
>
> The fuel cost for that kind of journey is going to be negligable compared
> to the other costs of any kind of worthwhile break.

True.

> <thinks>
> Is it pinking at all?

Nope :-) Thanks for your time - it's always handy to have another opinion.

Graham

[Adrian]

Graham (testbox@pztech.dynu.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

>>> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch
>>> compared to driving through streets etc?

>> Think about it - how often is he going to be using the clutch on the
>> motorway?

> Not very often, which is a theory I put to him, but himself and his
> dad are sure that because the clutch is going faster it's putting more
> wear on it (can't really argue when its 2 vs 1)

Not even when the two don't have the *faintest* clue what they're talking
about?

[Guy King]

The message <HWMad.7031$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
from "Graham" <testbox@pztech.dynu.net> contains these words:

> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch compared to
> driving through streets etc?

No - far far less.

--
Skipweasel.
Being superstitious brings bad luck

[DocDelete]

"Graham" <testbox@pztech.dynu.net> wrote in message news:HWMad.7031
$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and then
back
> again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The problem is we
are
> trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol. The tank holds 45
litres
> (£37.00 +/- £1.50 depending on price etc) and we have worked out that he
> gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting through minor roads (no motorway
> miles) and doing Indian deliveries at night sometimes with a passenger
(and
> often with quite "sporty" driving).

Approx. 24.5 mpg from this car sounds a bit low - even driven with gusto
around town my wife's 1.4 Clio returns at least 30mpg.

All things being in good nick, there's no reason why this car shouldn't
achieve at least 37mpg on a 70mph run - that's only two tanks full. If my
aging 1.8 Scirocco can manage 45mpg over that distance then I feel sure the
1.4 Polo should do better.

Clutch: your mate reckons it's going because it's heavy with a high biting
point - has it always been like that *on this car*? What's he comparing
against? If a different car then doesn't he realise they differ from car to
car?

--
Ken Davidson
DocDelete


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.775 / Virus Database: 522 - Release Date: 08/10/04

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Graham" <testbox@pztech.dynu.net>
saying something like:

>>> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch
>>> compared to driving through streets etc?
>>
>> Think about it - how often is he going to be using the clutch on the
>> motorway?
>
>Not very often, which is a theory I put to him, but himself and his dad are
>sure that because the clutch is going faster it's putting more wear on it
>(can't really argue when its 2 vs 1)

ROFL!
--

Dave
SE6a

[DocDelete]

"Graham" <testbox@pztech.dynu.net> wrote in message
news:HWMad.7031$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk ...

> Is there any chance that the clutch will
> let go on the motorway leaving us needing a tow?

It's a car - *anything* can go wrong. It sounds to me like you haven't
clocked up many motorway miles at all so far, and are a little apprehensive
to say the least. To be fair, I can sympathise and we all go through that
little barrier.

If your at all the worrying kind, then take my advice and invest around £75
a year in something like AA Relay. Just use this once over a three year (or
more) period and it may well pay for itself. It shouldn't really be
considered as wasted money if not used either, as personal membership will
cover *you* no matter whose car you're in, driving or not.

They won't pay for a banjaxed clutch to be replaced, but they will get you
home without recourse to motorway recovery services (megabucks).

Your car insurance people may offer something similar, but watch out for the
"personal" membership bit - far better than it being tied to just one
vehicle.

--
Ken Davidson
DocDelete


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.775 / Virus Database: 522 - Release Date: 08/10/04

[Graham]

"DocDelete" <docdelete@thehomeofnospam.org> wrote in message
news:416be142$0$48022$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> "Graham" <testbox@pztech.dynu.net> wrote in message
> news:HWMad.7031$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk ...
>
>> Is there any chance that the clutch will
>> let go on the motorway leaving us needing a tow?
>
> It's a car - *anything* can go wrong. It sounds to me like you haven't
> clocked up many motorway miles at all so far, and are a little
> apprehensive
> to say the least. To be fair, I can sympathise and we all go through that
> little barrier.

I think his main cause of concern is the clutch going on him !

> If your at all the worrying kind, then take my advice and invest around
> £75
> a year in something like AA Relay. Just use this once over a three year
> (or
> more) period and it may well pay for itself. It shouldn't really be
> considered as wasted money if not used either, as personal membership will
> cover *you* no matter whose car you're in, driving or not.
>
> They won't pay for a banjaxed clutch to be replaced, but they will get you
> home without recourse to motorway recovery services (megabucks).
>
> Your car insurance people may offer something similar, but watch out for
> the
> "personal" membership bit - far better than it being tied to just one
> vehicle.

He used to be a member of the RAC - not sure if this is still the case. His
main concern is the clutch letting go and the car needing towed home.

Graham

[Doki]

Graham wrote:
> The problem with the Escort has been solved (damaged fuel line), and
> now I have another question (or two) :-)
>
> A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and
> then back again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The
> problem is we are trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol.
> The tank holds 45 litres (£37.00 +/- £1.50 depending on price etc)
> and we have worked out that he gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting
> through minor roads (no motorway miles) and doing Indian deliveries
> at night sometimes with a passenger (and often with quite "sporty"
> driving).
>
> Would it be safe to assume that doing 70mph on the motorway for the
> majority of the journey in 5th gear, with 3 people and luggage would
> return a better fuel consumption figure (i.e 260 miles to the tank?).
> We are not sure if the extra weight load will cause fuel consumption
> to rise.

If you spend more than £75 on petrol doing that distance on the motorway,
and aren't doing > 80 all the way, there's something wrong with it. I used
to manage to get about 100 miles for a tenner in my Ka, driving to Norwich
with lots of overtaking on SC roads, and generally caning it a bit.

[Conor]

In article <HWMad.7031$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Graham=20
says...
> The problem with the Escort has been solved (damaged fuel line), and now =
I=20
> have another question (or two) :-)
>=20
> A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and then b=
ack=20
> again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The problem is we a=
re=20
> trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol. The tank holds 45 lit=
res=20
> (=A337.00 +/- =A31.50 depending on price etc) and we have worked out that=
he=20
> gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting through minor roads (no motorway=20
> miles) and doing Indian deliveries at night sometimes with a passenger (a=
nd=20
> often with quite "sporty" driving).

Rule of thumb I've used for a few years now on cars up to 2L...=A31 per=20
10 miles so it'll cost you about =A337.


--=20
Conor

Opinions personal, facts suspect.

[Conor]

In article <HWMad.7031$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Graham=20
says...

> Also, the car has done 34k and he has had it from new, but learned in the=
=20
> car so the clutch will be needing replaced in the not so distant future.=
=20
> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch compared to=20
> driving through streets etc? The clutch doesn't slip at all when performi=
ng=20
> the standard checks (i.e caning through the gears and putting it into 5th=
@=20
> 20mph and putting the foot down). Is there any chance that the clutch wil=
l=20
> let go on the motorway leaving us needing a tow? There isn't any option o=
f=20
> taking another car and we're just at the stage of working out the total=
=20
> costs involved of travelling (on a well needed break).
>=20
Just get in the sodding car and set off. It'll cost under =A340 for fuel.=
=20
If you're paranoid about breaking down, get AA cover.


--=20
Conor

Opinions personal, facts suspect.

[Chris Street]

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 08:51:51 GMT, Graham wrote:

> The problem with the Escort has been solved (damaged fuel line), and now I
> have another question (or two) :-)
>
> A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and then back
> again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The problem is we are
> trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol. The tank holds 45 litres
> (£37.00 +/- £1.50 depending on price etc) and we have worked out that he
> gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting through minor roads (no motorway
> miles) and doing Indian deliveries at night sometimes with a passenger (and
> often with quite "sporty" driving).
>
> Would it be safe to assume that doing 70mph on the motorway for the majority
> of the journey in 5th gear, with 3 people and luggage would return a better
> fuel consumption figure (i.e 260 miles to the tank?). We are not sure if the
> extra weight load will cause fuel consumption to rise.
>
> Also, the car has done 34k and he has had it from new, but learned in the
> car so the clutch will be needing replaced in the not so distant future.

A worn clutch at 34k is impressive.

> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch compared to
> driving through streets etc? The clutch doesn't slip at all when performing
> the standard checks (i.e caning through the gears and putting it into 5th @
> 20mph and putting the foot down).

So it's not worn.... What's up with it? Could it just need adjusting (auto
adjusters are not infallible) Air in the fluid if it's hydraulic?

> Is there any chance that the clutch will
> let go on the motorway leaving us needing a tow? There isn't any option of
> taking another car and we're just at the stage of working out the total
> costs involved of travelling (on a well needed break).

Motorway running is a lot less stressful on a car than stop-start town
driving.

>
> Thanks for any replies,
>
> Graham

[Richard Murphy]

Fuel consumption - you should get much better figures cruising on the
motorway than around town as long as you keep a light right foot - e.g. my
own car does about 32 - 34 around town but on my normal commute (30 miles
each way mostly mway) if I keep to 70 and don't accelerate hard its nearer
40. Fully laden about 36 or slightly better than claimed "urban" mpg. Think
in terms of 740 miles divided by your MPG times the price per gallon and you
should be OK

The biggest wear for a clutch is around town. My brother used to manage a
fleet in London, clutches used to go on all the manual cars at around 30k
with the hammering, so he used to schedule them for replacement at 35.
Conversely, my mainly motorway commute plus holidays - heavily laden,often
with a caravan, left me with my original clutch on my old cavalier - at 125k
miles. Think of this - I commuted in that car "urbanly" for a couple of
years, then on the motorway for another 4. The urban driving had the front
tyres worn at about 12 - 13k, the motorway had them lasting 45k. Everything
else follows

Clutches do not wear by spinning round fast, they wear with lots of starts
from rest. - tip - on an advanced driving course a few years ago they taught
tricks to keep the car moving - slowly - up to red traffic lights, crowded
junctions etc. - so the number of starts-from-rest is reduced, and of course
the amount of clutch slipping.

So - your "sporty" driving is
a) Knackering the clutch
b) using lots more petrol than necessary
c) wearing out your front tyres

I hope this helps answer your question - in truth, constant-speed m'way is
the lightest, easiest for a car to do - and a lightweight like a Polo with
1400cc on a modern engine to play with will be a doddle. But make sure its
well serviced and of course the oil, water etc. is properly maintained
first.

"Graham" <testbox@pztech.dynu.net> wrote in message
news:HWMad.7031$xb.6687@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk ...
> The problem with the Escort has been solved (damaged fuel line), and now I

> have another question (or two) :-)
>
> A friend and I plan on embarking on a long journey (370 miles, and then
back
> again, so 740 in total) in a 51 plate Polo (1.4 16v). The problem is we
are
> trying to work out how much it will cost in petrol. The tank holds 45
litres
> (£37.00 +/- £1.50 depending on price etc) and we have worked out that he
> gets 245 miles to the tank, commuting through minor roads (no motorway
> miles) and doing Indian deliveries at night sometimes with a passenger
(and
> often with quite "sporty" driving).
>
> Would it be safe to assume that doing 70mph on the motorway for the
majority
> of the journey in 5th gear, with 3 people and luggage would return a
better
> fuel consumption figure (i.e 260 miles to the tank?). We are not sure if
the
> extra weight load will cause fuel consumption to rise.
>
> Also, the car has done 34k and he has had it from new, but learned in the
> car so the clutch will be needing replaced in the not so distant future.
> Would motorway miles put much wear and tear on the clutch compared to
> driving through streets etc? The clutch doesn't slip at all when
performing
> the standard checks (i.e caning through the gears and putting it into 5th
@
> 20mph and putting the foot down). Is there any chance that the clutch will
> let go on the motorway leaving us needing a tow? There isn't any option of
> taking another car and we're just at the stage of working out the total
> costs involved of travelling (on a well needed break).
>
> Thanks for any replies,
>
> Graham
>
>

[AstraVanMan]

> The biggest wear for a clutch is around town. My brother used to manage a
> fleet in London, clutches used to go on all the manual cars at around 30k
> with the hammering, so he used to schedule them for replacement at 35.
> Conversely, my mainly motorway commute plus holidays - heavily laden,often
> with a caravan, left me with my original clutch on my old cavalier - at
125k
> miles. Think of this - I commuted in that car "urbanly" for a couple of
> years, then on the motorway for another 4. The urban driving had the front
> tyres worn at about 12 - 13k, the motorway had them lasting 45k.
Everything
> else follows
>
> Clutches do not wear by spinning round fast, they wear with lots of starts
> from rest. - tip - on an advanced driving course a few years ago they
taught
> tricks to keep the car moving - slowly - up to red traffic lights, crowded
> junctions etc. - so the number of starts-from-rest is reduced, and of
course
> the amount of clutch slipping.

Though there's no reason why a clutch should suffer much wear at all, even
in constant driving, if used properly - i.e. the biting kept right down low
(as near to idle speed as possible) and the throttle used to support things
rather than just revving it. With a skilled driver there's no reason why a
clutch shouldn't last to at least 100-150k even for lots of town work.

I had a Fiesta van (1.8TDi - 2000/W reg) that I bought with 95k on the clock
and a slightly knackered clutch. I say slightly knackered, in that it was
fine, but the biting point a lot higher than it would have been had I driven
it from new. I took it up to 135k with the clutch still as good (or bad) as
when I bought it, and it showed no signs of remotely starting to give up.
And that was stop start in London 90% of the time.

Peter
--
"The truth is working in television is not very glamorous at all. I just go
home on my own at night and sit alone and eat crisps."