How important is climate control to you?
Poll: How important is climate control to you?
Total Members Polled: 531
Discussion
Asterix said:
Vital for me - I live in Dubai and in-car temps can reach over 65C if the car is sat in the sun during the summer months.
Jesus! that's proper hot 
a vote toward my cause is good.We are going for a new car, just done a spreadsheet and when you factor in fuel, tax, insurance etc it will only work out about £125 per month extra to run a much newer car.
As my old gran used to say...."fcuck it!"
I don't use it as I prefer open front windows and sunroof for the vast majority of the time.
However, I do have to make myself use it properly as left off throughout my ownership results in non-working climate control which is expensive to fix relative to value and buyers quite reasonably expect it to be fully functional on a barge.
Cheaper to leave it on and use a little bit of extra fuel even with the windows open than end up with it out of action needing a "regas" (new pump, condensor, seals, final stage resistor, control unit...).
So - not important to me at all, but important to any potential buyer who isn't a scrappy.
However, I do have to make myself use it properly as left off throughout my ownership results in non-working climate control which is expensive to fix relative to value and buyers quite reasonably expect it to be fully functional on a barge.
Cheaper to leave it on and use a little bit of extra fuel even with the windows open than end up with it out of action needing a "regas" (new pump, condensor, seals, final stage resistor, control unit...).
So - not important to me at all, but important to any potential buyer who isn't a scrappy.
Right then.
What do we think about buying a Cat D vehicle.
Excellent spec, nice colour, perfect for what we need.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
What do we think about buying a Cat D vehicle.
Excellent spec, nice colour, perfect for what we need.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
nipsips said:
Leathers not standard on that. 1.8 is reliable though!
Listed as a Zetec, badge on the back is Titanium X + cat D write off.....a bit fishy but worth a look I reckon.The DVD players and pano roof would be great to keep the kids happy.
Edited by dave_s13 on Wednesday 2nd July 21:51
dave_s13 said:
Right then.
What do we think about buying a Cat D vehicle.
Excellent spec, nice colour, perfect for what we need.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
I'd leave them well alone especially when you've got family in the car. Just too many question marks over the quality of the repair, if things like air bags etc have been correctly replaced and whether the chassis would still perform as intended in event of another collision. They are also harder to insure and will be worth significantly less than a clean example when you sell on.What do we think about buying a Cat D vehicle.
Excellent spec, nice colour, perfect for what we need.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
va1o said:
I'd leave them well alone especially when you've got family in the car. Just too many question marks over the quality of the repair, if things like air bags etc have been correctly replaced and whether the chassis would still perform as intended in event of another collision. They are also harder to insure and will be worth significantly less than a clean example when you sell on.
Good point. Price is very appealing though. I'm aware cat D could be something cosmetic but then again....dilemma!BrownBottle said:
Debaser said:
Howard- said:
Debaser said:
Does running the AC not use any fuel?
Not nearly as much as people make out.Do you use a candle in your house to save electricity?! It won't use much if any more fuel than the drag created from lowering a window yet no one ever seems to mention keeping the windows up to 'save fuel'
Essential unless you like getting to your destination a sweaty mess.
Last summer I was using the TVR to commute to a job round the M25. Stuck in traffic on the M25 in blazing sun wearing a suit, I could leave the roof off and roast, or put it on and boil. Either way, I had to change my shirt when I got to work!
Last summer I was using the TVR to commute to a job round the M25. Stuck in traffic on the M25 in blazing sun wearing a suit, I could leave the roof off and roast, or put it on and boil. Either way, I had to change my shirt when I got to work!
Auto climate systems are just an even more complicated and therefore expensive to maintain option as they get older than a basic manually controlled system.In my own case the old school climate system on the old XJ's was as powerful as they get and can be almost essential in mid summer on the continent with the heat soak of a big V12 through the bulkhead and trans tunnel.
However the downside is that it's an expensive nightmare to keep in top condition and makes a difficult to work on engine even more difficult and complicated.So it's a luxury I'd prefer to do without.Which is why it's disconnected and the compressor and pipework all removed.The problem then being that there's no heating or ventilation without it working.So it's a case of just open the windows in the summer just as in the days when air con wasn't a common option on most cars and luckily I don't use it much,if at all,in the colder months.
But if it's an essential that you can't do without then be prepared for big maintenance bills on anything other than new/near new systems,of whatever type and however good,as they age and/or lots of extra aggravation in the case of needing access to the engine and radiator for maintenance jobs.
However the downside is that it's an expensive nightmare to keep in top condition and makes a difficult to work on engine even more difficult and complicated.So it's a luxury I'd prefer to do without.Which is why it's disconnected and the compressor and pipework all removed.The problem then being that there's no heating or ventilation without it working.So it's a case of just open the windows in the summer just as in the days when air con wasn't a common option on most cars and luckily I don't use it much,if at all,in the colder months.
But if it's an essential that you can't do without then be prepared for big maintenance bills on anything other than new/near new systems,of whatever type and however good,as they age and/or lots of extra aggravation in the case of needing access to the engine and radiator for maintenance jobs.
Edited by XJ Flyer on Thursday 3rd July 00:33
XJ Flyer said:
Auto climate systems are just an even more complicated and therefore expensive to maintain option as they get older than a basic manually controlled system.In my own case the old school climate system on the old XJ's was as powerful as they get and can be almost essential in mid summer on the continent with the heat soak of a big V12 through the bulkhead and trans tunnel.
However the downside is that it's an expensive nightmare to keep in top condition and makes a difficult to work on engine even more difficult and complicated.So it's a luxury I'd prefer to do without.Which is why it's disconnected and the compressor and pipework all removed.The problem then being that there's no heating or ventilation without it working.So it's a case of just open the windows in the summer just as in the days when air con wasn't a common option on most cars and luckily I don't use it much,if at all,in the colder months.
But if it's an essential that you can't do without then be prepared for big maintenance bills on anything other than new/near new systems,of whatever type and however good,as they age and/or lots of extra aggravation in the case of needing access to the engine and radiator for maintenance jobs.
I never found it 'a complete nightmare' on my XJ-S'. Had 2 and on both cars the AC worked. Okay once a year I had to clean the interior sensor wire & top up the gas using a aerosol type can but it was worth the effort.However the downside is that it's an expensive nightmare to keep in top condition and makes a difficult to work on engine even more difficult and complicated.So it's a luxury I'd prefer to do without.Which is why it's disconnected and the compressor and pipework all removed.The problem then being that there's no heating or ventilation without it working.So it's a case of just open the windows in the summer just as in the days when air con wasn't a common option on most cars and luckily I don't use it much,if at all,in the colder months.
But if it's an essential that you can't do without then be prepared for big maintenance bills on anything other than new/near new systems,of whatever type and however good,as they age and/or lots of extra aggravation in the case of needing access to the engine and radiator for maintenance jobs.
Edited by XJ Flyer on Thursday 3rd July 00:33
One very important point is that the AC on V12 cars also works for the fuel cooler, without it it is much more likely that stopping on a long journey will result in vapour locking the system, also hot fuel expands, this means less mass of fuel is injected for the same injector duration, this results in lean running and raised engine temps.
Even with AC working my 1988 XJ-S had the odd bit of not restarting after refuelling due to engine bay temperature / vapour lock.
Left the bonnet open & went for a coffee, started okay then.
Not essential to me I do like having it on my puma.
While I use it when I want I do like to leave it off most the time not to save fuel but the car is definately more sluggish and less responsive with it on maybe this is only a thing with smaller engined stuff I assume on anything 2.0+ it might not be noticeable?
While I use it when I want I do like to leave it off most the time not to save fuel but the car is definately more sluggish and less responsive with it on maybe this is only a thing with smaller engined stuff I assume on anything 2.0+ it might not be noticeable?
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