Hire car is trying to kill me

[surveyor]

Ok I admit I exaggerate. Again.

Has the suggest a gear thing. Constantly wants me to be at 1,300 revs where there is no power at all. Car labours plus no get out of dodge oomph. What's going on?

pug 5000 for those who care....

[Tannedbaldhead]

surveyor said:

What's going on?

surveyor said:

pug 5000 for those who care....

Sorted. Close the thread.

[kambites]

When was the last time you had to accelerate to get out of trouble? I never have in 17 years of driving.

[Condi]

Misleading title too. Complete fail from the OP.

[mikefacel]

kambites said:

When was the last time you had to accelerate to get out of trouble? I never have in 17 years of driving.

Really? I accelerate when I think I might be in another car's blind spot on the motorway, often this happens when they have just joined. Gets me out of potential trouble. Can think of other circumstances too, but this one springs to mind as I've just got back from a 5-hour drive from the south west.

[kambites]

mikefacel said:

kambites said:

When was the last time you had to accelerate to get out of trouble? I never have in 17 years of driving.

Really? I accelerate when I think I might be in another car's blind spot on the motorway, often this happens when they have just joined. Gets me out of potential trouble. Can think of other circumstances too, but this one springs to mind as I've just got back from a 5-hour drive from the south west.

I adjust my speed slightly (usually downwards, occasionally very marginally upwards) well before they merge onto the road to avoid being in their blind-spot as they join.

I never felt the need to change gear in the OH's old Punto to find a safe spot, and you don't get many cars slower than an 8v 1.2 Punto in top gear.

[Nikko 40691]

surveyor said:

Constantly wants me to be at 1,300 revs where there is no power at all. Car labours plus no get out of dodge oomph. What's going on?

This is one of the main reasons why I've handed in my notice today. I'm so sick of the stupid Lightfoot Eco Drive st attached to my van.

[thepeoplespal]

Nikko 40691 said:

This is one of the main reasons why I've handed in my notice today. I'm so sick of the stupid Lightfoot Eco Drive st attached to my van.

That will be an interesting one on your exit interview (although will they do one?).

[thepeoplespal]

Nikko 40691 said:

This is one of the main reasons why I've handed in my notice today. I'm so sick of the stupid Lightfoot Eco Drive st attached to my van.

That will be an interesting one on your exit interview (although will they do one?).

[surveyor]

I can recall occasions where I have accelerated from trouble, admittedly when I was younger and less experienced.

But the car at the revs that 'they" want you at is completely gutless. Accelerating on the level is an issue.

[Nikko 40691]

thepeoplespal said:

That will be an interesting one on your exit interview (although will they do one?).

I won't mention it because it'll only make me look like a 'boy racer'

[Matt UK]

I think the gear selector thing is telling you where best MPG lives and assumes most of us know that if we need power and not MPG, then that tends to live further round the RPM dial.

Or am I going to get a whooooosh parrot?

[BorkFactor]

I might be way off the mark here, but am I correct in thinking that constantly having the car at very low revs / trying to accelerate at very low revs is bad for the dual mass flywheel especially on diesels?

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

A few years ago, when I raced motorbikes, I used to hire Merc Sprinter vans from a van hire place.

These vans were perfect for the job - even with a driver, two passengers, two racebikes and a plethora of racing-related gear in the back, including generators and toolboxes - they still did over a ton, which was great when having to drive a million miles on boring UK motorways to get to far-flung race tracks of a Friday afternoon.

I got well used to the available performance, especially when first collecting the vans when empty.


Anyway, one Friday, I collect a van as usual, and whilst driving it back to our workshop, I come up behind another van doing about 55 on a nice, well-sighted A road. Getting bored fairly quickly behind it, I decide to use the usual Merc Sprinter power to overtake.

Except this time, I pull out, accelerate, and then once alongside the other van, the Sprinter suddenly slows down, and nearly sees me hit a car coming the other way

A close call. I stop soon afterwards, call the hire place, tell the chap what had just happened, to which he replies 'oh yeah, sorry, forgot to tell you - we've had to fit speed limiters to all the hire vans because of the amount of speeding tickets we keep getting...'

Thanks for telling me. The hire van did nearly kill me on that day!!!