Rover 75 - It's an absolute cracker!
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From: Harry Bloomfield on 28 May 2010 16:28 I collected it at tea-time today from the MOT station with a fresh ticket and drove it the 15 miles to home. This after spending three and a half hours yesterday evening sat listening to the RAC insurance call centres musak, whilst waiting to speak to a human to swap my insurance cover over. I finally managed to get through to them at lunch time today and almost fell off my seat when they finally answered. It handled very nicely indeed, except that I could tell it was on the big wheel low profile sports tyres. All nice and taught. It failed the MOT on a broken rear spring, the end bit where it sits in the cup had snapped, this was fitted and then passed. As I thought it had, from the brief look I managed of it at dusk, it has all of the options and everything is working perfectly. Body work and interior is immaculate. It felt so similar to my old automatic car (this is a manual), that I kept forgetting to use the clutch and gear stick, but that will soon pass. The brake pedal seemed a bit odd. Initially hard to overcome the return spring, so could not feel the biting point so easily as I have become used to. I also found the parking sensor ultra careful, with the final warning set at 18" before striking - I wonder if this can be reduced to a much more useful 3" for the final warning (?). It is the version with the hi-line TV/Satnav and I could not find the location of the audio CD player. I did managed to find the CD or DVD unit for the Navigation Disk in the boot. I'll be running the built in satnav alongside my trusty old Garmin unit, until it has proven its worth though - be nice to not have to have that obstructing the dash and having to conceal it every time the car is left unattended - I had a side window broken and my first Garmin stolen. It is also fitted with the Traffic Master system - So how does this work then? I know it does work, because it correctly announced a hold up ahead, but is it an annual subscription thingummy? Both front indicator lenses have condensation in them, I wonder if this is a common problem on these facelift models? -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: bod on 28 May 2010 16:39 Harry Bloomfield wrote: > I collected it at tea-time today from the MOT station with a fresh > ticket and drove it the 15 miles to home. This after spending three and > a half hours yesterday evening sat listening to the RAC insurance call > centres musak, whilst waiting to speak to a human to swap my insurance > cover over. I finally managed to get through to them at lunch time today > and almost fell off my seat when they finally answered. > > It handled very nicely indeed, except that I could tell it was on the > big wheel low profile sports tyres. All nice and taught. It failed the > MOT on a broken rear spring, the end bit where it sits in the cup had > snapped, this was fitted and then passed. > > As I thought it had, from the brief look I managed of it at dusk, it has > all of the options and everything is working perfectly. Body work and > interior is immaculate. > > It felt so similar to my old automatic car (this is a manual), that I > kept forgetting to use the clutch and gear stick, but that will soon pass. > > The brake pedal seemed a bit odd. Initially hard to overcome the return > spring, so could not feel the biting point so easily as I have become > used to. I also found the parking sensor ultra careful, with the final > warning set at 18" before striking - I wonder if this can be reduced to > a much more useful 3" for the final warning (?). > > It is the version with the hi-line TV/Satnav and I could not find the > location of the audio CD player. I did managed to find the CD or DVD > unit for the Navigation Disk in the boot. > > I'll be running the built in satnav alongside my trusty old Garmin unit, > until it has proven its worth though - be nice to not have to have that > obstructing the dash and having to conceal it every time the car is left > unattended - I had a side window broken and my first Garmin stolen. > > It is also fitted with the Traffic Master system - So how does this work > then? I know it does work, because it correctly announced a hold up > ahead, but is it an annual subscription thingummy? > > Both front indicator lenses have condensation in them, I wonder if this > is a common problem on these facelift models? > > > A cracker eh! Adrian/Mike P and Firth will be upset. :-) Bod
From: Ret. on 29 May 2010 02:05 Harry Bloomfield wrote: > I collected it at tea-time today from the MOT station with a fresh > ticket and drove it the 15 miles to home. This after spending three > and a half hours yesterday evening sat listening to the RAC insurance > call centres musak, whilst waiting to speak to a human to swap my > insurance cover over. I finally managed to get through to them at > lunch time today and almost fell off my seat when they finally > answered. > It handled very nicely indeed, except that I could tell it was on the > big wheel low profile sports tyres. All nice and taught. It failed the > MOT on a broken rear spring, the end bit where it sits in the cup had > snapped, this was fitted and then passed. > > As I thought it had, from the brief look I managed of it at dusk, it > has all of the options and everything is working perfectly. Body work > and interior is immaculate. > > It felt so similar to my old automatic car (this is a manual), that I > kept forgetting to use the clutch and gear stick, but that will soon > pass. > > The brake pedal seemed a bit odd. Initially hard to overcome the > return spring, so could not feel the biting point so easily as I have > become used to. I also found the parking sensor ultra careful, with > the final warning set at 18" before striking - I wonder if this can > be reduced to a much more useful 3" for the final warning (?). > > It is the version with the hi-line TV/Satnav and I could not find the > location of the audio CD player. I did managed to find the CD or DVD > unit for the Navigation Disk in the boot. > > I'll be running the built in satnav alongside my trusty old Garmin > unit, until it has proven its worth though - be nice to not have to > have that obstructing the dash and having to conceal it every time the > car is left unattended - I had a side window broken and my first > Garmin stolen. > > It is also fitted with the Traffic Master system - So how does this > work then? I know it does work, because it correctly announced a hold > up ahead, but is it an annual subscription thingummy? > > Both front indicator lenses have condensation in them, I wonder if > this is a common problem on these facelift models? I'm glad you're pleased it with it Harry. The Traffic Master system is subscription free and is very useful in warning you of hold-ups ahead. I frequently use it on the approach to the M6 toll road to decide if to stay on the M6 and go through Birmingham - or pay to go on the toll road. Yes - the facelift models do have a problem with condensation in the vertical front indicators. It only happened on one of mine - the nearside. Having removed and dried it out a few times, I determined that water was getting in through the heat-sealed joint between the clear plastic lens, and the black plastic rear of the unit. I used polystyrene cement from a plastic model kit and ran it all around the joint - that solved it for good. The indicators clip into place using spring clips which are built into the units and, if I remember correctly, the official method is to withdraw them from the rear which means dropping the under engine cover and is very fiddly. They can, however, be just prised out from the front with a screwdriver. They do have a plastic lug that hooks upwards behind the bumper and I broke mine off the first time I pulled it out this way. Fortunately, this doesn't appear to have had any effect upon the indicator's ability to stay correctly located in place. Before I managed the permanent fix, I removed and replaced the unit several times this way in order to dry it out with a hair-dryer. I think the official setting for the rear parking sensors is 14". I know now that when the continuous signal sounds, I can still move back a few inches if I need to. When I had my caravan tow bar fitted, the idiot didn't include an over-ride on the parking sensor - so whenever I am reversing my caravan I have the sensor sounding continuously - which is a bit annoying! I got a quote for having this fixed but then decided I'd rather just put up with the noise for the short time I'm reversing the 'van. I don't have the hi-line sat nav so I can't give you any comments on that. -- Kev
From: Harry Bloomfield on 29 May 2010 03:21 Ret. was thinking very hard : > Before I managed the permanent fix, I removed and replaced the unit several > times this way in order to dry it out with a hair-dryer. Thanks for that, I'll have a go at sorting it then. It can't be doing them any good with all of that moisture in there. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: Harry Bloomfield on 29 May 2010 03:42
Ret. pretended : > When I had my caravan tow bar fitted, the idiot didn't include an over-ride > on the parking sensor - so whenever I am reversing my caravan I have the > sensor sounding continuously - which is a bit annoying! I got a quote for > having this fixed but then decided I'd rather just put up with the noise for > the short time I'm reversing the 'van. It sounds as if he installed a basic 'fit all' relay system - You need the full car specific CAN-bus unit to sort that out, plus the fog lights and make the lamp failure thingummy detect failures on the caravan etc.. I ordered the last one that Towsure had in stock for collection this morning - �119.95. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk |