Whatever next?

[Burnerman]

But how does the engine know and tell you the oil has been degraded and needs changing? If your car uses EOLYS fluid ,is this avoided?
As they used to say, if you don't ask questions, you never learn....

As the intention is to reduce the oxides of nitrogen, manufacturers commonly use either Eolys or Adblue .....they produce the same effect but work in different ways and (as far as I know) you don't mix the systems.
Oils degraded with diesel need to be changed.....I believe modern trucks use oil analysis gear as shown by SFK. For mere mortals like us, we are on our own as many Ford and Mazda owners may testify.
Oil blenders like Millers will give you an analysis on your oil, for a fee.
John

 

[Avocet]

Article in Car Mechanics magazine about timing belts / chains. I didn't know Ford developed timing belts running in oil 10 years ago. Apparently teeth fall off the belts and can get into the pump....
And BMW have engines where the timing chain is at the flywheel end so you have to remove the engine to change the chain...
Where do they think these things up?

They shouldn't be working on making timing chains easy to change, they should be working on making them unnecessary to have to change! There may be other advantages to puttting it at the flywheel end, possibly from a packaging point of view, or maybe because it won't see the fluctuating loads that it would see at the other end of the engine due to crank "whip"? It's hard to say why they'd do something like that, but they wouldn't do it just for the fun of it. There's nothing new under the sun anyway, the Citroen DS had a conventional timing chain at the front of the engine, so they just installed the whole engine the wrong way round with the gearbox at the front and the timing case hard up against the bulkhead to make sure you still had to take the engine and box out do change the timing chain!

 

[Avocet]

More engines without sump drain plugs - like some Mercs and Smarts, maybe
John

That's just cost-saving though - plus no more stripped or leaky sump plugs, I suppose! That's just because oil extractors are more readily available now and oils are thinner.

 

[Avocet]

The days of DIY servicing are over. I haven't even found the oil filter on my present car after 6 months. I suspect it might be visible if I pulled off the undertray. It's got an electronic oil level indicator and I wish it had a manual one I could check to reassure myself. I'd like to return to the early 80's with carburettors, no ECUs and timing belts as easy to change as on a Ford Pinto engine.

It's a nice idea but with the number of cars on the road today and the number of miles they do, you'd also have to be willing to return to air quality like Beijing or Delhi! PErsonally, I hate carbs! I still have one on my lawnmower, just to remind me what horrible things they are. I'd be happy with the early Bosch L Jetronic or Motronic injection systems. I think there was a "golden age" in the late '80s and early '90s where the technology was robust but relatively simple. Trouble is, they were still filthy by today's standards.

 

[Avocet]

Some cars can tell you when the oil has been degraded by diesel following failed attempts at DPF regeneration. How does that work? Does the sump become overfull or does it know the oil has been diluted?

There are oil quality sensors but I think mostly they just "infer" that the oil needs changing from other data. So in other words, the ECU will notice several failed regenerations plus a management warning light and decide "oh well, he's probably going to need to change his oil too".

 

[Avocet]

As the intention is to reduce the oxides of nitrogen, manufacturers commonly use either Eolys or Adblue .....they produce the same effect but work in different ways and (as far as I know) you don't mix the systems.
Oils degraded with diesel need to be changed.....I believe modern trucks use oil analysis gear as shown by SFK. For mere mortals like us, we are on our own as many Ford and Mazda owners may testify.
Oil blenders like Millers will give you an analysis on your oil, for a fee.
John

No Eolys has nothing to do with reducing Oxides of Nitrogen. It just helps to regenerate the particulate filter by lowering the temperature at which the soot starts to burn. It's not an "either / or" situation. Most current PSA diesel cars have both Eolys AND AdBlue, because they're there to do do different jobs.

 

[Burnerman]

I'm expecting a new Peugeot Bipper van imminently - euro 6 1.3 diesel. Wondering what system that has!
John

 

[Avocet]

I'm expecting a new Peugeot Bipper van imminently - euro 6 1.3 diesel. Wondering what system that has!
John

Is it brand new and unregistered? (I only ask because if it's "new-to-you" it ccould of course be older than the current ones). I don't know whether it uses AdBlue or not, but I could ask Mr. Peugeot! It's a Fiat Qubo really. There's more than one "Euro 6" unfortunately. SOME small engines can meet the "Euro 6a" requirements without AdBlue, using a "Lean NOx trap". I know the Ford Connects can do this at present. But they'll all need AdBlue from September 2018. No diesel is likely to meet those limits without it. It will have a particulate filter and (Prety certain) it will use Eolys though.

 

[Burnerman]

Yep, its spankers on a 67 plate - when it arrives from Arnold Clark! As far as I gather its only the 1.6 litre engines and over that require adblue (called blueline, I believe).
I'll have a hunt around when it gets here and see what's what.
John

 

[Avocet]

OK, I'll ask Peugeot tomorrow.

 

[Burnerman]

Cheers - I appreciate that!
I know these things are made in a Fiat factory in Turkey (both of which go against my grain) But it will be my last van. It's in professional trim, A/C and metallic for £7695 + vat which is for nowt really.
John

 

[DaveHerns]

I think there was a "golden age" in the late '80s and early '90s where the technology was robust but relatively simple.

What about going back to 1986? I'm thinking of a Sierra XR4x4 and I'm sure it was advertised as having more power in it's computer than an early space rocket. Anyone remember this ?

 

[Avocet]

Cheers - I appreciate that!
I know these things are made in a Fiat factory in Turkey (both of which go against my grain) But it will be my last van. It's in professional trim, A/C and metallic for £7695 + vat which is for nowt really.
John

It is absolutely staggering how they can do it for the money! Cars are DIRT cheap in real terms now. I think back to when I was born in the mid 1960s, your average annual income would be about £900 - which was also about the average price of a new car. Even a cheap car like a Mini was about £600, I think!

 

[Avocet]

What about going back to 1986? I'm thinking of a Sierra XR4x4 and I'm sure it was advertised as having more power in it's computer than an early space rocket. Anyone remember this ?

I thought the XR 4x4 used the Bosch mechanical injection system? Was that the "K jetronic"?

 

[Avocet]

Cheers - I appreciate that!
I know these things are made in a Fiat factory in Turkey (both of which go against my grain) But it will be my last van. It's in professional trim, A/C and metallic for £7695 + vat which is for nowt really.
John

OK, Spoke to him. NO the Qubo does NOT yet use AdBlue. They can get the Euro 6 limits just by using a Lean NOx Trap. But yes, it still has Eolys - though you shouldn't need to top it up for 70-odd thousand miles.