Lol, I was only thinking 4x4 because it would be used more for driving to weymouth, and also in bad weather when our roads are quite bad. It’ll probably just be a newer panda though. The other question is whether you go electric or hybrid, but there’s no charge points at work and I don’t do the mileage to sustain an electric car I don’t think.
Off Topic New Car ideas
- Thread starter Lorna87
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Off Topic New Car ideas
Like me.. the budget would get an old and tired electric car.. no better than your panda in real terms
We could have bought a NEW panda for £8400
A new Zooey is £24,000 and wouldnt get to Weymouth in 1 day.. it needs 9 hours of charging every 120 miles
Petrol again my dear..
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The 4x4 only drives the rear wheels when the conditions are slippery. If that is ice and snow you'll be going slowly anyway so the benefit for that alone is doubtful. Going up hill on ice and snow would be a different matter - 4x4 every time.
Mud and trails would benefit from the 4x4. If it's staying on road 100% of the time it really adds no value.
Saying that, some of the the 4x4 models are well styled (IMO) and that alone might swing your decision.
Mud and trails would benefit from the 4x4. If it's staying on road 100% of the time it really adds no value.
Saying that, some of the the 4x4 models are well styled (IMO) and that alone might swing your decision.
There is no electric option for the panda (or any fiat right now) the 500e is coming soon but starts at £20,000 for the lowest spec models.
The Hybrid is only a mild hybrid meaning there is no way (or need) to charge the car externally there is only a higher powered battery for spinning a drive belt connected starter which can help the car get off the line but the hybrids fiat make do not allow you to drive on electric power for more than a few feet hence “mild hybrid” the technology is rather pointless on something like a panda and makes the whole thing pretty expensive. Also likely to be above budget.
If you wanted a proper hybrid or something plug in. You’d need to get a more traditional hybrid like a PHEV Prius
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If you do enough miles and hate paying tax a conversion to LPG will save money. However on a Panda it could take a very long time to make the money back.
Winter Tyres. they seriously work.
Id be surprised if a normal car with winter tyres didnt out perform a 4x4 on normal roads. 4 wheel drive doesn't give you improved braking or improved steering.
Source: I live in the Pennines, we get slightly worse weather than the south coast
Post the year, model & mileage, and will give you a rough idea.
With older cars (6yrs+) you generally do better selling privately.
When the time comes, you can advertise it here for free.
You likely won't be offered much by the trade, but you should get a reasonable price if selling privately. Beware of deals involving invitingly high part exchange prices combined with a massively overpriced replacement car.
I'd give serious thought to keeping it for another couple of years. Eevn if it costs you £600 to fix the steering (and that budget should get you both a reconditioned column fitted by an independent garage, and a new battery), you'll be quids in.
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I didnt realise Poppy Panda was so 'young'
Should last a while longer... but still not worth much more than £700
Should last a while longer... but still not worth much more than £700
Gosh is that old dodge still on the go? We had a large - what today they call a "car supermarket" - about 2 miles down the road from one of the wee family garages (the DAF one actually) I worked in. That, the DAF garage, was the garage I tried to be a car salesman for and we would sometimes get customers who had been into us for a look at our stock (both new DAFs and a variety of used makes) and ended up in the "clutches" of them down the road. when I asked why they didn't buy from us the reply was usually that they got a better deal down the road. At first I used to ask and some would disclose their "good deal". The money offered for the trade in was indeed a fair bit more than I'd valued it at but the price paid for the new/used vehicle purchased sometimes made me gasp! It was then quite amusing to watch them filling it up at our pumps because it had been supplied to them with approximately a tea cup of fuel in the tank!
If I ever need to replace either our Panda or my boy's Punto EPS I would be sending the old one to someone like Western Power Steering or ECU Testing or one of the other specialists rather than buying from Fiat. I've read that these concerns upgrade certain components known to be the "weak links" and their guarantees are very good. Of considerable importance to me, as I'd be doing the spanner work myself, would be that when your unit is returned it's a "plug and play" replacement. Simply connect up the wiring and you're off. With a completely new (or maybe with an exchange unit?) I understand you will need to use your MES to get it working properly and I don't know how to do that.
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Pugglt...
I made a small how-to when I did mine. Removed the complete column and replaced the sensor. If you are very carefull (easier on the kitchentable then doing it in the car like the seller suggested) I didn't have to use MES to recalibrate.
Although I ordered the correct EML connector (green) for the PS, it took so long for it to arrive. So I have driven it for months without recalibrating before I took the time to plug it in. It made no noticeable difference.
I bet you could do it too. Probably with your eyes closed and one hand strapped to your back.
gr J
I made a small how-to when I did mine. Removed the complete column and replaced the sensor. If you are very carefull (easier on the kitchentable then doing it in the car like the seller suggested) I didn't have to use MES to recalibrate.
Although I ordered the correct EML connector (green) for the PS, it took so long for it to arrive. So I have driven it for months without recalibrating before I took the time to plug it in. It made no noticeable difference.
I bet you could do it too. Probably with your eyes closed and one hand strapped to your back.
gr J
Thank you A3. You make it sound pretty easy? Do you know if there's a thread - maybe like Andy Monty's cam belt guide - which describes the procedure, especially exactly how (step by step if possible) to use the MES when doing it?Pugglt...
I made a small how-to when I did mine. Removed the complete column and replaced the sensor. If you are very carefull (easier on the kitchentable then doing it in the car like the seller suggested) I didn't have to use MES to recalibrate.
Although I ordered the correct EML connector (green) for the PS, it took so long for it to arrive. So I have driven it for months without recalibrating before I took the time to plug it in. It made no noticeable difference.
I bet you could do it too. Probably with your eyes closed and one hand strapped to your back.
gr J
With regard to using MES more generally I'm getting on quite well with it (I think?) I'm pretty happy now doing things like looking for DTCs and then fault finding the components - often graphing sensor out puts etc - and checking wiring and connectors for continuity. There is one function which scares me quite a lot as the consequences of getting it wrong seem to be dire? that is Proxy Alignment. Luckily though I've not run into a situation where I've thought I might need to be doing it.
Sorry A3 I just saw you started your post with "I did a small how-to when I did mine" could you post a link to it? do you go into any detail about actually, step by step, using MES to achieve it? Thanks.
Had to use search myself
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/450554-picked-up-my-new-panda-but.html
MES is no hocus-pocus Jock. When you connect it you will have to choose the car you are working on (100HP for me). Then choose the unit you want to check (powersteering) and it will tell you if a adaptercable is needed (green for PS) then you click connect and ask for faultcodes. But in the menu are more options. One of them is recalibrate. Press Y and it will perform a recallibration.
Even I can do it
gr J
And please call me Jeroen. A3 is the name of a (non-existing) motorway in Holland.
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/450554-picked-up-my-new-panda-but.html
MES is no hocus-pocus Jock. When you connect it you will have to choose the car you are working on (100HP for me). Then choose the unit you want to check (powersteering) and it will tell you if a adaptercable is needed (green for PS) then you click connect and ask for faultcodes. But in the menu are more options. One of them is recalibrate. Press Y and it will perform a recallibration.
Even I can do it
gr J
And please call me Jeroen. A3 is the name of a (non-existing) motorway in Holland.
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