Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

[myglaren]

I thought that freshly done washing was supposed to smell nice!

The washing powder and the fabric conditioner have synthetic fragrances that have aldehydes in them. Violently allergic to them. As well as most cleaning materials, perfumes, deodorants, antiperspirants, air fresheners and most of all fag smoke.
They all stink!

[ozfrog]

The washing powder and the fabric conditioner have synthetic fragrances that have aldehydes in them. Violently allergic to them. As well as most cleaning materials, perfumes, deodorants, antiperspirants, air fresheners and most of all fag smoke.
They all stink!

I also avoid the cleaning aisle in the supermarket.

But you must live on top of your neighbours if you can smell the washing that strongly. I don’t envy you one bit.

[myglaren]

Indeed, they are all quite close, houses arranged in a tight circle at the back where the washing is hung out.

Winter is no better when they vent the tumble dryer into the street.

[mickthemaverick]

Sitrep - Current outside temp 29, against a max of 31 during the day. Inside bedroom which has been one degree less than outside for the last few days is now 24. so 5 below the outside and only gained 2 from my earlier reading, presumably due to the outside max.

I've enhanced the labels for clarity

[myglaren]

Outside: South facing, 29°, North facing 19.5°, indoors 20.5°.

[MattBLancs]

Interesting "off topics" folks - sorry to hear of your allergies Myglaren. I'm not allergic but am pleased fag smoke in particular seems to be getting rarer nowadays.

Glad the blackout silver faced kit is working well Mick, might seek some of that out myself.

This morning a bit of a (nicely air conditioned) ride in the courtesy Qashqai with my boys and Aunty then, PM I jumped into the very much not air conditioned (presently, it's on the list to get this function back!) Grey 308 SW, dropping my wife and the boys off at local swimming baths, then on to my Gran's bungalow where front and back lawns have had "No Mow May" and quite a bit more beside!

Nigh on a full trailer of grass clippings brought back with us. All compost bins (4 of them!) now topped off brim full and a bit of a pile back of the garden too.

Petrol mower hasn't run in maybe a couple of years = first pull of the string, off it goes! Nice!
This cast off was being chucked by next door neighbour due to fuel leak and not running well. Carb bowl has a seal where its fixing bolt passes through the bottom of the bowl, getting that reshaped so the seal had a flat surface to seal against sorted the leak. I can't remember adjusting the carb much but it runs well. Think it's about a decade into it's "second life" with me!

[PaulC5]

The black out blinds look promising, might have to invest in some.

So I am not the only one who has to avoid perfumes or I suffer hay fever like symptoms. I have to avoid going in some shops like Boots and Superdrug and others that have perfume counters as the smell sticks to clothes. Fortunately Asda do own brand soap without any smell, Surcare laundry liquid does not smell and Waitrose do washing up liquid without any smell. I have yet to find any cleaning stuff without perfumes. We recently bought a new vac and registered it with Vax for the warranty and they asked what my favourite perfume was for cleaning agents. My reply was I am allergic to perfumes so if they could make some without perfume it would be good.

[CitroJim]

The washing powder and the fabric conditioner have synthetic fragrances that have aldehydes in them. Violently allergic to them. As well as most cleaning materials, perfumes, deodorants, antiperspirants, air fresheners and most of all fag smoke.
They all stink!

I also avoid the cleaning aisle in the supermarket.

But you must live on top of your neighbours if you can smell the washing that strongly. I don’t envy you one bit.

I have the same problems. I have to choose my laundry products with great care due to the 'fragrance' they all seem to have to the nth degree. I just wish they'd do an unscented one. Ditto screenwash. Why does it have to smell like rancid blackberries or whatever it claims to smell like

I too avoid the detergents aisle in the supermarket and make only very brief excursions into it when iIabsolutely must...

On the blackout blinds subject, it's now time for all UK houses to have proper shutters... I've lived in houses overseas with such devices and they are great.

[myglaren]

Covid did me a favour. I find that the N95 masks with the activated charcoal filters diminish the problem in shops and in public considerably. Need to source some more, keep losing them.

[mickthemaverick]

Coming up today: https://www.i-bidder.com/en-gb/auction- ... 7f00f294c6

[MattBLancs]

Coming up today: https://www.i-bidder.com/en-gb/auction- ... 7f00f294c6

Automatic and SUV - I'm out, sorry!

[MattBLancs]

On the depressing assumption a "it's being written off" phonecall is at this point mere days away, here's the outline research conducted so far:

Note: not sorted in order of preference, just an unedited "brain dump"

Spoiler: show

308 SW

2016 Peugeot 308 SW
2.0 BlueHDi GT Line Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
£2,700
Boring gray
No Glass roof
148 k miles
No mention of history
St Helens - 23 miles, 30 minutes away
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... roduct=PCP


2017 Peugeot 308 SW 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
£5,400 KJ17 NFU
Rotherham 59 miles
Lovely metallic red
NO glass roof - though description says it does!?!
90 k miles
2017 Red Peugeot 308 SW for sale for £5,400 in ROTHERHAM, SOUTH YORKSHIRE https://share.google/tXYfrjQOW58xmCBnN

ANOTHER RED ONE:
2016 Red Peugeot 308 SW for sale for £4,990 in BIRMINGHAM, WARWICKSHIRE B19 2YT

CU66OYR https://share.google/Heav1FWRKa7dMXVVV
Towbar
102 k miles
£30 road tax (err £20??)
Timing belt done
Full service history
No glass roof
MOT history fine
Birmingham: 102 miles, 1.5 hours away
Newtown Autos Ltd “Newtown Autos Ltd is open Monday-Friday 10:00-19:00, Sunday 11:00-20:00 and Saturday 10:00-20:00.”
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true


2015 Blue Peugeot 308 SW for sale for £5,595 in WIRRAL, MERSEYSIDE https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 6flrfc%3D1

Also on eBay, same price https://ebay.io/m/JTaUmt
Magnetic blue
28 miles away
86 k miles
Road tax £
Claims glass roof but isn't.
Different wheels
No mention of service history, no mention of timing belt change.
NUMBERPLATE HIDDEN

508 SW

2012 Peugeot 508 SW 2.0 HDi Active Euro 5 5dr
£1,995 Burnley 30 minutes away
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 6flrfc%3D1
Towbar
Lowly Active trim
Glass roof
pale blue
Euro 5
Road tax £170
112k miles
Passenger front door dented
MOT history good KR12NVJ
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true

2014 Peugeot 508 SW Allure
£1500 Northampton 2.5 hours away
https://ebay.io/m/2rSLT1
185 k miles!
Allure spec
Road tax £170
Dark blue
MOT till October
MOT history is ok KS63TVF
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true




2016 PEUGEOT 508
Peugeot 508 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line Estate 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (150 ps)
£5,495 BC65HTD
Drab (but as exciting as they did for 508) Egyptian blue
Glass roof
Road tax £20
Electric/ massage? Seats
89k miles
Northwich 40 miles away.
Open 9-5 M-F, 9-4 Sat, shut Sunday
12 month MOT, warranty, breakdown cover apparently
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing ... VsQAvD_BwE
12 month MOT actually NO current MOT!
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true
Broken spring and advisory for (low) tyres in June 26 test.
Dead CV boot in 25 test.


2016 Peugeot 508 SW 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
£3,995 ST66OMY
Burnley bb12 0dd
Open M-S 9-4, Sun 10-12
Road tax £20
Drab grey
Not till end of July 26
Glass roof
Rust spot boot opening
Rust edge of wing
113k miles
Full service history
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 6flrfc%3D1
MOT history ok: https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true
ST = originally registered in Dundee

White 2017 GT LINE
https://ebay.io/m/UHYyfA
£2995
Birmingham, 2 hours away
Glass roof
144k miles
CF17JYH
MOT history fine
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true




Gosh, it's cheap!
2013 Peugeot 508 SW 2.0 HDi SR Euro 5 5dr
£1,289
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 6flrfc%3D1
Keighley 35 miles away
181k miles
“Huge spec” TRANSLATION sat Nav!
Euro 5

Also cheap:
2015 Peugeot 508 SW 2.0 BlueHDi Allure Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
£2,000 “water leak, runs and drives”
White
Black wheels
Glass roof
West Bromwich 87 miles away
Water is leaking, engine gearbox seems ok no discounts


Previous generation 308 SW

https://ebay.io/m/1qdfZ1
2021 308 SW allure 2.0 HDi
Halifax, £1800
Road tax £200 (Vs 1.6 CY61BJE = £170)
Silver
Might have towbar (not mentioned but you can see it!)
MOT history ok but due in August BL12ZGF
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true
150k miles

OTHER IDEAS:

Citroen Grand Picasso

2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 2.0 BlueHDi Exclusive Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
£2,995 VE16 XTT
Drab blue
Black and grey interior
86k miles
Oldham 28 miles away

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 6flrfc%3D1


Similar:

2016 Peugeot 5008 2.0 BlueHDi Allure Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
£5,950
Bury 19 miles away
White with chavvy black wheels


2011 Peugeot 5008 2.0 HDi 150 Exclusive 5dr MPV Diesel Manual
£1695 KV11CFP
Lacquer peel on bonnet
Bright red
135k miles
About 2.5 hours away, south of Birmingham
Euro 5
July MOT
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true
rusty brake pipes, rusty springs, had a replacement subframe (??) presumably given a big fail on that in 2023.
https://ebay.io/m/Wqaugp

406 HDi estate with no MOT and dying alternator…
£299 Liverpool V552FSU (nearly a match with the 306 V654FSU!)
https://ebay.io/m/DRcRFN
Lacquer peel red,
towbar,
lowly LX trim,
198k miles!
110 bhp
Road tax (old system) £375!
Last MOT June 2023, clean pass.
Previous fails seem to have been rectified.
Corrosion in prescribed area in 2020 but (fixed as) unmentioned for 3 following years
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true

[MattBLancs]

Think I have ruled out the 5008 and Grand Picasso options.

[MattBLancs]

So quick summary of essentials:

• given how well the blue 308 has been in terms of mix of power (150 BHP / Lots of torque ) Vs economy (typically 55mpg or more over a tank full) the 2.0 HDi is my preference.
• Can't stand automatics, 6 speed manual please.
• Can't stand SUV, don't feel any benefit to the "high riding position" others seem to like!

Desirable:

• £20 road tax has been refreshing.
• Glass roof has been very nice, particularly with the black GT Line trim
• built in Sat Nav, though dated has been useful.
• Towbar would obviously take some load off the Grey 308 SW.
• Double edged sword: Euro 6 compliant for potential ULEZ zone expansions (with the downside of Adblue faults)

[PaulC5]

If you are not near any ULEZ areas then not having adblue is a bonus and if you only sometimes go into a ULEZ just pay the fee, it will be a lot cheaper.
Our 10 year old Cactus just had a urea fault - needed a new NOx sensor, exhaust pipe where it is connected and an injector. These cost £1680 at a dealer as I was unable to do the work but the parts alone were about £1200. If a copy exhaust pipe had been used it could have been around £400 less. It previously needed a new NOx sensor when almost 3 years old so they do not last, I think they suffer from water ingress to the electronics as they are underneath the car. They might also be repairable as there was a £60 surcharge noted on the bill but not paid as they kept the old one.