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IMO, using a car only for short trips of a couple of miles is the equivilant of walking a dog and not letting it off the leash, and expecting it to be superfit.
It's also incredibly damaging to the environment.
Go out on the motorway for a couple of junctions to let the engine clear itself out, then see if it gets better.
qapmoc - i've only had the beast a little while. it was the best i could afford, (and apart from the mpg, has proved splendid for the price) and unfortunately it didn't come with a full service history...so, thanks for your contribution, but F.... Me, *how* patronising are *you*? GOOD GRIEF!
and as for you, SHOLAY, I **know** short trips are worse than long trips for the environment than long trips, but that's how long it takes me to get to work, and i'm beggared if i'm about to start cycling to work down unlit backroads at half blinking six in the morning before working a twelve hour shift managing the criminally insane. HAVE A HEART! Next time i'll look for a job that's either (a) 50 miles down the motorway, or (b) within walking distance, as i now humbly realise distance should be the only jobseach criterion in this bouyant employment environment.
as for the fit dog claptrap - words fail me! THE QUESTION wasn't "why isn't my car performing better" it was "d'ya think a service'll help?" i'm not after miracles, i'm after advice. WHICH, of course, you then go on to offer. Cheers for that final sentence.
as for you, qapmoc, you appall me.
Hi Trillipse, well thanks for the personal assessment, I get the feeling that maybe you are taking out your frustration with your car on us. maybe you should have mentioned in your original question all the things you said later about recent aquisition, no service history, etc.. etc... because in that case my answer would have been to service it ASAP especially making sure that the air filter is changed and to get the ignition timing checked out as well, make sure that the tyres are kept up to the correct pressure, make sure that the car rolls with the brakes off, as a sticking brake can increase the fuel consumption but not show up the heating effect on short trips, make sure that the choke mechanism is returning to the normal position when the engine has warmed up.
And by the way the advice from sholay about a trip on the motorway was meant as serious advice I am sure, because an older car which has been used for short trips for years can get the engine ''gunged up'' with carbon and stuff and a good hard drive on the motorway will heat it up and clear it out and it might then be much better for almost no cost.
I'd definately take it for a good long run on the motorway, and give it some stick! It'll help clean the sh-t out!
A service is always a good thing to have, but on a car that age the mpg will be a bit lower anyway. My old fiesta (n reg 1.3 petrol) was pretty good mpg wise, probably 35 mpg (thats an estimate!)
You're lucky it hasn't rotted away underneath you if my fiesta was anything to go by! All the sills were rotten, the suspension mounts were rotted it was burning oil and mixing water aswel! But it never EVER broke down! Well worth the �500 I payed for it for a years trouble free driving.
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