A new (to me) medium van....

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Bit of a confusing update...I called the Nissan deal to check a few bits (mainly towing capacity)...and ended up buying the Nissan Primastar!! They had one in stock and I just thought sod it!

I went for the 170bhp Tekna auto...need the auto as my knee can't cope with a manual.

 

[GRW]

Bit of a confusing update...I called the Nissan deal to check a few bits (mainly towing capacity)...and ended up buying the Nissan Primastar!! They had one in stock and I just thought sod it!

I went for the 170bhp Tekna auto...need the auto as my knee can't cope with a manual.

The very old (2007) Primastar was essentially the same van as the Renault Trafic & Vauxhall Vivaro (old workplace had an 07 Primastar from new, & it did starship miles and lugged weight & got neglected and just kept on trucking - cracking van).
I hope yours is at least half as tough (though I severely doubt it is I'm sorry to say)

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I hope yours is at least half as tough (though I severely doubt it is I'm sorry to say)

Sadly the way of modern things unfortunately...my reading suggests it has a chain driven engine which is one good thing.

It's definitely based on the Renault Traffic...from what I read the underlying van has a good chunk of the European market (less so in the UK).

The Ford Transit Custom was the second choice (petrol phev)...on paper it looks excellent but there's added complexity plus the phev getting hit with per mile charges worried me.

 

[GRW]

Sadly the way of modern things unfortunately...my reading suggests it has a chain driven engine which is one good thing.

It's definitely based on the Renault Traffic...from what I read the underlying van has a good chunk of the European market (less so in the UK).

The Ford Transit Custom was the second choice (petrol phev)...on paper it looks excellent but there's added complexity plus the phev getting hit with per mile charges worried me.

A pity you can't just get a plain petrol one.

The BEV/Hybrid stuff has always left me cold, & environmentally and technologically they've never stood up to scrutiny & made any sense to me (I.e . A hybrid - make a car cart around a heavy battery load permanently, then fit it with a mickey mouse ICE to haul all that weight about AND recharge that battery lump, which will itself drag the hefty pile around for a few low speed miles).

Now, the advance warning, soften-the -blow leak is that Rachel Thieves is going to add the 1st slap that is VED with a 2nd Belt in the Gob - of 3ppm Pay-per-Mile. No surprise to the wise - govts are like drug-dealers - sell it cheap to get you on the hook, then.......

 

[Wedg1e]

We have a few Peugeot Partners and a Citroen Berlingo.

Citroen have just sent us a recall notice for accelerated wear on camchains.
Apparently they will do a software update to correct it by increasing the oil pressure

 

[m_c]

We have a few Peugeot Partners and a Citroen Berlingo.

Citroen have just sent us a recall notice for accelerated wear on camchains.
Apparently they will do a software update to correct it by increasing the oil pressure

1.5 engine has major problems with the cam shaft chain failing.
Stellantis tried blaming it on wrong oils being used, then they changed the oil spec, then they fairly quietly released a modified cam box/chain setup, while still maintaining any failures were due to incorrect oil being used.
Current status is they've extended the warranty period for cam chain failure, updated ECM software to maintain higher oil pressure (most modern diesels have variable oil pressure for efficiency reasons), and I think some have actually been recalled for new cam boxes.

Current booking times for most Stellantis dealers is being measured in months, due to the backlog of recalls (they've also got the major do not drive airbag recall ongoing), and 1.5 engine'd vehicles needing new engines, probably along with quite a few 1.2 petrols needing engines as they also have a tendancy to self destruct, oh and all the 2.0 vans going bang.
We had a brand new Boxer delivered with a Traction Control fault, and it took over 2 months to get it on the road.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Well I'm glad I ordered the Nissan I think!...although probably just as many issues I'm sure.

I was really surprised with the feedback I saw on the Ford Transit PHEV ....but I guess Ford sells huge numbers of vans and there's probably lots of folk who don't have any issues at all.

 

[m_c]

The Nissan's just a rebadged Renault Trafic.

Trafic/last gen Vivaro were OK vans, however they generally didn't stand up too well to typical van drivers.
Classic French designed to last out with warranty, before lots of niggly issues. Things like door handles failing, sliding door going out of alignment and not closing (Stellantis replicated this feature perfectly!), rear doors that would bend the pillar if caught by the wind (I've still got the block of wood in my tool box sized for bending them back!).
You'll have the 2.0, but the old 1.6 was pushed that little bit too hard in them, and turbos were a regular failure, along with cooked engines as they still kept going with full power even when overheating (they had a few common issues with coolant leaks).

I was chatting to somebody who had a PHEV Custom, and he had no regrets buying it.
He'd just driven up from Wrexham, and was averaging over 40mpg.
It was his second Custom, having had 3 Transporters previously, which had given him no end of problems.

Online always skews views on things.
I seen a facebook post recently about somebody complaining that their Custom had exploded (quite literally, as having remove the gearbox, it'd cracked the engine block!) and how they were getting no support from Ford, along with all the usual comments about that it had to have been caused by the wet belt failing. A quick look at their post history revealed one about how happy they were with the van since they had it remapped to over 200bhp

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

He'd just driven up from Wrexham, and was averaging over 40mpg.

The stats are impressive on it...it's a petrol too (chain driven too)!

What put me off was a lot of reviews about issues with the 12v batteries and chargers etc. The electrics with the phev are going to be complex...I decided just stick with a nice 2.0 diesel with a chain!

 

[Wedg1e]

1.5 engine has major problems with the cam shaft chain failing.
Stellantis tried blaming it on wrong oils being used, then they changed the oil spec, then they fairly quietly released a modified cam box/chain setup, while still maintaining any failures were due to incorrect oil being used.
Current status is they've extended the warranty period for cam chain failure, updated ECM software to maintain higher oil pressure (most modern diesels have variable oil pressure for efficiency reasons), and I think some have actually been recalled for new cam boxes.

Current booking times for most Stellantis dealers is being measured in months, due to the backlog of recalls (they've also got the major do not drive airbag recall ongoing), and 1.5 engine'd vehicles needing new engines, probably along with quite a few 1.2 petrols needing engines as they also have a tendancy to self destruct, oh and all the 2.0 vans going bang.
We had a brand new Boxer delivered with a Traction Control fault, and it took over 2 months to get it on the road.

Yes, the notification we got said they will 'listen to the chain', increase the oil viscosity, reprogram the EMU 'to increase oil pressure' (oil pressure relief valve controlled by engine management?! ) and if all else fails, they'll replace the chain guides. Apparently there's a mobile phone app involved, but I couldn't see for laughing by that point.

Reminds me of a job we were involved with getting on for 20 years ago when 'a large international car maker' asked how they could pick out defective newly-cast cylinder heads for their next-generation engine before they wasted time machining them and found they were full of cavities and cracks.
So two blokes spent 6 months working 12 hour shifts scanning the heads with an ultrasonic flaw detector, letting the good ones pass to production while the duff ones went back in the crucible. Or at any rate most of them did...
Of course the fault was down to the design of the casting dies, which obviously needed more runners and risers for the alloy to flow through... but they admitted they'd costed the tooling change and it was cheaper to pay the two blokes than to do the job properly.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Just one more sleep and then I collect the new van...very exciting .

I feel like it's Christmas eve
...and Santa got my letter about not wanting any more socks

 

[premmington]

Sadly the way of modern things unfortunately...my reading suggests it has a chain driven engine which is one good thing.

It's definitely based on the Renault Traffic...from what I read the underlying van has a good chunk of the European market (less so in the UK).

The Ford Transit Custom was the second choice (petrol phev)...on paper it looks excellent but there's added complexity plus the phev getting hit with per mile charges worried me.

My understanding is: Pay per mile - eVED is just for cars not vans. See quote below...

"Reacting to the Budget, Mike Nakrani, CEO of fleet electrification company VEV, said: “The decision made in the Budget to exclude electric commercial fleet vehicles from eVED is a smart and welcome move. It recognises the essential role fleets play in the UK economy and removes an unnecessary cost barrier for operators looking to go electric."

 

[premmington]

1.5 engine has major problems with the cam shaft chain failing.
Stellantis tried blaming it on wrong oils being used, then they changed the oil spec, then they fairly quietly released a modified cam box/chain setup, while still maintaining any failures were due to incorrect oil being used.
Current status is they've extended the warranty period for cam chain failure, updated ECM software to maintain higher oil pressure (most modern diesels have variable oil pressure for efficiency reasons), and I think some have actually been recalled for new cam boxes.

Current booking times for most Stellantis dealers is being measured in months, due to the backlog of recalls (they've also got the major do not drive airbag recall ongoing), and 1.5 engine'd vehicles needing new engines, probably along with quite a few 1.2 petrols needing engines as they also have a tendancy to self destruct, oh and all the 2.0 vans going bang.
We had a brand new Boxer delivered with a Traction Control fault, and it took over 2 months to get it on the road.

Stellantis "special"... I give you the 1.5 DV5RC engine.

We seen multiple brand new vehicles used as Taxis/vans get to sub 50.000miles - engines explode - returned back to dealers under warranty - got brand new engines fitted after months of waiting time/negotiation (some with 50% monetary contributions from owners). ONLY to go bang again after another two years and another sub 50k.

1.5 engine is just not fit for purpose... Do the maths - two brand new factory/dealer supplied engines in less than 80k.

Everyone that has been recovered into here has been a "catastrophic failure" - bottom ends - turbo feeding coolant into intake - or cylinder head "fragmentation" - thats so many bits broken - when you take the rocker cover off - you can't work out what went first.

We yet to find an engine remanfacturer that does these - so thats no exchange engines from anybody reputable.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I went for the Nissan Primastar 2.0 diesel...which (hopefully) has a chain!

I did look at the EV vans but they're just not there yet I think....and quite expensive.

 

[premmington]

I went for the Nissan Primastar 2.0 diesel...which (hopefully) has a chain!

I did look at the EV vans but they're just not there yet I think....and quite expensive.

M9R714 engine - has a camchain - plus another chain driving oil pump - cam to cam drive is by a set of gears (not another chain).

Renault engine - early versions were fitted to Mercs and called a OM699

 

[GRW]

PPM now being drip-fed in, so EV & Hybrid hit with it..... to begin with. Once it is established, the precedent set, it is a certainty that roll-out across all vehicle types will follow over time.

It is unsurprising that Business/Fleet vans are (for now) exempt. Just as with EV bribes to Businesses - it's a bribe to encourage adoption of fleets etc. These vehicles then displace ICE in the used marketplace - so the plan is for a slow, steady but relentless push to replace ICE through removal of choice for the used market.

My fervent hope - is that business & private buyers finally, FINALLY catch on - and refuse the short-term bribe, knowing the long-term won't be worth the bribe. At some point surely the penny has to drop?

EV & Hybrid Sales need to Tank IMO. Utterly implode. The message needs to be unequivocal - that PPM on top of all the other taxation we pay is unacceptable.
(Along with all the other inadequacies & our ageing, failing & iffy "Renewables" Energy"strategies" it should be an easy decision - or should be at least).

 

[dobbslc]

Stellantis "special"... I give you the 1.5 DV5RC engine.

We seen multiple brand new vehicles used as Taxis/vans get to sub 50.000miles - engines explode - returned back to dealers under warranty - got brand new engines fitted after months of waiting time/negotiation (some with 50% monetary contributions from owners). ONLY to go bang again after another two years and another sub 50k.

1.5 engine is just not fit for purpose... Do the maths - two brand new factory/dealer supplied engines in less than 80k.

Everyone that has been recovered into here has been a "catastrophic failure" - bottom ends - turbo feeding coolant into intake - or cylinder head "fragmentation" - thats so many bits broken - when you take the rocker cover off - you can't work out what went first.

We yet to find an engine remanfacturer that does these - so thats no exchange engines from anybody reputable.

I think that's the engine in my new Vauxhall Combo van
Oh well a new one is only a phone call away...

 

[Anguz]

I think that's the engine in my new Vauxhall Combo van
Oh well a new one is only a phone call away...

It's what's in mine as well. That's in for it's recall next monday

 

[Anguz]

Only the check up for now... not failed yet...and fairly low milage

 

[dobbslc]

It amazes me that so many european manufacturers are now constantly producing such utter craap and haven't learnt that it's doing them huge reputational and financial damage
They need to kick the pen pushers out of the design office asap.
The Japanese and Koreans must be laughing there arses off!