Why I won't be buying a new car anytime soon

Jim2

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Electric cars are not 100% pollution free...biggest fly in the ointment are of course the battery's...the carbon cost of their manufacture and eventual disposal is pretty big ( not as big as ICE car's of course) but it's not something that is overly discussed in the media...all the emphasis being on the "Green" aspect. For now at any rate....I will keep my 2010 E class w212 for as long as I can...presently it has 136701 miles done, on the OM651 engine....so despite the sometimes negative comments about this engine, I will service it regularly, and hope for the best. BTW, what is the max miles anyone on the forum has gotten with the OM651? They can't all be horror story's can they? And in the 2013, is it the same engine, or a different one??
 

Philedge

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Current figures tell an updated story, the UK Sustainable Electricity production is almost at parity with combined fossil and Nuclear power generation and is catching up very fast.

View attachment 52343

And if anyone chose to pay the premium, then Carbon Neutral electricity is available from all energy suppliers 24/7 https://octopus.energy/

Not sure where youve got those figures from but government figures for Q1 this year show 21% wind and 3% solar PV.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-section-6-renewables
 

Tony Dyson

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Dean Fletcher

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Electric cars are not 100% pollution free...biggest fly in the ointment are of course the battery's...the carbon cost of their manufacture and eventual disposal is pretty big ( not as big as ICE car's of course) but it's not something that is overly discussed in the media...all the emphasis being on the "Green" aspect. For now at any rate....I will keep my 2010 E class w212 for as long as I can...presently it has 136701 miles done, on the OM651 engine....so despite the sometimes negative comments about this engine, I will service it regularly, and hope for the best. BTW, what is the max miles anyone on the forum has gotten with the OM651? They can't all be horror story's can they? And in the 2013, is it the same engine, or a different one??
The amount of om651s made and the amount of stories you hear and quite different. I think there a good engine but they do have there niggles.
 

John Laidlaw

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Electric cars are not 100% pollution free...biggest fly in the ointment are of course the battery's...the carbon cost of their manufacture and eventual disposal is pretty big ( not as big as ICE car's of course) but it's not something that is overly discussed in the media...all the emphasis being on the "Green" aspect. For now at any rate....I will keep my 2010 E class w212 for as long as I can...presently it has 136701 miles done, on the OM651 engine....so despite the sometimes negative comments about this engine, I will service it regularly, and hope for the best. BTW, what is the max miles anyone on the forum has gotten with the OM651? They can't all be horror story's can they? And in the 2013, is it the same engine, or a different one??
I’m sure I’ve seen Steve@Avantgarde post that he’s got a few he services on 250k+??
 

ajlsl600

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Following the taxation trend suggested, I and I suppose most of my fellow "dirty diesel drivers" worry that successive governments will clobber us with fuel and road tax and when that causes ripples, I can see a tax on diesel insurance coming.

My S203 is properly maintained and she passed 100K some time ago. I put Redex diesel treatment in the fuel when filling (still not really sure whether it's truly scientific or just snake oil) and she starts first time every time etc. and it's still a smart and comfortable car. I've said before that I only drive a diesel because I was persuaded by the "waffle" that the cars of the time were so much cleaner and greener but now I'm just another pariah! Apart from enjoying the luxury of a newer car I have no real desire for a new set of wheels and as I'm in my mid/late 70's I'd rather keep what money we have in the bank.


to right, trying to hang onto savings is a constant battle not that i mind spending,but that i prefer to spend on what i want ,not want other want me to !!.
 

Rory

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Following the taxation trend suggested, I and I suppose most of my fellow "dirty diesel drivers" worry that successive governments will clobber us with fuel and road tax and when that causes ripples, I can see a tax on diesel insurance coming.

My S203 is properly maintained and she passed 100K some time ago. I put Redex diesel treatment in the fuel when filling (still not really sure whether it's truly scientific or just snake oil) and she starts first time every time etc. and it's still a smart and comfortable car. I've said before that I only drive a diesel because I was persuaded by the "waffle" that the cars of the time were so much cleaner and greener but now I'm just another pariah! Apart from enjoying the luxury of a newer car I have no real desire for a new set of wheels and as I'm in my mid/late 70's I'd rather keep what money we have in the bank.

I use the Redex stuff in mine too - have always done it in this car and I'm scared not to now!

I really only use it for long trips - did a 400 mile round trip this week and a good speed and showed low 50's MPG. I do feel it's probably worthless now though.
 

Jim2

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The amount of om651s made and the amount of stories you hear and quite different. I think there a good engine but they do have there niggles.
Exactly Dean..it's the troublesome one's you hear about on the Forum's..which is understandable !!! LOL But if I had to choose between Mercedes with the OM651 engine, and a BMW with the (infamous) N47, I would choose the Mercedes every time.
 

Jim2

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I’m sure I’ve seen Steve@Avantgarde post that he’s got a few he services on 250k+??
I'm pretty sure that he would have John. At the end of the day, Mercedes make a good engine, even if some are a little bit better than other's. I must try Google for "Higest Mlieage OM651 engine" and see what it turns up. The local indy I took it to for the electric connector for the transmission,recon's it should be good for 3-400'000 Klms. easily, if properly maintained. I hope to prove him right..........:)
 

LostKiwi

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I believe the highest mileage passenger engine is an OM616. Covered over 2.8 million miles...
 

Philedge

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I quoted Current spot figures from the National Grid, not historic quarterly figures, so I would expect to see discrepancies between the two, not so much that it would matter though in the bigger scheme of things.
Spot figures arent really representative unless you only charge your EV when the spot figures look good. Thats not likely to happen for the majority who'll be charging on fossil/ nuclear if the 25% green generation is taken up by essential users like hospitals/ schools/public transport etc.
 

LostKiwi

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Spot figures arent really representative unless you only charge your EV when the spot figures look good. Thats not likely to happen for the majority who'll be charging on fossil/ nuclear if the 25% green generation is taken up by essential users like hospitals/ schools/public transport etc.
Even at 25% green it's less than an internal combustion engine.
 

Philedge

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Even at 25% green it's less than an internal combustion engine.
I think you missed the point! The limited green leccy is used by essential services so theres none left for car charging. Until we have way more green generation, EVs are in the main, keeping the nuclear/ fossil fuel generation industry in business.
Only time this probably isnt the case is in the dead of night when the wind is blowing
 

d215yq

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Why does every green initiative want to coerce me to go and buy something when I have something already that has life left in it and have no need to waste resources replacing? I am not a climate change denier and if it's proven electric is a lot greener than combustion engines then by all means ban the sale of combustion engines in a few years (amongst the myriad of other things that cause a lot of CO2 as well). But then let the take up be gradual and natural and let people keep whatever they have until it's reached the end of its servicable life. The message should be "if you are going to get a new car then we recommend the elctric because dust to dust it's marginally better for the environment than an ICE car". Not "go out and replace your 5 yr old car with this new electric car because your 5 yr old car has started killing people in masses (even though 30 yrs ago far worse polluting ones didn't generally kill everyone and gas boilers are even worse for NOX) and it will be banned from cities soon, and because it's such a good idea we'll even give you tax payer's money that could be spent on NHS/Schools etc as a subsidy for it."

I know environmentalists get a bad name with these schemes but I think this is actually capitalists fault - if a car company wanted to be truly environmental rather than talking about emissions/energy consumption it would simply put out an advert stating it would keep selling parts for all its old models at a reasonable price and advise people not to bother with a new car unless totally necessary. But of course no company is going to pay for that!

It's why the only other thing people are conditioned to do is recycling - because recylcing is an economic activity in itself then it adds to GDP so is actively encouraged. But rather than reclaim the small percentage of energy from the waste packing/junk it would be much more environmental to not have packaging in the first place and keep fixing/using things and then just burn the small amount of waste left over/put it to landfill or wherever it goes. But there's no money in that...

I hope the OP can use and enjoy his car for a very long time but I'm not sure that will be allowed in the current climate
 

LostKiwi

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I think you missed the point! The limited green leccy is used by essential services so theres none left for car charging. Until we have way more green generation, EVs are in the main, keeping the nuclear/ fossil fuel generation industry in business.
Only time this probably isnt the case is in the dead of night when the wind is blowing
Where do you get that idea from that it's only used for essential services? I can sign up to a green energy provider who only provides from renewable sources. If they aren't providing renewable sources power but are charging for it then that's fraud.
Irrespective, it's no different to keeping the fossil fuel industry in business with an ICE car.
It may even be better in spite of carbon based fuel used for electric generation as the least efficient source is no worse than diesel (the most efficient ICE). Gas powered generation is nearly twice as efficient as any automotive ICE.

Your argument that electric cars are no better simply doesn't work.
 

ajlsl600

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I'm pretty sure that he would have John. At the end of the day, Mercedes make a good engine, even if some are a little bit better than other's. I must try Google for "Higest Mlieage OM651 engine" and see what it turns up. The local indy I took it to for the electric connector for the transmission,recon's it should be good for 3-400'000 Klms. easily, if properly maintained. I hope to prove him right..........:)


i think that with good oil changes there is every chance of making high miles.even on the om651 ,i read about a guy in the states with one in a van ? and still going at over 200k miles ,with only normal servicing.. i think that a lot of low mile failures are related to the extra stress of stop start, and a single row chain which i disable at every start. but thats just my belief and i am sticking with that,only time will tell. i still believe that benz use a lot of cheap ,to them ! shoddy electrical/electronic parts on the basis that most will make it thru the warranty and then be a "nice" revenue stream .
 

Jim2

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I believe the highest mileage passenger engine is an OM616. Covered over 2.8 million miles...
My God......that was some mileage...the OM616 has the be the best of the best of Mercedes engine's so. I remember on the Lebanese / Syrian border, lots of Mercede's cars.. of all types, and nothing unusual to see 1'000'000 + Klms on them. Those memories were one of the reasons that I decided to buy one when I came back home. Are they still producing and using this engine in the present day? Or if not, what's the next big mileage engine, currently in use? ( including car's built since 2010 or a bit earlier? )
 

LostKiwi

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Dean Fletcher

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