CSL Ownership: Two Weeks In

**Great Pretender** · 29-06-2010, 02:16 PM

OK, so I've had my CSL for two weeks now and I'm still smiling

Last week I took the car on a jaunt round Scotland, taking in the Doune Hillclimb too (spectating of course). Needless to say, the combination of our more scarcely populated mountain roads, that induction note and the aggressive chassis was an intoxicating mix. I'm very happy with the car and I certainly don't feel short-changed compared with the GT3; a car that despite its reputation for solidity, seemingly self-destructed at 25k. The CSL on the other hand - with double the mileage - still feels tight as a drum and is a real pleasure to throw down a favourite road.

The SMG has taken a bit of getting used to and it's certainly not perfect, but neither have I been inclined to do a 'Basil Fawlty' on the bonnet. I think it's fair to say that 'Auto' mode is hopeless though. My main gripe with the 'box (in auto mode) is its refusal to shift into first unless the car has more or less come to a halt - regardless of shift setting. Subsequently, roundabouts and junctions either need to be taken with a leap of faith by maintaining sufficient speed to avoid clutch slippage as the car pulls away in 2nd gear from 5mph, or by coming to a standstill (fine if there's traffic; embarrassing if it's clear). Given that I imagine Auto mode was designed with urban driving in mind, I see this as a major flaw. Secondly, I have noticed that short-shifting up through the box with more than half throttle applied (without lifting) produces a degree of 'slur' on occasion, but this is not evident at WOT/maximum revs. Is this a 'characteristic', or a sign that the clutch is on the way out (car has done 52k miles)?

I've also noticed that the water temp needle never quite sits in the middle and takes an unusually long time to reach that position (just to the left of the middle). I suspect the thermostat is kaput. In addition, I noticed a rumbling noise from the belt assembly area at idle. Could this be water pump related?

So the honeymoon period is over and there's potentially a couple of niggles, but just look at the thing; you could forgive it anything really

29-06-2010, 02:16 PM	#1
Great Pretender S3 - On the open road Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 109 Casino cash: $772	CSL Ownership: Two Weeks In OK, so I've had my CSL for two weeks now and I'm still smiling Last week I took the car on a jaunt round Scotland, taking in the Doune Hillclimb too (spectating of course). Needless to say, the combination of our more scarcely populated mountain roads, that induction note and the aggressive chassis was an intoxicating mix. I'm very happy with the car and I certainly don't feel short-changed compared with the GT3; a car that despite its reputation for solidity, seemingly self-destructed at 25k. The CSL on the other hand - with double the mileage - still feels tight as a drum and is a real pleasure to throw down a favourite road. The SMG has taken a bit of getting used to and it's certainly not perfect, but neither have I been inclined to do a 'Basil Fawlty' on the bonnet. I think it's fair to say that 'Auto' mode is hopeless though. My main gripe with the 'box (in auto mode) is its refusal to shift into first unless the car has more or less come to a halt - regardless of shift setting. Subsequently, roundabouts and junctions either need to be taken with a leap of faith by maintaining sufficient speed to avoid clutch slippage as the car pulls away in 2nd gear from 5mph, or by coming to a standstill (fine if there's traffic; embarrassing if it's clear). Given that I imagine Auto mode was designed with urban driving in mind, I see this as a major flaw. Secondly, I have noticed that short-shifting up through the box with more than half throttle applied (without lifting) produces a degree of 'slur' on occasion, but this is not evident at WOT/maximum revs. Is this a 'characteristic', or a sign that the clutch is on the way out (car has done 52k miles)? I've also noticed that the water temp needle never quite sits in the middle and takes an unusually long time to reach that position (just to the left of the middle). I suspect the thermostat is kaput. In addition, I noticed a rumbling noise from the belt assembly area at idle. Could this be water pump related? So the honeymoon period is over and there's potentially a couple of niggles, but just look at the thing; you could forgive it anything really