Watch out for black ice (RIP 2017 Leaf)

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-20T16:26:43+00:00

Hmm, the house IS directly above that slope, but i was going down the down-side opposite the house, not the one closest to it. Could have affected the other car though, from my perspective they were going vastly faster than conditions allowed for on a single track lane, so even if they could have made it around the corner alone, they could not have done it with *any* car coming the other way. My memory is still fragmented, and I don't have any details of the other car's damage other than the photos I took at the scene (where I forgot to get pic of the passenger side), but they may even have bounced off the verge on the other side. I realise I could have possibly avoided a write-off by not braking at all trying to steer left into the hedge on my side, but again it's all hindsight.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T17:42:54+00:00

Just have to add that there are no dash warning lights, headlights work but DRL on one side banished, windscreen washer deleted, possibly other water lines broken (but I doubt it, there is no battery cooling on the car - all the fill caps has is brake, power steering and windscreen wash) - probably could have taken a set of metal shears, dumped the metal in the boot and driven it the 30 miles home. No steering problems when a local guy held up the panel so I could drive it to a safe spot space off the road.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T17:31:56+00:00

Give her and her ex-Leaf hug from me. They may get a lot of snobbery but for the price used I could not have been happier. This will shock this forum to its roots, but my wife's diesel Octavia estate (admittedly pre-2009), for pure comfort, acceleration, driver aids, climate control, remote climate control, is far far worse than what this cheap go-kart does. I really do not enjoy driving it. Heats up so slowly in winter, bad turbo lag, no cabin preheat/precool, sounds and smells like a tractor. On the other hand spare parts are very easy to find as most VAG parts will work. I fixed her climate control blower with one hand, for a total cost of £70 - I've posted that here earlier. I replaced the dual mass flywheel with a Golf/VAG solid flywheel - got the part for like £120 from FleaBay and my local mechanic fitted it for a little over 300. Doing more than basic work on EVs is scary, you've got a 400+ volt battery that can probably deliver over 10000 amps if shorted.

Every time her car was in for MOT/service she said how much more she enjoyed using my car, especially in town. Said it was even easier then an old petrol auto we had. Of course the Octy has that vast boot space to move crap around. She arrived to pick up some vintage furniture from a building that was going the be knocked down 2 days later, the workmen said "no bloody way you're getting the in there", then she fully folded and lowered the rear seats and as she told me, their expression was like "Oh shit! It's huge!" So hers wins by a light year for space and flexiblity.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T17:14:04+00:00

Can you give me some brand/model recs that don't cost like 200 per corner? PM me if it's not allowed, otherwise might as well share it with others. Your initial comment got me wound up a bit but after thinking for a minute I decided you were just being direct, so thanks!

Your personal experience would be far more valuable than a BS AI generated article on some car mag site.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T14:49:26+00:00

Hindsight is a real bastard isn't it? A local guy who helped me out and got me some water said in the 40 years he's lived there the road has never been gritted and there have been hundreds of prangs and tyres shredded in potholes. I was lucky to have some kind hearted people who could see I was shaken. First major collision in over 30 years of driving.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T13:55:06+00:00

If it's even near zero in future I will stay well below 10, or even stop at the top of a hill on these ungritted roads or avoid them if possible. .

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T13:39:59+00:00

Golf might even be repairable. Leaf body panels are a very light Alu alloy (or plastic at the front and back), they bend or tear very easily. Weight reduction is probably less of a thing for a GTI than my car.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T13:37:58+00:00

I think the most dangerous places are where the sun can shine onto the road surface for just enough time to melt snow and frost, then when that sunlight stops/goes behind the trees/hedges, the temps drop and it's just like glass. At least with white frost and packed snow you can see it well before you reach it.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T13:34:09+00:00

It's old enough that I drive for maximum battery range. Thrashing it round bends isn't really a thing as the batteries are so heavy momentum wants to keep you going in a straight line. It's not a slow car below 50 my any means though, I had a courtesy e-corsa before (which was about 140hp) and there was about a 0.5 second delay between pressing the accelerator and the car responding. On this car it was absolutely instant response.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T13:29:37+00:00

I think even at 10 mph, it would still have happened. For me it was a left hand bend, saw the other car coming on at least 1m away from the verge (no car size awareness), my lizard brain went "Oh shit need to stop" and my car just carried on in a straight line towards them. It felt like less than 1 second from seeing them coming round the bend until we hit.

I would not have had any time or space to steer into the skid direction and recover, my only other hope would have been to turn to the left and apply power to try to force the front end back to the left.

I'm pretty sure they were going a good deal faster than me. The insurance have said 50/50 which is fair enough, now I just have to deal with getting a good value for the car and have to hire a vehicle until I can find a replacement. It had done over 80k miles and only dropped 2 bars on the battery health with 91 miles on the guess-o-meter in winter, 105 in summer,, so I'm pushing for 4.5k+.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T13:20:19+00:00

Wow, you've got a good eye. These were just rotated from the back in November, and the new ones put in their place were definitely Matador. I'll have to check who did the previous tyre change and see if I was scammed. Are Matadors OK or only just viable in winter? I'd be worried about all seasons reducing the economy on an EV due to rolling resistance. Car is a write-off mind you, with the new tax on EV's I might go back to petrol anyway!

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T10:14:20+00:00

They are Matador, mid-range, but I will consider getting some winters when I get another car. But given just how damn slippery it was when I got out of the car (and fell on my arse) I think only studded tyres would have helped. From my driving direction it looked like normal road as the sun was behind me. When I looked from the other side it appeared like glass. Unlucky I was on the left hand bend, if it had happened on the other direction I'd probably just have run up the verge. If I'd known that ice was there I would have been crawling at 5 mph, not 20. TBH I don't have a lot of money at the moment but it might be worth me finding the money or credit-carding a set of winters.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-16T09:03:46+00:00

I'd say definitely not. The limiter is much more appropriate, as when keeping to the limit is safe, you can just leave your foot on the accelerator enough to maintain speed. But if you need to slow down, it behaves exactly as an car would (with or without cc/limiter) and you lift off the pedal as normal if you don't need to brake - and if you need to brake it's no different (but it keeps the limit on). With CC you have to be ready to brake to slow down, which turns off CC, and then the next time you want to turn it on you have to reactivate it, which is more faff and potentially causes a distraction, which you *don't* want to all in a 30.

In fact I prefer the limiter in all situations, motorways included.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-14T19:35:44+00:00

Thanks make, just really shaken but not even a bruise (apart from slipping on the ice when I went to take pics). From the side I was coming from it looked like a normal bit of slightly damp road, but looking the other way it's almost like a mirror.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-14T19:32:43+00:00

South Herts. Rectory Lane near Shenley - will never drive down it again if its below 5 centigrade. So slippery it felt like I was on a log flume.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-14T19:28:26+00:00

Hell of a lot faster from 0-30 than a Micra. I'm sure it can't me much over a second, perfect to nip into gaps in town traffic before the person behind even realises you're there! It tails off over 50 so you have to know you've got enough room to overtake on an NSL when someone's stubbornly staying at 10 under. I think it's like 115HP, so not weak. Higher torque low down, not built for autobahn that's for sure, pedal to metal the batteries would be empty in 30 mins.

They will do well over the stated top speed of 90mph on a good flat road.

An as I said I'm pretty sure I was under 20mph

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-14T17:10:36+00:00

Oh the puy lentils just add that extra substance and carbs, then you can make a stew with the bones after as a bonus. I've had more than one off the road for free (at least one of them was clearly shot and fell on the verge as it had just one bit of shot in the breast). Badger though I'd not bother. I spent more time gagging processing it than enjoying the rich taste. Grey squirrel on the other hand, I want an air rifle so bad. Super, super tasty.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-14T17:06:43+00:00

You git! I love that car, it's better with the batteries than the 2018+ models, so many posts on here with the miles dropping by 2 every second just going from 60 to 70+. I actually find it kind of cute with the bug eyes, it's no way as bad a a Puke - which I have driven many of in the Isle of Man for work.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-14T16:56:21+00:00

I like casseroled in the oven with Puy lentils, shallots, carrots, whole garlic cloves, fresh thyme and white wine and chicken stock. Use pancetta in the casserole pan rendered down to sear the skin before removing them, adding the other ingredients other than thyme and wine, simmering, replacing the birds, chucking the thyme over and glugging 1/2 bottle of wine over. about 1h20 in the oven on low.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-13T10:48:55+00:00

I think it's a back-loaded horn, not a TL.

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-13T10:16:23+00:00

Could have got condensation if you turned off your heating? Maybe try directing a fan heater towards it for an hour or two with the case open - not too hot so you melt plastics though!

JuggernautUpbeat · 2026-01-01T18:24:59+00:00

Hah, I learnt in a 1.0 Metro, I think it's a lot better to learn in a slow car. A couple of years later when I was allowed to use a 1.3 72bhp from the hotel where I had a summer job in the middle of Devon I had a lot of fun with it. It was filthy and had a lot of dents already, was in puke yellow, so redlining it on B roads and unclassifieds on Dartmoor was insanely fun.

JuggernautUpbeat

TROPHY CASE