I have a 3year old 42k mile ML430. I've had it a couple of weeks and the fuel consumption is worse than my previous ML430 (i.e. terrible). It smells like it is running rich all the time and even when fully warmed up the exhaust still smells 'rich' and slighly smoky. I am guessing something could be wrong with the oxygen sensor or the connections. Has anyone had anything similar? And anyone know of a MB specialist near Windsor, rather than get the MB garage to do it?
Thanks.
PB. Read more

Actually it's not a Fiesta, it's a Courier van, but I assume they're the same.

Has anyone come across this before?

It's the Ford 1.8 NASP diesel, and the coolant hose from the water pump has split. This hose goes into a metal T-piece, the other side of which has a small hose going to the thermostat housing, and the bottom of which connects to the bottom radiator hose, and another small hose to somewhere I haven't bothered to find out.

Unfortunately, this metal T-piece is located in a very confined area between the engine block and the injector pump. Instead of just selling me a new piece of hose, Ford sold me a new hose assembly which is all moulded in one. I thought this would be a direct replacement for the T-piece assembly. It's not - it doesn't fit.

What I want to know, before I go making up a bodged piece of hose to enable this thing to fit, is can a new metal T-piece be got in or out of there without either removing the injector pump, or completely destroying it with screwdriver and hammer, as I did today, rendering it unfit for re-use! If there is a way, I can get a replacement part, if not I'll carry on engineering a way to fit this plastic assembly which I already have...
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Hi in my seemingly never ending quest to find the "right" new car I noticed that both motorpoint in Derby and motorhouse 2000 in Sutton have some great deals on Ford Focus diesels., but some of the models shown are not sold in the UK anymore, although they were 2 years ago. Namely the Focus TDDI H/B (90bhp) which i presume is the old burner out of the Escort. Im just wondering how much better the new Common rail TDCI engine is. Ive only found one thread about the old 1.8 burner so far. Also, went to MH 2000 and found a number of specced up 1.8 TDDI Zetecs with more extras than a Ghia, but found out they were sourced from Cyprus with only a 1 year "in-house" warrenty, checked with Ford UK who said definatly not honour any warrenty on these cars as they are from outside Europe, and that includes the 12 year anti-perforation warrenty, so MH 2000 are selling new cars basically wthout any useful warrenty except for the "in-house" one. Read more

Can someone give me a rough estimate on how much I should expect to pay a body shop to spray a bonnet?
Assume I provide them a new bonnet, and fix/align it myself.
All I am paying for is their labour and spray paint (metallic!).

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I'm getting a bit ticked off with constant snipes about Merc & BMW drivers in the Backroom (and I'm lucky enough to be both, so I get a double-whammy). We're not all bad guys, you know - and we don't have two heads and frighten small children.
Seeing as how this sniping is driven by prejudice, here's a collection of my own prejudices. Up-front I must say that this is definitely tongue-in-cheek, and not aimed at any current or past BRers.

You drive a:

4WD - you are a school-run mum and a waste of road space unless:
a) it's a Rangey, in which case you probably own half of the county, a string of horses, and have a trophy wife & daughter.
b) it's an X5. Congratulations - you have the dog's cojones. You are either a person of very good taste, or you are a very smug Traffic Officer with the Hampshire Constabulary, and you get it as a work's car.

Alfa - I am envious, but I hope that you're not paying for your motoring yourself.

Any French car - why, why, why?

BMW - if you've got it, flaunt it - even slap other people in the face with it. If your BMW is black with blacked-out windows, you are probably a drugs dealer.

Daihatsu - you are an impecunious hill farmer and the rear of your vehicle is probably full of livestock going to market.

Honda - you have retired on an index-linked public-sector pension, and you live in some south-coast town. You're probably wasting a fine motor car.

Hyundai, Daewoo - the ultimate car-as-white-goods. You are easy prey for ill-mannered drivers to carve up, and I'm just going to shove in front of you right now.

Lorry driver - might is right. Gentlemen of the road - don't make me laugh. Know what mirrors are for?

Mercedes - You have reached the pinnacle - you have nothing to prove, so why care what everyone says. If your Merc is black with blacked-out windows, you are probably a minor functionary at some African consulate in London.

Rover 75 - Congratulations - you have one of the most stylish and worthy vehicles to come from a UK factory in years. Now please move over - my meeting is much more important than your round of golf.

Subaru - a) if it's an ordinary car then you are an impecunious hobby farmer with a collection of sheep and goats, and probably a few alpacas, vicunas and llamas.
b) if it's an Impreza then you are a danger on the road, young man, and you will surely end up in a ditch by the time I'm home.

Volvo - you are smug and have no awareness of what is going on around you. You don't need to be aware, because you believe you are completely safe and untouchable in your Swedish box.

White van - you are the fastest thing on the road - I will move out of your way & give you max. respect. It has to be this way, because you're not paying for anything yourself, and you don't care.

Yaris - you are a devoted reader of HJ's column. Read more