3 yr diesel Mondeo bought a few mths ago developed a problem within weeks.

Developed Injector problems - "limp home mode" - diaganosed by main dealer & 1 new injector supplied & installed @ £300+ VAT - not covered by Mech Warranty.

Within a few days a similar problem - garage again says it is the other injectors are at fault and offer to put in another 3 for the cost of the parts only > £500 - they now said they should have replaced all 4 at the time.

Upshot was that the friend had just moved house and was worried it was inevitable that he would need to find this money.

Suggested he try Redex - A £5.00 bottle of Redex applied over the last 4 weeks seems to have worked.

Has this just postponed the inevitable for weeks or months or has it cured the fault for longer? Read more

Hi All - I'm in the need of some rather urgent advice.

My old car died...so I test drove a Mondeo MK3 2.0 Zetec (petrol) car at a local dealers... all well and good (except being very low on petrol at the time) so I agreed to buy it, signed all the paperwork etc. It was due an MOT and valet that afternoon, so the next day I returned to collect it, I handed over the cheque and was given the keys. I noticed there was slightly more fuel in it than when I test drove it, so they must have filled it from a jerry can. When I started the engine, the idling was all over the place and it quickly stalled. The second time I started it, the engine started, but was spluttering, but then cut out again almost immediately. I started it a few more times after that, each time starting almost immediately (i.e no slow starter motor) and spluttering, I managed to move the car a few feet, but the engine was only going for a couple of seconds before it stalled.

Having not got the car off the forecourt I told the dealer about the problem... he got in the car and experienced the same problem. We talked about what the problem was... we all suspected a fuel problem and even smelt the filler cap for the smell of diesel (suspecting someone had put diesel in it by mistake), but couldn?t smell anything other than petrol. Now at this point I got my cheque back and handed back the key. They said they?d get an engineer to look at it.

They called back today to say that the fault was down to a faulty battery that caused the Engine Management Unit to fail ? they even said that the battery died completely shortly after I left the car. They argue that a failed cell in the battery meant that the EMU couldn?t regulate the engine speed properly, hence the stalling. They?ve replaced the battery, reset the EMU and filled the tank as a courtesy. The even took the car for a lengthy test drive to make sure. Now the dealer has a good reputation and I?m not saying they?re lying but this somehow doesn?t ring quite true. If the battery had a faulty cell would the starter motor still turn over normally? Would it cause the spluttering I heard ?

So I?m left with more questions than answers.
What I?m worrying about is that if there was diesel, dirt or water in the fuel, could it have done long term damage to the engine? Is the engine likely to cut out again? Should I accept the car from them when I go to see them this afternoon? What if they filled the tank and test drove the car so I wouldn?t see any signs of this being the case? Is there anything I can/should check before I collect the car?

Any help or advice is gratefully accepted!
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Having now had our 54 reg Scenic 1.9 DCi Priv for over a year now, I thought I would feedback on it.

Good Points:

Great 120bhp diesel engine, pulls well - seems to be even better with a full load!

Loads of storage compartments, 11 in total!

Interior very adaptable, nice driving position.

Nice spread of ratios on 6 speed box.

Well laid out dash.

Bad points:

Both rear sunblinds have snapped.

Rubberised coating rubbed off interior door grabs.

Half leather starting to wear.

Gear change clunky.

Rear Bumper easily scratched loading & unloading boot.


Overall, I like the car and it drives very well, but the build quality and some of the materials are a little inferior. Any comments from fellow Scenic owners? Read more

Hi, I'm posting on behalf of a friend, who is struggling to get his BMW roadworthy again. The head gasket recently failed (believed to be because of a failed head bolt), so had the head skimmed, pressure tested, and rebuilt. The head is now back on, with a complete suite of fresh gaskets, a new water pump, new cambelt and tensioner, and a new thermostat. The cooling system has been flushed (to get rid of any emulsified water), and refilled with great care taken to chase out the air - the heater matrix was filled, then the block, then the radiator, then the header tank was filled until water came out of the thermostat housing bleed valve (highest point in the system). The car was started after a lengthy prime of the oil pump (at least 1 minute without ignition). It fired into life instantly, and seemed to be running well; water temperature gradually rising, no fluids leaking from the engine, and nothing untoward from the exhaust. However, just when it was thought all was fine and dandy, the temperature didn't plateau and kept rising. My friend kept running the car until the 3/4 mark on the temp gauge, which the car reached fairly quickly, at which time some screaching noises were emitted from the engine, so he shut it off pronto. The screaching noises were identical the noises experienced when the car originally broke down. The thermostat has been removed, and checked in a pan of hot water, and definitely works. If anyone has any good ideas what might be wrong with the car, please don't be shy to suggest them, as we're at a loss, and would welcome any ideas no matter how daft they might seem! Read more

The car in question.. The 2006 Ford Mustang.

I see at least one a day of this model around my area all of which are imported no doubt with all the agro and headaches involved with the SVA either for the owner or importer etc

GM Corvette is available here so why don't Ford take out all the hard work for buyers by selling it officially here?

A true American icon that would sell like ice cream on a hot day and would do wonders for Fords image.

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