November 2006
I have a diesel Ford mondeo that has a faulty engine. The car is not worth enough for me to pay to repair it but could be repaired by a DIY person or someone who has a job in a garage. Is there a place where one can sell such cars or somewhere that it could be advertised. Clearly it cannot be sold in the normal way because it will not run properly. The car is 2003 Mondeo with diesel engine 74300 miles. Read more
My trusty 1990 W124 E class 230 TE auto estate is starting to get a bit tired. I live in Jersey and it has now done 185k miles which is huge for here. We use it for usual shopping, taking daughter to swimming etc etc, (about 4.5k miles a year) but also going to Alps skiing a few times in the winter (has set of winter tyres, hence the miles). and a small amount of towing a hillclimb sports car. I am sadly realising that it is going rusty (doesn't look it but its there in hidden awkward places) which is the main problem plus the front suspension is a bit slack, and i feel it is not really that safe any more. It does have ABS, but no airbags at all, but compared to a more modern car iIt is built like a tank, but rust sort of negates that.
So thinking of a replacement, we have about 5k to 8k to spend, maybe a little more but not much. My wife will only drive an auto, and likes that you can see all the corners of the merc and it is narrow. I need it to tow the small trailer with a very very light sports car on it (my 230 te has an extra auto box cooler). It needs to be happy going long distances with lots (ish) of kit. I love the quietness of the 230 and its quality feel even now it is old. We have thought about a last of series w124 which would be a 1995 one as i do all the maintenance on mine as its easy to work on, but its finding one, seen two of them and they were much lower miles than mine, but mechanically were not very good. So it will have to be something more modern, but what? suggestions would be great Read more
I'd try to keep a grip of your w124... I bought a E280 estate, 147k on the clock a year ago for £1600, it was immaculate inside and out and have put 13000 miles on it with only routine servicing. Its a gem of a car with fantastic quality. I'm 23 and some image fussy girlfriends don't like it because its 'old' and they want the apparent kudos of being seen in a new/ish car, however, you seem to have no problem with the charm and class of the car so don't change it for the sake of change. If yours is really tired, then wait for a late one at the right price, I got my dual airbag (if thats a worry) model for two fifths of nothing, so I would avoid paying the, in my view, silly prices of an aforementioned specialist - even if the cars are mint.
My 52 Ghia X Estate 2.0 TDCi has developed a rumble noise and a roughish feel when I turn the steering wheel in either direction when the car is moving.The steering itself, however, is positive, and on the face of it there is not a problem.
New Michelin Pilot Primacy tyres were fitted on the rear wheels, and the original Pirelli P6000`s were changed back to front 2000m ago. At the same time the steering geometry was checked and adjusted.It has just passed it`s M.O.T
Could the different tyre treads, or the fact that they are low profile tyres or the different degrees of wear front to back account for the problem or could it be something more serious, or am I just being unnecessary sensitive?
Advice or comments would be much appreciated
Collieman
Read more
The bad news is that a replacement rack will cost £460
plus labour !
Ow!
Have you tried an independent and the possibility of an exchange rack? My brother in law was quoted something similar by a main agent for his 306's steering rack and a local garage did the job using a guaranteed reconditioned part for less than half that amount including labour.
Car has done 10k since and is still perfect.
Cheers
DP
Apparently. And only in the States.
Story is here, and there's a link to the music that is causing the issue. Sounds a bit odd to me - nobody is crooning for one thing.
tinyurl.com/y6tk5b
Read more
Cheap publicity stunt.
With all the recent rain and wet roads, my sons clio is not coping too well with spray on the engine. I drove it the other day and could not have gone any slower through a puddle. There was hardly any spray and the puddle was not exactly a lake. I would have gone straight through it in my car. The problem is the clio spluttered a couple of times and then the engine died. I left it ten minutes and it eventually started. I am reluctant to let him drive it this weather as he is a young recently qualified driver. Anyone know if the engine should have a splash panel or the like to prevent this happening. Is there anything I can do to prevent this. I know in my old mini I used to tie a piece of plastic to the inside of the grille. Read more
This is probabley due to HT leads, plugs or the coil pack. Replace the leads and clean the coil pack. Regards Peter
Does anyone know whether 405 diesels are famous for their heavy steering? The power steering on my ?96 model certainly works, but it is so much heavier than a comparable diesel Mondeo ? or anything else I?ve driven. Do power steering pumps gradually lose their effectiveness? Might a replacement be appropriate or is that diesel lump always going to mean that you need 007?s biceps to move the old load-lugger. In all other respects, it?s a great second-vehicle. Any shared experiences would be gratefully received. . Thank you in anticipation. Read more
I tested an x reg 306 hdi today and I was surprised how light the steering was compared to my r plate diesel. Brakes were also much better for having discs all round I guess revisions were made to the PAS system on later cars or it could be down to the lower profile tyres used.
I wouldn't describe the steering of a 405 with pas as being heavy ,with the tyres at correct pressure I thought it was fine but I did drive a 305 D before which was heavy!
Peugeot do seem to have lost their way, 307 was a backward step in many ways , worse looks, handling, fuel economy, reliabilty, running costs, compared to 306.. can't really think of anything good to say about it.
406 coupe replacement was another nice car ruined
Its just something that Ive noticed as I clean alot of the prestige 4X4's.
They seem so cramped inside and the bootspace just doesnt seem in proportion with the size of the cars, nor does the interior space.
The amount of plastic trim in the boot of most of them seems to knock a third off the bootspace aswell.
They are also horrendous for parking, proven by the number of them that are now equipped with an array of parking sensors that demonstrate just how unlikley it is that you can accurately judge distances in them.
Im not against them for enviromental reasons as I dont think they are any worse than a normal car for emissions, but in terms of space efficient design, I think they are woeful and just too bulky to be practical.
Do people really want such impractical cars or are the manufacturers telling us that we want them?
I like 4X4's as a concept, but the execution seems to be loosing its way somewhat. Read more
"I hear the americans are starting to rethink."
Er, doesn't that imply the ability to think in the first place?
(Sorry, TIC of course, but I did watch the 638 attempts to kill Castro last night..)
I've read that this new derv cleans the carbon in the engine, but does the fact that its " gas to liquid" technology with zero sulphur make it less lubricating, or have Shell put lubricants in as well, i cant see anything in their advertising regarding this. The reason i ask is because the pumps rely on being well lubricated. Read more
Think the shell extra has been replaced with v-power
Not sure, to be honest. I overheard the cashiers in my usual Shell garage this morning saying that they were getting additional pumps put in for V-Power Diesel early in the new year, which would suggest that they will still be selling some form of ordinary diesel alongside it - similar to what BP already do with Ultimate, by the sound of it. Don't know whether this will apply to all Shell sites, though.
Hello,
Anyone know the engine oil capacity, for a 2002 Focus 1.6 auto?
Thanks. Read more
Found it, 4.3 ltrs thanks.
Hello,
I have offered to service mother-in-law's Focus, where is the best place currently for Ford spec 5W/40 oil? Also I am going to ask in "Technical" though does anyone here know the engine oil capacity, it is a 2002 1.6 auto?
Thanks. Read more
Shell do a 5W/30 A1/B1 oil, you can get it from "Linings and Hoses". I think you can also get it from Emo Oil which supplies heating oil.
Browse
.jpg)
I would image a Ford TDCI short engine is a lot more than £1000. Head could also be damaged - forces involved are absolutely enormous - hence the need to inspect first. Could be looking at easy £2k to replace, possibly lot more if all the work is done at a main dealer.