September 2008
I own a UK Ford Focus which uses the IB5 manual transmission. The car is a 1999 T with 76000 miles on the clock.
Can someone please tell me how many miles and/or years this type of gearbox generally lasts for.
Additionally as the service guide that comes with these cars does not mention needing to change the manual gearbox oil, does this mean that most people don't bother to have this done and so just hope for the best ?
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After last years MOT fiasco www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=56...6, I was resigned to very probably scrapping the Volvo when tax, insurance, and test ran out simultaneously at the end of this month.
However it seems that the tester has mellowed this past 12 months as he has failed it only on a lower ball joint and rear silencer, both fair cops. I have priced the bits up at about £75 and they are easy DIY fixes. I have got a t?inernet price for comprehensive insurance of £104, so including the VED and allowing a few pounds for a can of supermarket oil & a filter, my fixed overheads are likely to be less than £9 per week. (obviously at 23 years old depreciation is nil, market value is only a little over scrap value)
Is it possible to run a car (legally) any cheaper than this?
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Just to reassure those backroomers who are now trying to avoid all dodgy looking 740 estates, the car is in fact fairly well looked after, it's just that as I now do a very low annual mileage the normal checks & service replacements would only be required every two or three years [conversely oil changes are more important]
Front discs & pads, front flexys, rear shoes, inner & outer track rod ends, plus all tyres & rims have been replaced in the last 6K miles [all new items, apart from the rims :)]
I suppose I really ought to dispose of the car, but the enormous load capacity & towbar are incredibly useful, for example I used it this year to do an entire house move [contents, not the building ;-) ]
hi i need help!!!
my lovely maisie has been running like a dream, but all of sudden she wud not go into gear. had to turn engine off put her in gear & then start her up. pain in butt at every junction i crawled to garage & they charged me £135.00 & said she wud be ok now, but she isnt. clutch doesnt seem to be doing its job, i can change gear without even pressing it!! prob not good sign! please help me, im bit skint & need to go back to garage & kinda look like i know wat im on about! they see a silly blonde woman & think every day is Friday!!. help!!! x Read more
Hi,
Its always worth checking the cluch pedal as well. Run your hand up the pedal as far as you can to see if you get any kind of fluid on your hand. If you do it'll be the cluch master cylinder - a bit of a common problem. Reasonably easy to change except the two retaining bolts which definitely need two people to refit.
Hope this helps
This site has proved so good in the past and I know there is a wealth of expertise out there so here goes. Sorry if I appear to be upsetting others.
I know this is not the correct site for truck matters and I have to pick a make and model but I am looking for help with a Leyland Roadrunner with a jammed parking brake. Austin Rover seemed the most appropriate, sorry. Any site suggestions (www???) or other help will be appreciated. Thanks.
No need to apologise for upsetting others ! - I'll leave it under the Austin Rover tag for now and ask the site designer to add Leyland Trucks to the Drop Down Menu. Read more
Thanks for the help guys. I am going to have a look at the truck this weekend, time permitting. I will look for the valves you mentioned and try the drain and recharge suggested earlier. I'll let you know how I get on. Watch this space. Cheers
does the new audi tt have the same lights as the R8 (LED front white lights)?
thanks Read more
Only higher spec models I think, as I have also seen new ones with a row of ordinary bulbs. They are in a straight line along the bottom of the lamp unit.
Has anyone tried to understand what massive savings are to be had from the so called Honda sale. The one on their web site that asks "is it possible to have a sale without shouting about it" and then proceeds to tell you absolutely nothing about what this sale is all about.
I have not seen a single thing advertised in the dealers when visiting and I get the impression that most salesmen (sorry people - Harriet Harman will be knocking my door down if I refer to men and not people) have given up the will to live at the moment - never mind trying to sell a car. Read more
I think that was on a Civic, Bill, but I can't say I was really giving it a lot of attention. We'll buy a new car when we need one, not when someone jumps up and down and has a "sale" on.
JH
Hi Guys,
Looking for a new diesel exec saloon on a 6k budget. We already own a 1998 GS300 and 1999 328i between us and I am looking at changing my BMW for a car which provides better economy for the 20k a year that I do. I have so far looked at a high mileage 1.9tid saab 9-3 and x type 2.0d, and actually really liked the saab, but could anyone suggest any other equivalents or share any good bad experiences with these sort of cars.
Many Thanks. Read more
Ah, the Routemaster. Unlike the bendy-bus (which sounds like a 747), which Boris now says is going by 2011.
Hi, I would welcome any advice on my dilema concerning my car tax.
Unfortunately, I never received my car tax reminder and consequently didn't realise that my car was not taxed (yes, I know it sounds pathetic, but it is true). Having discovered this last night, I have had it taxed today. Unfortunately, I have missed one months car tax and consequently owe back duty to DVLA.
Whilst I have no problem paying the back duty I don't really want to put myself in the firing line of being prosecuted re this. So here is the debate, do I ring them and try and pay the backduty, but by doing so will they not just prosecute/fine me anyway (even though it was a geniune, albeit stupid mistake) or do I just keep quiet?
If I could be sure they would simply ask for the backduty i would do it, but I could really do without being fined/prosecuted.
Any advice would be appreciated! Read more
Phone DVLA and tell them, I had the same problem. For some obscure reason there is some sort of glitch in their system (I can't remember the details) regarding early renewal of your tax LAST YEAR, and this causes a failure to generate a renewal for THIS YEAR. I just rang them, explained, and paid the missed month. They will tell you how much to pay and how to pay it.
HTH
hello, i have a problem with my astra 1.7 dtl gm 1999 air con/ heated window/ recirculation buttons on dash,all 3 dont work , there is power going to it on the multi plug !!
any ideas as to why all 3 wouldnt work
info needed please Read more
thanks sir ill give it a go
sq
jaguar / landrover are closing completely for a week due to lack of sales / demand can we start calling a recession now instead of a credit crunch Read more
i've posted this elsewhere..but... my most recent copy of my Jag magazine....confirms the waiting list and high demand for the XF, to the extent some Land Rover employees are being transferred to the XF production line....
secondly, there has been more demand than expected for the X Type, presumed to be because of the relatively recent (March) introduction of the auto 2.2 diesel
that doesn't sound like a disater area waiting to happen just now
Replied to 0n 26/09.