June 2009
I?m wondering here how with all the marketing / design power of large car companies they can still manage get some details badly wrong.
To start, my recently acquired Golf Mk6 has overstyled heater controls where neither the graphics or the set position of the three knobs is easy to see. How this design got passed for production I?ll never know. ( Current Astra is similar )
The rest of the car, controls etc. is very good
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I'm looking at giving up my scooby to get something more sensible... the wife had a 2.0 TDCO mondeo 2003MY a few years back with her company. It was an auto box, and frankly spent a lot of time in the shop (actually several different ones, as the level of technical knowledge in the average ford shop seems to be appaling) due to the management light... I'm hoping she was just unlucky, but the thing was generally reliable apart from breaking down once when the crank sensor finally failed.
Anyway - I have read a lot of horror stories about failing Dual Mass Flywheels (I'll be looking for replaced starter motors), Fuel Pumps putting swarf into the lines and failing the injectors (where is the fuel pump located so I can check if it's been replaced?), crap clutches etc etc... I'm hoping that the Mondeo Mk3 (which according to this site ran from 2000 to 2007 got better as time went on???
I'm looking at an 06 plate 2.0 130bhp TDCI with 45k, and a full ford history. Can anyone advise of things I should ask about, look for under the hood, or look for while road testing that would reveal a lemon? Or have the DMF, and injecgtor/fuel problems largely been fixed on the 06 plates?
Cheers! Read more
Unfortunately, most if not all common rail engines seem to suffer with these problems to some degree, but some go on to do 200,000 miles with no problems. Modern diesels are just not as robust as those made in the '80s and 90s, which is why I only run mid '90s diesels with no Ecu. Unless you want to regress to '90s cars you have to take this risk. Your driving style should have some influence on the reliability but a good warranty is your best defence.
Is it me or is every dealer trying to maximize work/repairs/profits? Car in for a service, no faults, just a regular service. 2 hours later a 'phone call from the dealer."The brake discs are rimmed. There is a tyre nearing the safe tread limit. The cambelt is 'close' to needing to be replaced" All for a princely sum of course. So I asked if the discs are pitted. No was the answer. Them leave them alone for now,I said, also I am aware of the tyre, it is the last of a previous set and will be replaced very soon. How soon is the recommended replacement for the cambelt? 5k miles they said. Gasp! then don't you think I should replace it then? I said. If you put it like that I suppose so, they said. End of conversation. Does anyone have a set of discs that do not have a rim? How else do they wear down? Tyres and cambelts, ok let me have an early warning after the service, but not a call which might have scared the faint hearted. Incidentally, I priced up the parts required for the so called neccessary work. Guess what? Parts came to precisely 15% of the total price quoted for the 'work'. Talk about lambs to the slaughter.
Is it me or are they trading on people who don't know a cambelt from banjo? Concrete Read more
Hello Smokie, of course I expect the dealer to advise about iminent problems or regular changes such as cambelt. My point is that a telephone call gives the immpression that the work they mention is 'urgent' and some faint hearted souls would just roll over and authorise the work. It may well need doing at some point but may also be carried out by an independent much cheaper, the option should be ours. If the manufacturer recommends a cambelt at 80K miles, why change it at 74K?Incidentally they wanted to book the cambelt change for another date anyway so I said that future date will be much nearer 80K. All these advisory points should be highlighted when the vehicle is collected, only urgent or really neccessary work should occasion a telephone call. I like Swiss Tony, what an imagination, I take his point that you would feel foolish if you had a failure after being warned, but if you extrapolate every situation in the manner he did you would never take your car on the road in case something failed. I am not down on dealers, my main dealer is very good generally but I just wish they would stop playing games and 'up selling' in favour of good informed advice about possible future problems. Concrete.
Ho hum, I have to say I'm a little disappointed, throughout my motoring life I've always told myself that the only good thing about hitting 25 would be that my insurance would drop. Fat chance! It's the same cost this year as it was last year even as a 25 year old and with an extra year's NCB!
By the time I've opted to protect my NCB it puts over £100 extra on the premium pushing it up to about £750ish (I only remember car insurance to the nearest £50).
So, now that I've discovered this I'm left asking the question, just what on earth is good about being a quarter century old? I now interview people who were born in the 90's and it makes me depressed! I want my youth back!
{made non make/model specific as this probably applies to any car, and not just a Mondeo II}
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And it only cost £2 to add my brother as a named driver. Handy in case of emergencies.
hi first time hear can you help? i have just fitted another engine to my focus. connected everything up, turn engine over no spark. can you help
{welcome nuttyreg, I've just made a couple of small edits to your post to remove the 'txt' talk as we prefer proper words in this forum. DD. BR Moderator} Read more
hi peter the fuel system is powering up ok the fault lies in electronic ignition how can i carry out tests on ecu earths and live cheers peter
Hi
Does anyone have one of these vans? If so whats it like for reliability, driving etc. I'm looking for a crew cab to use as a family wagon. Need the boot space for dogs & prams etc. I like the Dualiner but there's a big difference in the price. Any thoughts?
Thanks Read more
I have owned an ordinary Vivaro van for the past 5 years and its been utterly reliable.Its actually better to drive than alot of cars and its been a pleasure to own.The van still looks brand new and i still get comments off customers on how good looking it is.
Buy one,you won't be disappointed.
Just on a side note,i believe the 6 speed version(more power) have had alot of trouble with the gearboxes.Mines a 5 speed and everyone i know hasn't had any trouble with the 5 speed.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/80...m
Back on track? Read more
Apart from needing a redesign of cars, I think no fuel stops would be interesting again. You'd then be into fuel efficiency as well so could be seen to benefit all - performance and efficiency from engines ultimately. Thankfully, unlike Le Mans, the races are not long enough to consider diesel - and the fuel spec if specified anyway.
Hello again
Need to replace spark plugs ka with old engine where they usually rust in
Bought AGFS 22CM1 Ford spark plugs are these the ones that rust in ?
Been told to get some Platinium ones instead that will last 30 000mls and advice please
Thankyou Read more
The plug gap was not checked do they come correctly gapped ?
Generally, yes. If they're multi electrode plugs, then definitely not as you'll never get the gaps exact and the spark will always travel across the shortest gap.
I sat in a main dealer today on my own waiting for my car and listened to a conversation with the service receptionist.
Basically a customer's car needed new pads and discs at the front which she said needed replacing and weren't covered by warranty. After some discussion she said 'I'll speak to the service manager'.
She then held the phone by her side for thirty seconds before getting back to the client with 'I've checked and we can give you a x% discount'.
The customer readily accepted the offer.
I work in the much aligned public sector - does the private sector always operate like this? if so it stinks. Read more
jacks - spot on! I've never thought of it before, but I bought my Passat through drivethedeal, and I gather that the main dealer you actually buy from treats the sale as a fleet sale. Hence no calls re paintwork protection etc.
I had my wife's A4 serviced recently by a good indy in Evesham and I got 'the call' but it was to tell me that the rear brakes needed new pads and to advise me that the front discs and pads need replacing in a few months time. I've had the car from new and it's needed very little work on the brakes so i knew that they were being honest. They also asked when the cambelt was last replaced - good practice imo.
No pressure, excellent service, good price.
Heres one for the smart folk :-)
My car has developed a rattle, more of a clonking sound really, from the front end somewhere.
happens when you hit 'jiggly' road surfaces but not when you hit the bigger bumps. The sound also happens when the engine is under load in the higher gears, say 25-40 mph in 4th, approx 1500-2300 rpm, but disappears as soon as you take your foot off the gas and also at higher revs so perhaps the vibration at lower rpm is a clue?
The noise also stops when you apply the brakes ( I left foot braked at 35 and the noise stopped immediately ). Its really puzzled me and both garages ive had look at it who have check all the front suspension and bushes, wheel bearings and had a general look around.
The noise is very similar to what I got when the droplinks failed on a car I owned once, its a sort of metallic clonk/rumbling.
Its certainly not anything immediately obvious as the car drives, steers and brakes spot on and nothing appears loose. Ive also checked the bonnet catch and made sure all wheelnuts are all tight. Its odd because it seems to be related to several different symptoms. It also crossed my mind that it may be two separate faults.
Any ideas welcome ! Read more
So basically the brake caliper was loose, is that what you're saying Stu, don't like the sound of that, never had a brake caliper working loose in all me years.
If that is the case the 2 garages that originally looked at your car i would avoid like the plague in future.
Browse
Same here. My Mk1 Astra did that as well. I think Vauxhall carried on using this design up until the Mk3 Astra (Astra-F)
I don't understand the logic of putting the heated mirrors on the same circuit as the heated rear window though. On my Mk2 Cavalier the heated mirrors were on a separate switch, as was my 1991 Mk3. But my 1993 Mk3 Cavalier was incorperated with the heated rear screen - a trait that Vauxhall have followed on with since.