January 2010
TDDI 100k 2owner FSH
front NS wheel bearing has now been replaced 4x in 14 months , all by ford dealer all on warranty , now has new steering knuckle/bearing/hub assembly and of course nut , surely this is not normal , anybody any ideas why they keep failing?
PS any idea how many more miles i can expect from the rest of the car , assuming i keep replacing this wheel bearing every few months ! Read more
Hi there
I have a 4000 pound budget to purchase an expert/dispatch/scudo.
My options seem to be an 05 registered vehicle with about 70000 miles on the clock or an 02 vehicle with 40000.
Which vehicle would you go for? Newer with more mileage or older with less?
Any advice greatly appreciated...
L Read more
There's another thread on here about a Citroen Synergie (MPV version of this van) that has nearly done 400,000, so don't let high mileage put you off!
Your advice and opinions sought.
My dad wants to replace his 2004 C-Max 1.6 110 TDCi Zetec. It's done 80k, over 70k in his hands since 12 months old. It was bought from a local car supermarket and has only needed routine servicing + tyres over his ownership.
The car is liked for it's ease of entry and egress (Mum/Dad in their mid-60s, and Grandmother in her 90s), low boot lip for loading of wheelchair, and passenger space vs size of car. I think the diesel is justified; dad does about 18k a year, lots of it motorway, and this car has averaged about 46mpg over it's life. It's nice and highly geared for a five speed box.
Dad wants to replace with the same. However C-Max seem (relatively) thin on the ground and used prices are strong (paid £9.8k for the car at 12 months old). Also there seem to be very few 1.6TDCi around; but the engine has been excellent -refined and economical. There are plenty of 1.8 diesels but I'm unsure whether this is a PSA unit like the 1.6 or one of Ford's own and hence will the economy/reliability be comparable?
Are there any suggestions for an alternative replacement other than another C-Max? It needs to offer similar, i.e. a small people carrier. There is no need for seven seats. Dad will spend up to £10k + trade in for his car, but would prefer to spend less, and has always bought used 12-24 months old. He won't consider a Scenic; he drove one and couldn't get on with the credit card igntiion and has been put off by reliability as the car ages (DPs posts on here!) Read more
Avant's hit the nail on the head....I have tried to convince dad to keep the car but he is distinctly twitchy about ongoing reliability. However, in the absence of suitable 1.6s I think he will wait a few more months. I looked at the Kia Carens but it's not as well packaged as the C-Max, and the Jazz is too small (boot wise) for him.
Hi everyone
Got a tidy 2002 Ford Focus 1.6LX last month but only got 1 key for it.
What is the easiest and cheapest way to get another key for it.
Thanks in anticipation
gazkaz Read more
Google for "replacement car keys ford". My search came up with www.theautolocksmith.co.uk/Ford-car-keys.html
and loads of others.
This weekend I engaged in an activity that took me back to my eager first motoring youth.
I first fitted a car radio into my first Ford Capri, The only push button radio I could afford was one that came in kit form, from a place in Acton somewhere, It was AM only and I had to cut the dashboard about with a hacksaw blade to fit it.
The second was one of the first Stereo FM radios around, cost a fortune and would hiss like a kettle and crackle in time with the revs, despite many chokes, capacitors, and new leads being fitted. The radio was as deaf as post and could pick up rock all.
Anyway, the stock radio in the Lancer, while being ergonomically good, with good function (reads MP3, Audio in jacks) was rather lacking in the tonal department.
SOOOO
Internet shopping sees a new Kenwood head unit (USB/Iphone input) and Inphase XTC62 speakers arrive in the post for around 100 quid. Postman Pat also delivered a trim removal kit, a set of keys to remove all known breeds of radio and an ISO adaptor harness.
Removal of the Old head and insertion of the new was a breeze, as it was a standard 1 din slot, so we move to the speakers.
Off with the door trims, to reveal non standard mountings for the speakers (17cm but with speakers moulded into a unique plastic adaptor). So off we trots to local ICE place with new and old speaker, to be met with a gruff "you'll have to make it out of wood pal"
A browse of Halfords reveals that a Ford Mondeo speaker adaptor can be -adapted-.
So off we go back, marker pen/drill/jigsaw making a perfect adaptor ring. The foam packing of the new speakers ( a perfect 17cm cutout) making great baffle/seal/tunnel to the existing grills moulded into the door trims.
The sound is, well, superb. Deep Deep rich bass, perky treble. The functionality is all I need, operating (and charging) the Iphone or my 30gb MP3 player from the head unit. The only thing missing is steering wheel controls, but I figure no-one has got that right yet (apart from Renault who's implementation of remote stereo controls is superb)
Sitting in the car listening to the long version of "money for nothing" I pondered on how far we had come in all things digital music and in car ICE since 1973.
Read more
my 1987 2CV has what I think is the original Sharp radio-cassette.
Still got the original AM radio in my 63 GMC truck, and though the speaker cone has been eaten away by critters (not yet replaced 'cos it's a contortionist's task!) it does still give passable reception.
Off on my usual Sunday morning outing with lads I was tootling down A41 in Shropshire towards M54 -- Got to Island on A5 - straight over and hit a bit of traffic - At first I just thought they were sorting themselves out after coming round island and white transit van was overtaking 4x4 but it was taking ages then I realised it was keeping pace with 4x4 - then I saw it - A group of people were having a horse race - two of those trotters were racing on a main A road and 4x4 and transit van were stopping anyone passing them -the transit pulled over when a car came towards us then back onto other lane - so 112 on handsfree and reported it - I have to say this is second time I have been stuck behind them for the three miles they race for. - managed to give operator the numbers of two of vehicles involved but doubt if they will be found. Grrrrrrrrrrr! Read more
Further to the 112 posts. Enhanced 112 is coming in (or is already available in some places) and this will enable the emergency services to pinpoint your location without you telling them.
Useful if, like me, you can't remember exactly where you and can only give a rough indication.
Evening,
My car (2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec) has a very annoying problem where it is "stumbling" at idle. I had a local mobile mechanic come and have a look and plug in his computer - but the ECU was registering no codes. He thought it might be the Idle Control Valve so put a new one on and it didn't fix it - so he put the old one back on.
So last Monday i took the car to local Ford main dealer. I explained the symptoms and they kept the car in for 2 days. I got a phone call sayig that everything is fixed. I picked the car up on wednesday but nothing has changed - the car is still exactley the same. I rang them back and Friday and they said to drop the car off that day - which I did - but they didn't get a chance to look at it so ill drop it back tomorrow morning.
Anyway. when i dropped the car off on Friday - The smarmy service guy started rambling on that it will obviously need more investigation and was implying I would be charged.
I have already paid them £264 for a repair that hasn't actually fixed anything and i dont want to pay them anymore really. How do I approach this when the car is "finally" fixed.
(FYI the £264 was for 2 hours "investigation" + parts - crankcase vent pipe and air induction pipe) Read more
sounds like main dealer flannel to me as im pretty sure you cant flash a 01 focus ecu
the worrying real deal here is that the dealer cant put a man on a 10 year old bread and butter car that they sell loads of and fix the fault due to knowledge stored from previous cars doing the same
basically its a case of they dont want the job anyway as a quick service and a tyre kick will pull in the same bread and nobodies the wiser
I can remember going around with a grimy shirt collar at school in the 50`s and thinking it was my fault.
But really it was all those smoky chimneys here up North - and on the LMS line - those great Austerity class steam trains stonking by at walking pace - pulling 150 coal trucks.
Auntie Nellie had a Ford Anglia then and considered it `advanced` - uncle John used to drive it past with the engine making that `we saved money making it` small car, bag of nails jingle. Maybe it was the tappets.
The 4pm `Streak` used to come over on the LNER and you cursed it if it was Silver Fox AGAIN. Or even worse Wild Swan.
Meanwhile - not far away - Auntie Ethel had the A60 with 6" of play in the steering and Uncle Bill twitched in his chair dreaming he was still a Commando.
You got taken to Bridlington in the A60 - whereupon the temperature always dropped 10c and your legs went red due to wearing short pants.
Giant `mushrooms` were once found growing under the little pre-fab holiday home - and the adults ate them with confidence - while I, aged 10yrs stood back and held my breath.
So what incidents can you remember from childhood? Read more
Either we never went anywhere??
or I cant remember? owt before about 1974 (when I was 15) a green Vauxhall Victor 2 litre with a high compression head needing 5 star.
I do remember Mum doing 80/90 odd when nipping over to Maghera to visit her mother.
Cars before that? absolutly NO idea, strange.
After one brief run as a learner driver in the Victor, once I was the age, it was put off the road. With approx 40,000 miles on it, the cost of petrol was probably also a factor alongwith my insurance.
Where it sat in a barn until about perhaps 5 years ago when the brother gave it away for a local enthuasist to restore.
Sigh
Hi
I got emmissions warnng light on & read the codes as 1612 & 1613.
I think those codes are for immobolizer & I can't understand why I have the emmissions light on?
Does anyone know what could be the problem?
Thanks Read more
and now not starting.
I think i've got air into the tank as when the engine is cold it won't start. Not sure how to remove the air from fuel system from the engine side.
I know glows are good etc as the car was running without problem, just a little fuel leak from the valve before I replaced it.
Fuel cut off valve was replaced because it was leaking.
Is there an easy way to get her started? Pumped the primer (tennis ball sized black pump left side of engine as you face it) which stays hard but refuses to start.
Started earlier when engine was warm but now its cold it refuses to start. Read more
Figures, no smoke = no fuel.
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Hi, I can't give any advice on front wheel bearings specifically, but I do have a problem with rear wheel bearings on my 2000 W Focus which sounds very similar. The original NSR bearings lasted 69,000 miles, however since then, they have been replaced at 86k, 92k, 94k and 104k (just last week). OSRs are on their 3rd set since new (72k, 92k).
My local garage has been fitting them for free since the 2nd replacement and Ford have been providing the garage with the parts free of charge and without argument. Note that as the bearings are coming direct from Ford, I am assuming they are the new modified version that don't let in water (early ones had a dodgy seal).....