October 2017
We bought the above car used in 2015, not knowing that the degas hoses were inadequate. (Ford recalled the Focus cars with the same parts, but not the CMAX models despite them being essentially the same!). Our degas hose failed this August, leading to the engine 'fully overheating, the cylinder head warping and the piston bores being internally damaged' (Ford garage report). After complaining to Ford CRC they have fully funded a replacement engine - good. However since then, the car has broken down twice and spent 16 of last 24 days off the road, with the garage eventually finding a melted electical component which was interfering with the spark plugs.
My question is this: after such a severe overheating incident, and the subsequent disruption of taking out and replacing the engine, is my car now what we might call a 'lemon' - ie significantly less reliable than a car that hasn't been through all that. Or should I feel confident that it is fixed and fine?... Read more
Hi, hoping 'skidpan' picks this up.
Want a 3 year old petrol family car with plenty of room in back seats but not too long.... Read more
"Skidpan hasn't been around for a few weeks. People do come and go on forums like this but I hope he hasn't gone for good. He can be abrasive but has some good ideas."
Hm... His recent contributions went beyond "abrasive", I thought....
After a delayed flight arrived in Norfolk Virginia at 2 am, only car available was a Pontiac Grand Prix, a bit pricey but company credit card so snapped it up for a 150 mile drive on empty roads (no speed cameras either!).
Hey, just wanted to show you guys something I've been working on in my evenings in between nappy changes! Started it cos I was getting annoyed with having to look at all the sites to find the cars I was window shopping!
Would love some feedback! ... Read more
Oh no - not yet another search engine to search for search engines.
Hi all,
I'm seriously stuck with a glow plug repair and need some help please because if I can't fix myself I'm looking at £750 labour to take the cylinder head off to remove the seized plug, and this excludes parts!!! I've just spent £500 on a service, brake fluid change, timing and fan belt change. The car is starting to become a money pit! I can't get past the first stage of pulling out the top thin electrode.
Glow plug snapped below the threaded part within the cylinder head and what remains is a thin 2mm(ish) thick electrode part that sticks up out of the head by about 2cm. The rest of the glow plug remains in the head waiting to be pulled out.
So, I bought myself a removal kit and the first thing I need to do is remove the central electrode spike so I can start to drill a hole down the shaft of the glow plus to tap a bolt in for the use of the puller from the kit.
The protruding electrode WILL NOT pull out! I've clamped vice grips on, wrapped a rubber glove around the grips for extra grip and pulled and wriggled so much but it will not pull out! I've even soaked it in WD40. From looking at a new replacement plug I think it's because the bit I'm pulling goes right through the shaft of the glow plug down to the end that gets hot, which help combustion.
So, what I'd like someone to tell me is - will the part I'm pulling actually come off, or do I somehow need to drill it out so I can start the tapping process before pulling the plug out? If I need to drill it out, how do I do this when it's only around 2mm think? The drill but will just fall off either edge of the electrode because there's hardly anything for it to latch on to.
Any help greatly appreciated please!
Thanks, Read more
I would stop any further attempt at removing the glow plugs.You are going to make a bad situation a lot worse.I think you are going to need professional help who have the correct tools and experience.Take a look here;www.apautodiagnostics.com/seized-and-broken-heater...s
I bought a used Skoda Fabia Automatic (2011) with ~40,000 miles on the clock - for about £5600. I bought it from an independent dealer, and it came with a 6 month RAC warranty. After 6 months and 2 weeks, just out of warranty, it developed problems with the automatic gearbox. Initially the dealer I bought it from was helpful, and offered to do some diagnostics on it, but they didn't have sufficient expertise to say what it was and suggested I take it to the Skoda dealer for diagnostics.
I was informed that the Automatic gearbox was shot, and that a replacement part would cost £4000 not including labour. Not only that, but also the timing chain was faulty and that would need replacing too. The total cost for parts and repairs would come to around £8000, beyond economic repair.
In the end Skoda agreed to pay 60% of the labour costs and all of the parts cost, but nothing toward the gearbox costs. This means that the car is still beyond economic repair.
Given the fact that I have had it for over 6 months, and the mileage is now 50,000 do I have any basis for a claim for costs against a) Skoda and b) The dealer I bought it from?
I did use my credit card to buy it also Read more
Nightmare situation. It's a model any of us on here would've advised you not to touch, both the DSG box and the early chain driven TSi motors are notoriously weak and it looks like you've landed both at the same time just beyond the 6mth legal safety net that could've helped.
Skoda aren't duty bound to help and sadly the supplying dealer who probably sold it in good order and in good faith are past their legal obligations to you. Even so had it been me I'd be prepared to offer some help possibly by way of a sizeable discount on a replacement but the car itself is a write off.
Does it still start and drive? If so, book it in at your nearest car auction and take whatever you get for it. It's just one of those nasty wee lessons in life. For a replacement on such a limited budget forget anything with a complex automated gearbox and stick with normally asperated petrol models preferably of Japanese design.
Any help appreciated, pic of traffic camera in link it's in the middle of a roundabout in a car park In a supermarket
ibb.co/cujq0m Read more
Looks to just be a normal camera, the software will record numberplates and time of day for parking enforcement purposes.
Especially as it states it's situated at Asda!
Hey everyone I've just joined to seek out some advice from people on what to do.
I purchased a Toyota mr2 mk2 1991 rev 1 from a private seller over two months ago now.... Read more
Bulk of Mot mileage discrepancies come from fat fingered testers putting in the wrong figure or from kilometres being on the display instead of miles. Clocking is much less common but it's still an issue. Faked service histories are widespread however.
Hey everyone I've just joined to seek out some advice from people on what to do.
I purchased a Toyota mr2 mk2 1991 rev 1 from a private seller over two months ago now.... Read more
That's some really good advice. It's almost comforting to know someone has had the same experience as me!
Dear Forum members,
I am writing to you from Namibia. I am interested in importing safari type vehicles to Southern African countries. I am looking for a producer or a car dealer of safari vehicles in the UK. Do you know anyone who is involved in selling that type of cars? It can be open or close safari vehicles. I am looking for someone who modifies cars like Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover Defender to a safari vehicle.
Regards Read more
Our Namibian friend is a bit late on this one, when used car prices reached rock bottom around 2008 even Landcruisers getting on a bit were relatively cheap to buy, lots to be seen waiting on the portsides for export, along with the tougher and more reliable of the general used cars that were about.
Whilst Britian has heavy depreciation of many used vehicles, making them worth buying for export,good Landcruisers and Defenders in particular are holding their values steady, if anything Defenders are now appreciating steadily....
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Looks like I'm going to be OK
Ford should fix at their cost...