Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 15:42
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - ulysses

Hi

Just went to see the Colt to buy, 59k miles 56 reg. Lady owner vendor kept saying "I hardly use it", which made me wonder if it had been used enough as it was a very stiff ride, gears, steering, pedals. She seemed to genuinely not use it and only done up to 6k p/a.

There was a coating of beige creamy stuff in the oil cap.

Just condensation? She put asking price £1900 and when I left said she wasn't going to haggle at all because she thinks the car is mint because she "never uses it". It didn't feel like a fun purchase with the possible head gasket failure hanging in the balance.

Walk away or possible good car for many years to come?

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 15:49
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - Avant

I'd say walk away from both car and vendor, if she thinks that 'hardly using' a car adds to its value. Of course she might have just used it for occasional long journeys and not otherwise, but you've no way of knowing that, and short trips are more likely.

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 18:06
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - ulysses

Thanks Avant. She did seem to think that, and my gut said walk away. Thanks for such prompt reply.

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 18:10
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - RT

I'd be wary of any low mileage car - with mayo in the coolant I'd be off like a shot.

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 18:20
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - daveyjp
Mayo is very common in low mileage cars and not necessarily a sign of impending problems, just a sign it doesn't get warm very often, but that can put people off.

Our Aygo had it as it only did about 5,000 a year.
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Wed 21 Jan 2015 19:07
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - ulysses

But I bet you looked after your car properly, davey :) This lady didn't know it had 3 cylinders, didn't know what cylinders were or any of those plastic bottle thingies under the bonnet. LOL. I dunno, will think about it.

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 19:12
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - gordonbennet

I like low mileage low use cars, but i want them serviced in accordance with harsh conditions, which means at least one oil change annually.

This car would be service history dependant seeing as the owner hasn't got the foggiest.

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 19:29
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - RT
Mayo is very common in low mileage cars and not necessarily a sign of impending problems, just a sign it doesn't get warm very often, but that can put people off. Our Aygo had it as it only did about 5,000 a year.

It occurs in low mileage cars that don't get warmed up properly - since most wear occurs during the warm-up stage they're probably more worn than a high mileage car.

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Thu 22 Jan 2015 23:17
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - focussed

Beige coloured mayo means that the moisture caused by prolonged slow running or short runs is causing rust corrosion within the motor.

Don't buy it at any price.

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Thu 22 Jan 2015 23:26
Mitsubishi Colt CZ1 1.1 - Mitsubishi Colt beige mayo in oil cap - bathtub tom

You could take it to a garage and get a 'sniff test' done. If that doesn't show up any problems, it could be a good buy.

I recently sold an 11-year-old car with 50K on the clock that I'd owned for nine years. Didn't do many short journeys and had a service (oil & filter, minimum) every year. Still on its original exhaust!

Buyer happily payed over the odds.

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