Bengo's One Stop motor shop

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

Anyway, IIRC, you drive something from Bavaria, and they certainly need early intervention from the ESP department on anything bar bone dry tarmac! DT_Xtremez_15:

Not any more I don't - but either way, I was very glad of the ESP on several occasions where a wet, diesel-soaked roundabout and a heavy right foot came together to form a brown-trouser-moment!

 

[PingDit]

I have a subaru impreza thats making a rather expensive clunking noise when reversing between half and full lock. Its fine when going forward. Any idea what this noise could be?

Ta
CoD

I'd investigate the cheaper options first. I had a similar problem which turned out to be a wheel balance weight (inner side of the wheel) knocking against a steering arm when on full lock.

 

[MrMasher]

Bengo,
I am currently confused as to what motor to get.
The problem is the forthcoming hike in taxes.
I would like to get a used car which is maybe a bit sporty or has the lovely purr of a V6.
But within a few years I think I would have to get rid of it due to the ever increasing costs of motoring.
I was looking at Mondeo ST24's or Ghia X's, mk2 or SRI Vectras.
They seem to be a good buy and you get a fair bit of car for the money. Also they arent in the CO2 banded taxes as they are too old.

Or I could stretch to 4-5 grand and buy something newer, which I would then keep for longer, but then I would be encroaching onto these tax bands for newer cars.

The car has to be family sized but able to cruise at a fair lick of pace.
I've looked at yet again Mondeo's and also Octavia's.

What do you suggest? A sporty cheap un for a few years and then a newer car or just go for it and get something newer straight off?
I am open to suggestions of other cars for either choice as well.

Many thanks in advance DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

Personally, I'd go for something newer - it'll cost you less in the long-run as a newer car is less likely to suffer expensive mechanical break-downs (in theory).

To be honest, if you want something even remotely better than a low CO2 boring-o-mobile, you're going to have to pay for it - it seems to be the government's way.

If you like a growly V6 then my own current choice of jalopy is worth a look. It is a MG ZT 190 (190 HP 2.5 V6) - nice examples on an 02 or 03 plate can be picked up for 4-5 grand but be warned, an avge of 24 mpg will sting you at the pump and by 2010 it'll cost you £415 to tax it for 12 months. Still, that V6 growl when you open the taps above 3000rpm is highly addictive. For the money you do get a whole lot of car; in '+' spec you get climate, CD changer, multi-function steering wheel and part-leather seats.

Which leads me onto the MG ZT 160. after 53 plate the 160 changed from a de-tuned KV6 to a turbo-charged 1.8 4 cylinder. This sits in a lower tax bracket, is almost as quick as a 190, still as good around the twisty bits, gets about 30 mpg but unfortunately needs cossetting to avoid the dreaded head-gasket failure.

Or for the best of both worlds, why not go diesel power? modern turbo-diesels have loads of grunt and some quite sporty models are powered by tight-arrse-juice these days. older Audi A4s, Skoda Octavias and dare I say it, BMW 3-series diesels might be worth a butcher's.

 

[MrMasher]

Personally, I'd go for something newer - it'll cost you less in the long-run as a newer car is less likely to suffer expensive mechanical break-downs (in theory).

To be honest, if you want something even remotely better than a low CO2 boring-o-mobile, you're going to have to pay for it - it seems to be the government's way.

If you like a growly V6 then my own current choice of jalopy is worth a look. It is a MG ZT 190 (190 HP 2.5 V6) - nice examples on an 02 or 03 plate can be picked up for 4-5 grand but be warned, an avge of 24 mpg will sting you at the pump and by 2010 it'll cost you £415 to tax it for 12 months. Still, that V6 growl when you open the taps above 3000rpm is highly addictive. For the money you do get a whole lot of car; in '+' spec you get climate, CD changer, multi-function steering wheel and part-leather seats.

Which leads me onto the MG ZT 160. after 53 plate the 160 changed from a de-tuned KV6 to a turbo-charged 1.8 4 cylinder. This sits in a lower tax bracket, is almost as quick as a 190, still as good around the twisty bits, gets about 30 mpg but unfortunately needs cossetting to avoid the dreaded head-gasket failure.

Or for the best of both worlds, why not go diesel power? modern turbo-diesels have loads of grunt and some quite sporty models are powered by tight-arrse-juice these days. older Audi A4s, Skoda Octavias and dare I say it, BMW 3-series diesels might be worth a butcher's.

Cheers Bengo.
If I were to choose a "newer" car I would more than likely go for something less sporty, 2.0l rather than V6.
My quandary is whether to get an interim sporty model before getting the family shed when the massive tax hikes hit so your comment about buying new to try and avoid costly breakdowns makes a lot of sense.
I considered diesel for the newer option but the price of the motor is higher than petrol equivalent spec and I dont think I do enough miles to recoup the benefits of paying out for the ever increasing price of diesel. I do around 7-9k a year.

I hadnt considered a Rover. Kind of put off to be honest as I used to have one about 15 years ago which fell to pieces! How is the build quality on them these days? The head gasket puts me off. I have had 2 cars chuck out their head gaskets and its costly if you pay someone else to do it and time consuming if you do it yourself!

I must say though, I do like the Audi A4 and the Octavia. Aren't they built around the same platform as well as The Passat?

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

I considered diesel for the newer option but the price of the motor is higher than petrol equivalent spec and I dont think I do enough miles to recoup the benefits of paying out for the ever increasing price of diesel. I do around 7-9k a year.

this was part of the reason I got shut of my diesel. I wasn't recouping the cost at the pump and people forget that diesels cost more to service etc - you need to be doing upwards of 12k miles a year to really reap the benefits of skinflint-juice.

I hadnt considered a Rover. Kind of put off to be honest as I used to have one about 15 years ago which fell to pieces! How is the build quality on them these days? The head gasket puts me off. I have had 2 cars chuck out their head gaskets and its costly if you pay someone else to do it and time consuming if you do it yourself!

Build quality depends largely on the model. For the 75 it's first rate (the 75 was designed under BMW stewardship - BMW sold Rover when German buyers preferred the 75 over the late 90s 5-series) - the 75 (and the MG derivative) is a very solid car. Unfortunately the head gasket issue didn't go away on the 4-cylinder K-series engines and it is a concern. Look for cars with a full service history and lots of receipts. Providing they are looked after and the coolant regularly checked and topped up (ie weekly) they should be fine. The V6s are very reliable though and only really suffer from problems in the variable inlet manifold - which if you know what to look for is easily identified and rectified. Watch out for post 2004 (post-facelift) models though - Rover was hitting trouble and corners were cut so some of the trim starts to get a bit 'cheap'.

There are still lots of ex-rover dealers around who now form part of the 'X-Part' group and parts are readily available. these X-Part centres have also retained all the rover tools and diagnostic equipment but because they are not a manufacturer branded facility, you don't pay main-dealer prices for servicing!

I must say though, I do like the Audi A4 and the Octavia. Aren't they built around the same platform as well as The Passat?

Ah, the common VAG misconception. Yes, the Audi A4 and Passat share a platform. The recent Skoda Octavia shares it's platform with the VW Golf Mk V (and therefore also Audi A3 and Seat Leon) - it just has a body that's comparible in size and shape to the previous gen Passat and A4.

Petrol Audis are out there, just not as numerous as the fleet-manager-friendly 1.9 oil-burners. A 1.8 turbo would be a good bet and with the Audi build quality should be pretty bullet-proof.

Personally I think an Audi A4 is one of the most dullest, boring and unadventurous cars out there - but their drivers seem to like them.

You might want to consider Saabs too.

 

[MrMasher]

A comprehensive answer, thankyou very much.

The thing with dealers and parts was in the back of my mind. Its good to see that it isnt an issue.

Its always better to have as much info as you can before a choice is made. Knowing me, I'll go out and buy the 1st car I like, regardless!

Time to get trawling the ads. They said on the news that used car prices will decrease by a further 8% this year on top of normal depreciation. I'm looking to buy in the next 2 months so its good to trawl ads to get a feel for prices.

Should be able to pick up an Alpha 156 for about 20p then after the plate change!

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

For more info on the MG ZT, have a little look on the '75 and ZT owners club' website & forum. (Google it). It's a mine of good gen. And with that kind of support there really is no need to worry about dealers and parts.

and a little bird has told me that the ZT has been voted 'sportscar of the year' by an Auto Express 'driver-power' survey. The Rover 75 was voted best used family car recently by What car too.

(hardly surprising, they are much derided and hence under-valued as those who know nothing about cars would sell their own grandmother to own something with a German badge on the bonnet)

And finally, because they are sooooooo many around, used prices for 2-3 year old mondeos are ridiculously low. They might not be sporty, but they are a really good car. Familiarity does not a bad car make - just ask owners of the new mini.

 

[MrMasher]

I have just looked in a few newer mondeos this weekend. They are horrid. Cheap looking plastic, even the ST version. Suprised me really as I have had 2 mk1 mondeos and have always been a fan of them to be honest. What a let down.
I had a look around a Saab which I must say was very nice. My fave though was an S type Jag. Dreams though, with a 4 litre V8, its not really going to eat petrol is it?!
X type Jag, 2 litre Diesel Sport looks like a good buy though. Its slightly pricier but sits in tax band C and could return over 50 mpg. But at 9 grand its more than I want to spend.

 

[monobrow]

I got a T Reg Mondeo 1.8 Zetec. Not too bad on the fuel side of things (although I would have prefered a diesel when I was looking). I got it for £2,000 when it were 5 years old and that was 'king cheap at the time with 40,000 on the clock.

I got no complaints with it. done almost 40,000 miles in it and not one major let down. Might have to get the cambelt done soon though before it hits the 100,000 mark.

 

[MrMasher]

I got a T Reg Mondeo 1.8 Zetec. Not too bad on the fuel side of things (although I would have prefered a diesel when I was looking). I got it for £2,000 when it were 5 years old and that was 'king cheap at the time with 40,000 on the clock.

I got no complaints with it. done almost 40,000 miles in it and not one major let down. Might have to get the cambelt done soon though before it hits the 100,000 mark.

Mk2 Mondeo. I looked over one yesterday on a T plate. 109,000 miles, 2.5 V6 Ghia X. £1295
Tempted, but the Mondy V6 at that mileage needs its cooling looking at. Head gaskets pop easily unless you have your water pump impeller changed from plastic to metal!

 

[Penguins Suck]

right yous hogwait begal listen in
i fink i mite have a problem wiv mines saxo. becos petral is so expencive nows and i want to help the enivro mentalist i have started driving mines Saxo as fast as i can so that i spend less time on a journey, i have also started not to use 4th and 5th gears to save petrol. I also reduced the tyre pressure so i was not carring the extra weight of the air but the consumption of MPG on mines saxo has fallen rite down. wot do yous think mite be rong wiv it..;

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

right yous hogwait begal listen in
i fink i mite have a problem wiv mines saxo. becos petral is so expencive nows and i want to help the enivro mentalist i have started driving mines Saxo as fast as i can so that i spend less time on a journey, i have also started not to use 4th and 5th gears to save petrol. I also reduced the tyre pressure so i was not carring the extra weight of the air but the consumption of MPG on mines saxo has fallen rite down. wot do yous think mite be rong wiv it..;

Absolutely nothing wrong with the car Kevin. However, to help you out a little may I suggest you turn your music system up a little louder – this will drown-out the noise of the engine as you cruise along in 3rd. If it’s not loud enough, fit a really powerful pre-amp that will take a huge power feed from the alternator.

Also, turn the air-con on full blast (if fitted) as this will help keep the engine cool – we all know that a hot engine uses more petrol.

Finally, try carrying a few bags of sand around in the boot all the time. Sand is great absorber of carbon dioxide and will help reduce your carbon emissions even further!

And well done you for being so ecologically aware!!!

 

[grumpyoldb]

Q, for Mr Bengo.
Why do you say it costs more to have a diesel serviced?

I have just had my 5 month old golf 1.9TDI on it's first service, @12,000 miles.
All the dealer changed was oil and filters. It now does not need another service for another 2 years or at 36,000 miles. (Although I'll probably clock that up in about 8 months).

There are no ignition/electrical items to change/adjust.
The whole system is so less complicated.

Just curious.DT_Xtremez_19:

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

Q, for Mr Bengo.
Why do you say it costs more to have a diesel serviced?

I have just had my 5 month old golf 1.9TDI on it's first service, @12,000 miles.
All the dealer changed was oil and filters. It now does not need another service for another 2 years or at 36,000 miles. (Although I'll probably clock that up in about 8 months).

There are no ignition/electrical items to change/adjust.
The whole system is so less complicated.

Just curious.DT_Xtremez_19:

Might not be true accross the board, but diesel servicing tends to be slightly more expensive due to the type of oil required for modern turbo-diesels and the cost of the filter. That 12000 mile service would have been a minor service, major services might make your wallet squeek.

Also, I based my assumption on what garages charge and you tend to find that they charge more for diesels. They're not daft - and I bet the greedy robbing main dealer service centres are rubbing their grubby hands with glee when they consider such a high number of cars are now sold with skinflint juice-drinking powerplants.

 

[grumpyoldb]

Might not be true accross the board, but diesel servicing tends to be slightly more expensive due to the type of oil required for modern turbo-diesels and the cost of the filter. That 12000 mile service would have been a minor service, major services might make your wallet squeek.

Also, I based my assumption on what garages charge and you tend to find that they charge more for diesels. They're not daft - and I bet the greedy robbing main dealer service centres are rubbing their grubby hands with glee when they consider such a high number of cars are now sold with skinflint juice-drinking powerplants.

Thanks for that.
Next service doesn't worry me. The vehicle is on a three year lease, and I only have to pay for the first service. The rest are free, and so is the tax disc.DT_Xtremez_31:

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

Thanks for that.
Next service doesn't worry me. The vehicle is on a three year lease, and I only have to pay for the first service. The rest are free, and so is the tax disc.DT_Xtremez_31:

you don't get nuffink for free guv!

You're paying for the service and the tax disc in your monthly lease payment.

Would an equivalent lease on an equivalent petrol have been cheaper?

 

[grumpyoldb]

you don't get nuffink for free guv!

You're paying for the service and the tax disc in your monthly lease payment.

Would an equivalent lease on an equivalent petrol have been cheaper?

Very possibly, but it's paid for by our business, and is 100% claimable on tax as it is only used for work.
I use my gas guzzling (30mpg) Frontera outside work.

The VW is excellant quality, although I find the suspension a bit stiff for my liking. You don't half feel the bumps.

Thanks for the advise on these threads btw.

 

[Ex-Bay]

03 Vauhall Astra Clutch /gearbox

03 Vauhall Astra Clutch /gearbox

My car been doing strange things lately. It's a diesel Astra and occasionally, it gets stuck in a gear (usually first), and quite difficult to pull out.

Is this clutch problem?


As to cost of serviceing, my Astra gets serviced once a year or 20,000 miles and costs a of hundred and something quid at my local garage (200 minimum at the main dealer). Last time I needed a new rear spring (bloody lumps in the road).

::

 

[grumpyoldb]

My car been doing strange things lately. It's a diesel Astra and occasionally, it gets stuck in a gear (usually first), and quite difficult to pull out.

Is this clutch problem?


As to cost of serviceing, my Astra gets serviced once a year or 20,000 miles and costs a of hundred and something quid at my local garage (200 minimum at the main dealer). Last time I needed a new rear spring (bloody lumps in the road).

::

Wifey has a Citroen (spit........)szara td estate.
Its a few years old now with about 110k on the clock.
It has a yearly service at the main dealer which includes mot for £119.
The mot is not done by the dealer. I can't see another garage failing a car on an mot after the dealer has serviced it.
Its value for money as far as I can see it.

Vauxhall dealers are a rip off as far as I am concerned.

We used to run a vectra.
It went into the local dealer for service. We got a phone call to say that it would cost £380 to service the rear brakes.

When I checked into it, I was told that they had to service all of the brakes on the rear axle at the same time.
Turns out that you should not service the brakes on one wheel hub without the other on the same axle. Vauxhall interpret this as having to service the brakes on the whole back axle at the same time.
Disc brakes + handbrake drum shoes.

The handbrake was fine and had just passed MOT.

Two years later, The same dealer tried the same trick with me on my frontera.
I bought a set of disc pads from my local accesory shop for £12 and it passed the mot.