What did you do today?

Talk about your cars etc here. Keep it sort of sensible and on topic please.
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mercrocker
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by mercrocker »

Essentially mine is in the same predicament. A major repair or electronic malfunction will see it gone. Mine is the most modern car I've owned (although not the newest in terms of age-when-bought) and it was a bit of an experiment really. There are too many pitfalls and when it is time to bin it off I shan't be getting anything like that again - I'd sooner throw some money at the Chrysler.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by paulplom »

I tried everything to get into it. The youtube vids were bullshit. I had to multitool the grille off eventually and then use a hammer and long handled screwdriver to chisel the remnants of the lock before making it accessable enough to turn it with a long handled fat screw driver. Took the best part of 45 minutes. Fucking thing.
Maybe the 2011 version had a mild facelift.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by DodgeRover »

Called Ford new pump £605+vat and 7-10 working days order time. Rock auto £138+duty etc but likely to be a week.

Bought a second hand one at £225 being delivered tomorrow. Hopefully that saves the holiday.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by SiC »

mercrocker wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:43 am Essentially mine is in the same predicament. A major repair or electronic malfunction will see it gone. Mine is the most modern car I've owned (although not the newest in terms of age-when-bought) and it was a bit of an experiment really. There are too many pitfalls and when it is time to bin it off I shan't be getting anything like that again - I'd sooner throw some money at the Chrysler.
I don't know how much you paid for yours but they are the kind of car that for better or worse can be ran as disposable appliances. Problem is when you have bought one that someone else has just done that on it. This is close to being that.
However they're still cheap enough to throw away when something fails and buy another. Easily got sub £1k now. These pre facelift cars aren't desirable either.

These petrols are mega simple and rarely any problems. Definitely prefer it to a rattly diesel. Plus it's getting 40+ mpg pretty easily. Currently reading 44mpg. Diesel would struggle to get much better with the extra cost of diesel. Cheaper tax though but not CAZ exempt. Five star NCAP, so decent in a collision too.

I believe these have issues with the dash and power steering leaking. The advantage of higher mileage cars is that most of this stuff has been sorted by now (mine appear to be).
Has stupid stretch aux belts which would make it very annoying to do anything around there though. Basically another cost cutting exercise so they don't have to fit a tensioner. I plan to not touch that area though now.

While it's tempting to do the cambelt, the water pump is recommended to. I just know that the pump will have rattly bearings and then making me do that too. Cheapest belt kit is about £36 but with water pump looking at £75. Then locking tools at £12. Before you know it, I'm in for another £100.

Hence why it makes zero sense for me to spend any more than absolutely necessary to keep it legal and safe. Even if I'd love to do a oil+air filter+plug change on it. Realistically I only do low mileage back and forth to the train station/shops anyway. Probably less than 300 miles a month or so. Just wish the tyres had more tread.

It does make a great winter beater. Heated washers and heated windscreen make it great for quicker getaways when I'm invariably running late to catch the train! Petrol engine vehicle also warms up quick enough that you get heat not long after starting. Especially useful on short winter journeys.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by mercrocker »

Mine's a Style (read Skinflint) edition so no heated screen or washers. Does have the 1800 though so cam chain. Paid 2K for mine from a well established local dealer 3 years ago - at the high end of retail which is unusual for me. It has thrown one warning light at me so far - swirl flaps which I got replaced. It is much happier on Esso Super than it was on the cheaper stuff, I switched when E10 came in but I reckon on close to 40mpg on a run.

Really it was a cheap runabout for Mrs R. that could also step in for long distance if necessary and something I can, as you say, drive all Winter without worrying about destroying something more worthy.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by SiC »

I think the 1.8 is a different engine lineage and hence the cam chain. The 1.6 is in the same lineage as the 1.25/1.4 and I believe originally designed with Yamaha. I believe they started in the sad face Fiestas.
Revvy unit that likes to be thrashed. Unlike the equivalent sized and age units that Vauxhall/GM used.

Has a cambelt but according to the skinflints on AS, this is a chunky thing and usually it's the tensioners that fails. But that probably doesn't take into account the fact mine is cracking...

I don't think this has swirl flaps or anything advanced like that. Not even a MAF, only a MAP sensor. Quite happy running on E10 too.

Apart from the tyres, in this weather I'd also appreciate working air conditioning! Tempting to get a cheap regas kit but probably a waste of money given it's not been gassed for years and likely full of air.

Oh and the left window can be a bit slow on the way up too. No idea if window regulators give issues on these?

This is a Focus Zetec Climate whatever that means. Doesn't have climate control though despite the name...?
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by mercrocker »

Everything on my heap works as it should, thankfully....I had the 1.4 in a Fezza and found it a great engine, nicer in some ways than the 1800 which gets a bit thrummy at higher cruising speeds. No idea what Climate means, it just seemed to become a trim level like Zetec....
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by SiC »

Ah! The 1.8 engine is the Mazda lump. We had that in an MX-5 Mk3. Nice engine but we had one early in its life. I believe they can be problematic with burning oil and bottom end failures in the mx5. No idea if the same on Ford installations but I imagine they get thrashed much less.

The 1.6 is the Sigma lump.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by PhilA »

Mazda by far over-specced the oil change interval to try keep up with the big boys back in the day.
I doubt they actually did much other than just say to change it at a longer interval.
My old man has one of the last of that series engines in his 3 and that was one of my first warnings to him- ignore the factory manual and change the oil more regularly.
He's doing short trips in it now, changes the oil every 3-4000 miles or so and he says it comes out dirty.
It must be like sludge at the factory 20,000.
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Re: What did you do today?

Post by mercrocker »

Change mine every 3000. Comes out clean....Mrs R is however under strict instructions to never turn the car off until the temp gauge is normal and the heater is blowing hot. She sometimes does what I consider to be injuriously short distances at times, otherwise.

Bought a hideously expensive litre of top up oil (can't remember what the grade is but as per Ford) and haven't opened it yet....
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