Also:
prior to purchase, mine had:
-new clutch, starter and flywheel at about 78k miles
-injector recode x 1
and I've had to:
-fit new rear calipers
-fit a new o/s front driveshaft
these are all known issues, so par for the course.
My big worry is the fuel system letting go- an uneconomical repair. That said, its still unlikely- Humph B has had about a hundred of them and had no issues at all.
Its great to drive, roomy, does about 51mpg average, quick if you need it to be, reasonable to fix. I like it, but sometimes wish I'd went for another VW TDI 1.9, which are economical and would appear to have unburstable fuelling.
tt
Edited by theterranaut on 23/07/2009 at 16:24
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sometimes wish I'd went for another VWTDI 1.9 which are economical and would appear to have unburstable fuelling.
That's funny! the reason I need the mondeo is that out passat 1.9tdi just blew the turbo...
Oh well.
Andy
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Humph B has had about a hundred of them and had no issues at all.
;-))
I'd buy it. Um....where did you say it was again........?
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Thanks for that. Here's what Parkers guide says for the model I'm looking at (based on 60k vs my 48k):
Original Price £20,150
Franchised Dealer £4,350
Independent Dealer £4,000
Private Good £3,685
Private Poor £2,850
Part Exchange £3,175
Which is maybe in line with what you said.
Andy
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yes- £3500 does seem a bit high. Shame about that Passat! Isn't a turbo repair a possibility?
They are good cars, really. If I could just shake my lingering doubts about the fuel system... but when you look there are bazillions on the road, so who knows the percentage of actual faults?
One thing I should add- if you have bikes- as Humph and I do- and like to take those bikes to locations like Glentress, etc- as Humph and I do- then its ideal. Open the tailgate, bikes in sans wheels- no drag. I can get 3 bikes and 3 humans in mine. Lovely.
(Innerleithen on Sunday....)
tt
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I used to live near Peebles theterranaut, but we are now in Cheshire so are often to be found getting muddy in Delamere forest. Not sure I could cope with Glentress now.....bit steep in parts for an old 'un.
Once went up there in deep snow which was hard but coming back down was even more interesting. Brakes didn't work...........
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It will be a lot cheaper to fix the turbo than buy another car especially one that is renown for blowing turbos.Try mick the turbo on ebay should be around £180 old modeos are wallet emptiers.
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Never too old Humph.... :) Snow you say?? Gung-ho!
Wish I didn't keep falling off though...
Edited by theterranaut on 23/07/2009 at 17:27
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Passat turbo repair?
1997 car, 117k miles, just failed the MOT, needing ~£250 for the MOT. £3-400 for the turbo (fitted), cat gone due to oil dripping out of the end of the exhaust £300(?), and other cosmetic faults that we never had sorted, due a cambelt £150. Total ~£1150, car value ~£1000.
Mondeo tdci zetec s?
Having viewed the car twice today, driven it once (8 country road miles), MOT'd for 11 months, taxed 6 months, wife checked it out, just left a deposit of £50.
Car does genuinely look excellent, inside and out. And I believe the 48k miles is genuine (famous last words!). Paying cash and picking it up on Saturday!
What do you get for £3.5k these days? an immaculately looking 2003 tdci mondeo zetec s estate, 6 gears, 130bhp, 48k miles with 11 months MOT? it's a lot of car. I'll keep you all posted with any regrets I may have...
Could I have got another elsewhere for a few hundred quid less? possibly.
Could I go on holiday next week without it? no.
Andy.
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Sounds like a great car! Enjoy! :-)
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Make sure the the suspension does not squeak. My 53 Mondeo did and the bushes had gone. But that was when I'd had it less than 2 years so about 4+ years ago now.
Also make sure it does not smoke a lot on acceleration as that could indicate an EGR problem. Mine had that too.
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Enjoy it Harry. Let us know how you get on.
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First potential expense.
It only has one key...
£130+ for a new one??
hh
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It only has one key... £130+ for a new one??
Thats a fair price!
many other manufacturers keys are in excess of £200....
get a spare ASAP - the expense of NOT having a spare would be much more than £130.......
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Its possible to get a key cut at a locksmith etc and fit a transponder chip.
Often, the plastic part of generic keys you get from a key cutter are in two halves with a little cavity for the transponder chip. Its possible (certainly for vauxhalls) to get this transponder chip from "a popular auction site" for about 3 quid. Take it to an automotive locksmith and he'll code it to your car using the current working key. Make sure you get the right chip though. For later Vauxhalls you need the "crypto" chip.
This way I got my transponder key done for about 40 pounds.
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P.S to be fair to vauxhall, they only charge 10+VAT for a new transponder chip.
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when you look there are bazillions on the road so who knows the percentage of actual faults?
My view on common rail diesels in general.
When you consider that about 6 million cars have been sold in the UK in the past 3 yrs alone, and that diesel has held about a 40% market share, that's nearly 2.5 million new diesel cars on the road in that time alone. That's without the light commercial stuff. Go all the way back to the start of mass market common rail diesels in around the millennium, and you can probably safely assume that 6 million diesel cars have been sold in the UK since 2000, and for arguments sake, 2 million of those have common rail engines.
A local taxi firm is running 03 reg Mondeo TDCis with 200-300k on the clock and they're still reliable. We run Renault and Vauxhall/Saab diesels to 100-150k on our company fleet with no more significant or regular problems.
I hope the OP enjoys what will be a lovely car to own and to drive.
Cheers
DP
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Thats a very fair point DP. Its nice to actually get some hard figures.
Go for it OP!
tt
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Go for it OP!
OP here... and having second, third and fourth thoughts.
I've since found out that:
1. (although it's been registered to him for 3.5 years) the seller is a well known home trader - but isn't registered as a trader. And he's not a very reputable one. Buying from a trader, but with no legal rights??
2. The central part of the dash, which should be silver on a zetec S, is black (where the radio sits).
3. Both bumbers have been repaired + sprayed, current owner said "news to me, must be before I had it" - yeah right! a trader unaware that his car had been repaired?
4. Partly due to (1)-(3) I'm now casting doubt on the stamped service book (no reciepts), and the usefulness of the 12 month MOT.
Might walk away and loose my £50 deposit...
...I hate buying used cars! anybody know a good one for sale??
hh
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Harry - I'm a huge fan of these cars. However, with what you have since discovered.......Odds on it's an LX tarted up. Sounds hookey anyway. I'd walk....
:-(
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I agree with Humph.
Your gut instinct is usually right when car shopping. If it tells you the car or seller is a wrong 'un, listen to it.
Plenty more out there.
Cheers
DP
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Get sight of the MoT certificate and note the reference numbers, then check out its Mot history online.
I think (?) that the online record may also give mileages at previous MoTs.
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A DVLA reg check will tell you if it is a Zetec S or not...........
tiny.cc/zwC34
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Hi all,
Thanks for all the helpful tips, suggestions and support.
We bought another one!
2006 (55 plate) tdci 130 LX estate, one previous (fleet) owner, with fleet history print-out, and from a proper dealer. 12 months mot, and a service. 74k miles, but a super car me-thinks.
Not got all the bells and whistles, but have got complete peace of mind. Still. there is climate control, cruise, 'leccy seat, etc etc.
Should tow my caravan a treat. All I've got to do now is source a towbar, and fit it before Saturday... (which involves cutting a hole in the bumper!)
Well pleased! (and I can sleep at night)
Andy
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Well done and good luck with it - that sounds like the sort of car that Humph Backbridge would buy, look after carefully and run for ages without trouble.
It's age rather than mileage that wears a car out, and hopefully this one should have done mostly motorway driving and have lots of life left in it.
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Good stuff Harry, instinct is key when buying. But:
"Not got all the bells and whistles...still, there is climate control, cruise, 'leccy seat, etc etc."
That would do me!
tt
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