MK2 HDi 110 Estate...

[RichardW]

...arrives at mine at the weekend 2001X, only 50k miles in good order.

Finally managed to track one down that hadn't been to the moon and back or been used as farm transport, and was within easy distance of home. OK, it's only a poverty spec Forte, and it was a bit pricey, but a lot cheaper than a tired C5, and I can work on most of it 8)

Anybody know if you can exchange MK1 and MK2 steering wheels? I know I'd have to change the airbag and stereo controls, just wondering if the frame is the same size - the leather covered one in my MK1 VSX is much better than the plastic one in the Forte

MK1 VSX for sale: run-it-till-it-dies / spares / repair (advert to follow in For Sale section).

[lolingram]

...arrives at mine at the weekend 2001X, only 50k miles in good order.

Finally managed to track one down that hadn't been to the moon and back or been used as farm transport, and was within easy distance of home. OK, it's only a poverty spec Forte, and it was a bit pricey, but a lot cheaper than a tired C5, and I can work on most of it 8)

May I ask how much Richard?

[RichardW]

£3k Most I've ever paid for a car.... Seems highish but it's from a trader who's sorting out a few blemishes, and I've seen rough looking 80k milers for £2k private sales

[toldemoldham]

Richard keep your eye on the front door hinges if door starts to droop u might think its the pins like i did but it turns out to be the hinges wanting to seperate them selves off the body due to rubbish welds,its only the estate i think that does this and drivers door fell off my 1998 estate with no warning so beware ok.paul.

[XantiaMan]

Sounds like a good buy. I would be tempted by a C5 where it not for its odd looks, the Xantia still looks good in the right colour. Mine is getting on a bit and i think the only thing that could replace it in a year or two is a last of the line Xantia 110 HDi.. now try find me a black one!

[RichardW]

Got it now

Trouble is, I let my wife loose with the keys, and now she has taken a shine to it, and I don't think I'm going to get a look in

Can't really find anything wrong with it: needs the usual height corrector lubrication, and probably LHM change. HDi 110 engine gives loads more low down pull than the old 1.9TD. Wife's comment "I'll get a speeding ticket if I drive this." Hope she hurries up so I can have it back

I checked the hinge / body welds, all looks solid - however, the top hinge was breaking away from the door on the driver's side. Bodyshop has welded it, but we'll see how long it lasts before it needs a new one. At least it's silver, so finding another one in the right colour shouldn't be too hard 8)

[Peter.N.]

Now that's not very kind.

[RichardW]

OK, had it a month, put 3k miles on it Have shaken a few gremlins out of it.

The fuel gauge is hopelessly optimistic - as of this morning it has covered 550 miles since fill up, and it's still reading > 1/4 - usual MK11 behaviour? I seem to be getting about 45mpg (does this sound about right for a 'briskly' driven 110 estate?), so I would expect to have used about 55 litres - light should be coming on soon - but I don't know if it works or not - never dared let it get down that far

The speedo comes from the same school of optimism as the fuel gauge - it jumps up as soon as you move off, then reads well above real speed (we have these handy speedo checking devices around all our towns now 8) ) - but then sometimes will drop back a few MPH and give an almost exact reading. On Sunday (driving from Guildford to Glasgow.... ) I was getting periods of almost exact operation (76mph @ 2750 rpm), compared to 'normal' operation of 85ish mph @ 2750 rpm. Another MK11 'feature'?

Occasionally you can beat the synchro changing down into first - not really a graunch, just a slightly rough change. Might try changing the gear oil - although I hear this is difficult on the ML5T box? Also sometimes refuses to engage reverse - but I think this is more to do with the operator's position of the gear lever than anything else - 5th / rev is quite close to 3rd / 4th - unlike the BE3 box in the ZX where it appears to be in the next street when you swap between the two cars.

That's it really. Very pleased with it - plenty of grunt, smooth and comfortable. Miss the edge of the Hydractive handling, but this is not bad (205 tyres help I guess). I find the seats better than the VSX (lumbar support - which never suits me - not so intrusive). The throttle is a bit of a pain on long runs though - it needs so little (of what seems quite a long travel) that the foot position is quite high giving me ankle ache. I need some platforms Very tough to keep it down below the limit (30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 - there's so much urge!).

In reply to my earlier post, no the MK1 and MK11 wheels are not interchangeable. I was please to find when getting it up on ramps that the servicing it has seen has included lubricating the height correctors. Pretty sure it needs an LHM change though.

[KP]

My mk2 TD seems to be getting about the same as your HDI but i dont drive too hard most of the time and turn the engine off when i know ill be waiting more than 15seconds at a set of lights or junction

Ive got just over half a tank done and im about 2mm under the half way mark and ive done 430mile-ish

The last half of the tank does seem to drop a heck of a lot quicker and i have got 590 out of my last tank before she refused to start for me once i parked up on an incline but then that wasn't an easy lot of driving as i had some heavy bits in the car and mainly town driving

The speedo i have found seems to be near bob on below 50 but once about there overreads by about 5-10% mostly but never changes and yes as soon as you move a tiny bit the speedo jumps to 10mph 205 tyres help a heck of a lot with the handling and the ride i have found but it does depend on the pressures. im running 34 at the front and 31 on the rear of mine(PSI) and its quite smooth mostly but will drop a psi or two when the weather gets wetter more often for better traction

Ah yes mine also has the door hinge problem but its not too bad yet but i do need to get it welded up

[rory_perrett]

Series 2 - 2.1td

Fuel gauge always reads higher first thing in the morning, suspect that is when the battery voltage is lowest.

After filling up needle doesn't move for 1st 120 miles
Down to 3/4 at 220miles
Reads 1/2 at 400miles
drops to 1/4 by 500miles
At top of red section around 600miles
Light on by about 620 miles at which point I would get about 58 litres in.

Most I've ever got in is 67 litres, not bad for a 65 litre tank!

Rory (Who obviously spends far too much time looking at his fuel gauge)

[RichardW]

Well, the HDi has been on fleet for 2 years now, so thought I would post an update. I laugh when I see car mags, and they say they are doing a long term 'proper' test, and do about 8k miles in a year.... Mileage has just clicked over 88,000, so it has done 41k in 2 years - would have been more, but the Picasso has taken over some of the longer runs due to easier child access. So it's 'only' doing about 20k a year - now that is getting on towards a proper long term test in my view

It has given exceptional service really. It's had:

New front pads; new front pads, discs and cables; repair to the blower relay power supply; services; new front tyres; new rear box; reseal the boot lid liner; Forte for a leaking matrix; rear pads out and greased.

It needs:

LHM change (still!), wire for the HRW soldering up in the hinge.

Looming:

Cambelt change, matrix, main exhaust section, front tyres again, rear calipers taking off (I chickened out last time when the first bolt wouldn't come at all easily).

The speedo is still rubbish (one day I will get it out and re-solder it). The gearbox still crunches into first sometimes, but it's much better, and it hardly ever baulks reverse now.

Do I still like it? Oh, yes!

Planing to change it? Not immediately, but I'd be tempted if a sorted Exclusive HDi 110 of similar condition turned up locally. I'd like to get it past some of my motoring milestones:

Longest owned* (4 years, BX DTR Turbo Hatch, F778 GPP) not until Aug 2011.
Largest mileage in my ownership (70k, that BX) - approx Feb 2011
Highest total milage (136k, that BX again) - approx Feb 2012
First to 150k (Oct 2012), 200k (Feb 2015) perhaps?

Basically I just get in it and drive it, and use it like a builder's van, to which it seems perfectly suited!

*actually that is the Visa, which we've had since 2001 but since it was only on the road 2 months, I don't really count that as 'ownership'.

Next update in 2 years?

[Xantidote]

Hi Richard

Searching old threads, I formed the impression that some members prefer the Mk 1, but I take it you enjoy the Mk 2. How's the bodywork? Any rusting? On my Mk1, I now see rust a little in the rear door frame on top of the sill, at the seam, and I wonder how long before I need to look for a replacement vehicle. Had also thought I'd prefer an estate, but been put off by some members comments about quality of the estates not being as good as the saloons.

Martin

[RichardW]

Aug 2009 RW Wrote: "Next update in 2 years?"

Well, it's not quite 2 years, but I thought another update was in order. It's been in for its MOT today and passed Now showing nearly 115k - we have slowed the mileage a bit due to using the Picasso much more. I think it has moved into best car territory now - has needed very little doing to it since I've had it, considering the mileage it's covered. It will soon pass 70k in my hands, making it the largest mileage covered by me, and then August I will have had it 4 years. 150k will take a bit more time, at only 16k / year now.

Alternator replaced, new cambelt etc fitted, new fuel filter fitted. Rear brakes, windscreen, LHM change still outstanding . Getting a new inner track arm today, and I will treat it to new drop links I think as they are pretty rattly now.

Well pleased

Hope it doesn't disgrace itself on the way home....

[rmunns]

Richard, how can you get such a poor fuel consumption? I believe 110's have lower consumption than 90's, but on my 90 it's not possible to get under 48mpg and on a long motorway run it's 53 or so.

In mid 2009 I got a low miles forte saloon (38k, 2000X) but have put on over 25000miles in 22 months.

Touch wood, just wiper blades, 4 tyres, replaced LHM with flusher, new spheres at the back (transformed the ride) and front discs/pads. Oh, and a new battery, the one I took off 3 months ago was the original (dated May 2000).

Theyre grrrrrreat!

[RichardW]

Lead boots, it's an estate, the rear brakes are dragging....

Hopefully I'll get to the rear brakes this year, see what that does for it!