First, many thanks to all those who have taken the time and had the patience to reply to what must sometimes seem like stupidly basic questions from myself. All I'll say in my defence is that I'm an Electronics/Software Engineer, not a motor mechanic!!!
That's probably the root of my problem - when working on the car I tend to be a little on the slow side which is not really a great thing when the car is needed for the daily commute, although I'm OK with oil changes - plenty of practice. This results in lots of little things either not getting done, or worse, getting half done.
The car now has a multitude of faults, some of which would definitely result in MOT failure. The list goes like:
Whole car wobbles. Probably a tyre failure, but...
Spare wheel cradle jammed in position. Cant get wheel or jack.
Hydraulic pump leaking AGAIN!
Front brake discs+pads need replacing
Accumulator and rear centre spheres need replacing
Cracked headlamp
Faulty horn sounder ( makes a pathetic meeping noise )
NSF door lock intermittent using C/L (fine with the key)
Heater is lukewarm at best - blocked matrix?
Query faulty thermostat (jammed open or missing)
Intermittent speedometer
Non-functional tachometer
Usual collection of blown bulbs
Cosmetic damage to tailgate lower edge, small dent in NSF wing.
Rear bumper underside slightly cracked from the time when a tailgating Rover 45 made intimate acquaintance with my tow-bar.
As you can see, it's rather a lengthy list. So the car is coming off the road, and being replaced by the 96 Escort that's been gathering dust in the garage for two years - yes, it still runs just fine.
The big question is: Is the car worth fixing? While it's off the road I'll at least have time and space to perform the necessary labour - it's the cost of replacement parts that's my main worry. I don't want to spend a fortune on a car that's not worth a great deal anyway, and besides, I was looking to replace it quite soon in any case. Opinions, anyone?
Finally, this hasn't put me off Xantias. This particular one was a rushed buy, the majority of the minor faults have been present since I've had the car - I should never have touched it! But I still intend to get an HDi 110 sometime soon, and I'll be much more picky this time!
Stu.
I've had enough - the Ford's coming out!
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Guru Meditation
- Posts: 259
- Joined: 18 Dec 2002, 02:30
Hi Stu, I know what you mean I've just sat down and compiled a list of things that I am going to get done on my ZX in the next couple of weeks-loads of little things that annoy me and if I get them done I might feel like I'm actally driving a nice car-here is my list, from front of car to back:
Straighten Front Bumper;
Align Headlights, fit better bulbs;
Change Coolant, Check Radiator;
Change Wheel Bearing-o/s front;
Fit Alarm/remote c/l;
Fit New Wing indicator-o/s front (this bsatard thing fell out in the car park other day at work!);
Fit Dash Bulbs;
Full service, engine oil+Filter, Fuel filter, Air Filter, Brake fluid;
Fit New wiper front (current wiper makes bad contact, smears all over the place)*UPDATE*Fitted a bosch 22S with a spoiler today-praying for rain now to test
);
Re-line front doors with plastic (ripped open due to work inside doors), Lube locks, lube passenger window (slow);
Fix n/s rear door (doesn't unlock with c/l, think solenoid may have seized as the lock button shaft is green with corrosion, water must have got in);
Straighten rear panel (someone hit car while parked slightly creasing the n/s rear wheel arch, should tap out);
Replace o/s rear lense (was loading a Compaq server into boot when I cracked the lense with one of the support legs, wouldn't mind but the piggin thing didn't fit in boot and ended up on rear seat anyway!);
Front wheel alignment, straighten steering wheel (slightly off center-annoying), tyre pressures, swap wheels (front and rear over);
This is just a list of stuff that comprises of servicing, faults and niggles. I've left out other stuff like possibly replacing master cylinder and also the clutch needs doing at some point.
As for your stuff, it doesn't seem -that- expensive, just annoying and time consuming....
Not sure about the suspension and hydraulic stuff but the other things;
Spare wheel cradle-somehow unscrew with brute force then lube well with copper grease to avoid seizing or saw it off and obtain second hand bolt and hook (<£5 at a scrappie?) lube it to prevent seizing;
Front discs and pads, £30 discs, £15 pads, <2hours work;
Cracked headlamp-I seen loads of Xantias in scrappies-headlight lense £10?;
Faulty horn-scrap yard £pennies, new even air horns with compressor only £15;
N/S front door lock (hey this one plays up on my ZX too!) possibly sezied solenoid, can possibly be lubed or replaced £5-10 scrap yard, new price £?;
Lukewarm heater-fully bleed coolant system possibly?-would be annoying to have to replace the matrix;
Thermostat, replace it for £10;
Tacho-either sender (cheap), wiring fault (probably cheap), faulty instrument panel (cheap but annoying);
speedo-cable-mech at gearbox end, cable or instrument panel end (fairly cheap but big hassle);
Blown bulbs (cheap but annoying);
Cosmetic damage (if you can do it yourself pretty cheap, expensive compared to value of car if you pay someone);
The majority of those faults are cheap to fix but require a large investment in time which is annoying. I'd be tempted to fix if you have the luxury of time ie as much as you need and the tools and working facilties. Depends on condition of interior, engine and suspension provided all it needs are some spheres and the pump leak isn't terminal. The other stuff could happen to any car, bulbs etc although to have a whole list like that is so disheartening.
Straighten Front Bumper;
Align Headlights, fit better bulbs;
Change Coolant, Check Radiator;
Change Wheel Bearing-o/s front;
Fit Alarm/remote c/l;
Fit New Wing indicator-o/s front (this bsatard thing fell out in the car park other day at work!);
Fit Dash Bulbs;
Full service, engine oil+Filter, Fuel filter, Air Filter, Brake fluid;
Fit New wiper front (current wiper makes bad contact, smears all over the place)*UPDATE*Fitted a bosch 22S with a spoiler today-praying for rain now to test
);Re-line front doors with plastic (ripped open due to work inside doors), Lube locks, lube passenger window (slow);
Fix n/s rear door (doesn't unlock with c/l, think solenoid may have seized as the lock button shaft is green with corrosion, water must have got in);
Straighten rear panel (someone hit car while parked slightly creasing the n/s rear wheel arch, should tap out);
Replace o/s rear lense (was loading a Compaq server into boot when I cracked the lense with one of the support legs, wouldn't mind but the piggin thing didn't fit in boot and ended up on rear seat anyway!);
Front wheel alignment, straighten steering wheel (slightly off center-annoying), tyre pressures, swap wheels (front and rear over);
This is just a list of stuff that comprises of servicing, faults and niggles. I've left out other stuff like possibly replacing master cylinder and also the clutch needs doing at some point.
As for your stuff, it doesn't seem -that- expensive, just annoying and time consuming....
Not sure about the suspension and hydraulic stuff but the other things;
Spare wheel cradle-somehow unscrew with brute force then lube well with copper grease to avoid seizing or saw it off and obtain second hand bolt and hook (<£5 at a scrappie?) lube it to prevent seizing;
Front discs and pads, £30 discs, £15 pads, <2hours work;
Cracked headlamp-I seen loads of Xantias in scrappies-headlight lense £10?;
Faulty horn-scrap yard £pennies, new even air horns with compressor only £15;
N/S front door lock (hey this one plays up on my ZX too!) possibly sezied solenoid, can possibly be lubed or replaced £5-10 scrap yard, new price £?;
Lukewarm heater-fully bleed coolant system possibly?-would be annoying to have to replace the matrix;
Thermostat, replace it for £10;
Tacho-either sender (cheap), wiring fault (probably cheap), faulty instrument panel (cheap but annoying);
speedo-cable-mech at gearbox end, cable or instrument panel end (fairly cheap but big hassle);
Blown bulbs (cheap but annoying);
Cosmetic damage (if you can do it yourself pretty cheap, expensive compared to value of car if you pay someone);
The majority of those faults are cheap to fix but require a large investment in time which is annoying. I'd be tempted to fix if you have the luxury of time ie as much as you need and the tools and working facilties. Depends on condition of interior, engine and suspension provided all it needs are some spheres and the pump leak isn't terminal. The other stuff could happen to any car, bulbs etc although to have a whole list like that is so disheartening.
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reblack68
- Posts: 1047
- Joined: 11 Feb 2004, 01:28
Spare tyre cradles are always stuck. I've always released mine by simply pushing the cradle up against the tyre and swinging the hanger back. This only works if the hanger isn't screwed all the way down though.
Wobble could well be a tyre. My Savanna had a dreadful shake and a vicious pull to the left, both of which disappeared with a new pair of tyres.
Get the car through an MOT and sell it. Use the knowledge you've gained to buy one that's been looked after properly next time.
Wobble could well be a tyre. My Savanna had a dreadful shake and a vicious pull to the left, both of which disappeared with a new pair of tyres.
Get the car through an MOT and sell it. Use the knowledge you've gained to buy one that's been looked after properly next time.