02 Plate MG-ZR Help Please.

[Charlie Croker]

Hi all. Well new year new car....ive got rid of the Vectra and ended up with a rather nice MG-ZR 1.4 in a very dark blue.....in fact it looks black. Low mileage at 50k and a service history. All in its cost me about £900. What i would like to know is what to watch for and how to prevent the dreaded HGF. Any advice is welcome. Thanks guys.,

[dollywobbler]

Pics!

 

More seriously, keep an eye on the coolant lever. Not sure if they'd got a low coolant warning by that stage anyway, but I know such a device can be retro-fitted to the MGF. If the coolant looks gunky, change it. Most importantly, never rag the engine until it's had a chance to fully warm up.

[ashmicro]

What DW said. 02 is too old to have a coolant level sensor. Make sure the coolant is a nice, clean pink-orange. If not, change it at once for OAT spec 5 year coolant. As said, don't rag it from cold, and make sure there is enough oil in the gearbox.

 

Enjoy, they're great cars.

 

 

BTW if you want an owners handbook I can email you a PDF one.

[Cavcraft]

All of the above plus change the coolant on a regular basis.

[Charlie Croker]

Thanks guys. I will try and get some pics up Ian. I dont know if this is strange but its a real boggo spec one.....no leccy windows or central locking...manual mirrors in fact sod all.lol. Mind you less to go wrong i suppose.lol.

[ashmicro]

Means yours isn't the "+". There's a boggo one round here too - keep fit windows, no fogs, no lamp in the rear spoiler, no metal trim in the bumper around the tailpipe.

 

That said, MG Rover were crap at getting the trim in models correct. My 25 came with a stainless steel exhaust, which was special order, and I didn't pay for. The model I have was supposedly available only as a 1.4 Petrol or a L Series 2.0 diesel. I asked about getting a 1.6 pez, and the saleswoman said, "Yep, no problems". Colour was special order too, which I DID ask for, but thay didn't factor the £320 into the final price. My mate bought one the same day, and his came with 282mm vented discs, which weren't even listed as a cost option. Maybe stuff like this is why they went bust!

[Station]

The problem with the K-series is there are so many issues from owners that you don't know what to believe. I think up to now, every single engine component has been blamed for HGF.

You can now get uprated thermostats (that doesn't flood the engine with cold water when it's opened leading to alleged thermo-shock), and coolant temp sensors (that light a red LED on the temp dial when it gets low).

Also, K-seal works fine on these engines - people say it blocks the coolant galleries and radiator, etc which it doesn't.

 

If it's showing no signs of overheating - it'll be OK if you don't rag it from cold.

The first sign of overheating, get the headgasket changed ASAP - you run the genuine risk of warping the head, and the block and it's damp liners.

 

Results from MLS gasket so far are that they work on previously un-overheated engines. My ex's MGF has been running completely trouble free for a year since I changed everything as far as I know (typically).

[Lord Sterling]

Yo! Well done our Charlie, sounds like you got yourself a nice car. If you need any bits there are good MG-Rover specialists around here who can help, try and join one of the MG-Rover sites, they are bit OMGz!!! LUK aT MY MODZZZ yO!!!! but there are people who can help you with other bits if you need them.

 

We want pics.

[face]

I'd quite like one of these ZR 1.4's as my next car, but not being spanner-minded have found myself put off by the horror stories that I read.

[Charlie Croker]

Aye i think its a good one. Its got window tints...smoked rear lights and front indicators. Thats not normally my thing but its nice and not in your face.lol. Good thing is my good pal who i got it off broke up a 04 plater thats exactly the same and hes keeping the bits in his garage just in case i need anything....and he has the full car minus the engine so happy days.