Just needs...

[sierraman]

Had to laugh on eBay the amount of Mondeo TDCIs with the flashing glow plug problem. The advert inevitably goes like this...

 

'Just needs EGR cleaning out, 10 minute job...'

 

'Needs a new intercooler pipe'

 

'Bin told by my garage it just needs a service that's all'

 

So it's not the injectors or the pump failing then...

 

Another is mentioning it's just had the starter motor emptied of all the metal filings like it's a great selling point that the DMF is on its way out.

 

Any other warning signs or attempts to pull the wool over your eyes type stories?

[tooSavvy]

Check all bulbs* come on when you hit 'p1' with ign...

 

TS

 

*check glovebox for a black permanent marker

[Tamworthbay]

I looked at a T25 described as 'never welded' whilst technically true it missed the point that it need about 200 hours of work doing before it would be structurally solid again. Luckily for the owner Stevie Fucking Wonder had just opened the MoT place around the corner from him, at least I assume that's what had happened.

[Sigmund Fraud]

"Just needs a new head gasket, they're £10 on ebay."

[rantingYoof]

When I sold my TDCi Mondeo, I declared that it had MOT and tax (at the time) and would need new tyres and a service. I also copied and pasted the fault code into the advert, described the fault as given to me by the garage and simply said 'it will need THIS fixing, whatever that entails'.

 

On the test drive I made the guy drive it to the local dual carriageway and trigger limp home mode by giving it full beans. I got him to do it twice to emphasise that it would need addressing soon.

 

Advertised it for £800 and, rather amazingly, agreed to £700 cash. I was expecting tumble weed for couple of weeks and to let it go for £300 or something.

 

I think it's now on nearly 200k, so fair play.

[Bren]

This generally applies to most secondhand diesels of a certain vintage - in fact I think there are more fucked ones than good ones.

[sierraman]

I just turned the lamp out and it behaved long enough for the test drive. Spared them the bollocks about it wanting a 5p fuse to sort out the dense grey shit it was chucking out the back.

 

Another one... 'just had loads of welding for the test'. Great, it's a fucking sieve.

 

It surprises me what crap people put up with, no end of ads say stuff like 'engine cuts out occasionally but it's never bothered me'. Probably will bother you when it cuts out at 60 and the steering lock engages.

[Jazoli]

AC Just needs a regas......yeah right

 

Although strangely enough on the wife's 207 that's all it needed.

 

Anything with 'just needs' or 'cheap fix' should be avoided, saw some chancer trying to shift an 8 year old Corsa to a young lass saying the car just needed a head gasket which was £20 from the parts place, I just had to inform her that it will also need about £300 of labour to fit it, strangely the guy went quiet after that.

[mercrocker]

Just needs.....

 

"Welded".     Yeah and you need grammar.  

 

"TLC"  as in "The Lot Changing" 

 

"Paint".   Usually 2K car needing 4K respray.   

 

"Putting back together"     It's not all there or necessarily the same vehicle, though.

 

"A tune up"  or "A good service"   Usually indicative of No. 4, 6 or 8 spark plug inextricably crossed into an alloy head.  

 

"A couple of weekend's worth of work"   If by that you are referring to over 100 hours of a top barrister on a call-out fee.....  

 

"Using"   You won't be doing that for a while, either.

[sierraman]

How bad does it need to be that performance and reliability is suffering because it needs a service. By that point you are shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

 

I like the ones where it's got short MOT 'but no time m8' to put another on. Usually either failed big style recently or the garage has told them not to bring it back again after the advisorys have gone on to two pages.

[Broadsword]

Although not a solution to the problem, I've had a boon with the DVLA MOT history check. Looks at any X-type Jag for example and you can confirm it is rotten. A good one was a XJ40 LPG conversion I spotted on Gumtree recently. It had quite a detailed ad, but it had strange typos which is always a worry. The owner commented on how it had been welded in the past, but there was no mention of rust in the most recent MOT. Turns out it had been for three MOTs recently each with different problems. First two failed on rust in a big way (in the same area). Third one had advisory on rust in the same areas. Also the boot was stuck shut I learnt. Going on the MOT test numbers the guy went around different stations until he got the desired result.

[Bren]

Although not a solution to the problem, I've had a boon with the DVLA MOT history check. Looks at any X-type Jag for example and you can confirm it is rotten. A good one was a XJ40 LPG conversion I spotted on Gumtree recently. It had quite a detailed ad, but it had strange typos which is always a worry. The owner commented on how it had been welded in the past, but there was no mention of rust in the most recent MOT. Turns out it had been for three MOTs recently each with different problems. First two failed on rust in a big way (in the same area). Third one had advisory on rust in the same areas. Also the boot was stuck shut I learnt. Going on the MOT test numbers the guy went around different stations until he got the desired result.

Guy sounds a fucking hero. He should be on here.

[taxi paul]

"Needs someone to appreciate it" this was my dad's car I found it in the garage when clearing him off to the nursing home. It's a pile of crap but my mate reckons it's worth loads ..