Ask a Shiter

[Bobthebeard]

MG ZT 160 KV6 related question....

Bought from Chompysnake of this parish and am very pleased with the car. Looks and drives very well. Mileage is circa 96K and thus due a change of belts. In the back of the handbook is the service history section which is complete up to 61K in 2008. Thing is, instead of just stating the work carried out, it says " work carried out or recommended"!. In 2007 it has written in " timing belts and tensioners, plus main brake pipes" but no idea if done or just recommended..

Given the religious service history up until, and after then, at 10K intervals am tempted to think that it was actually done rather than just recommended...

As my local friendly garage is looking at north of £500 for the belts/tensioners/waterpump change am tempted to risk the cambelt roulette and just service and drive it tbh.

Are these engines known for self destructing timing belts and engine disaster? No previous experience as never had one up until now...

Chompy has looked after it and all fluids are new looking and correct colour coolant etc...

Am I being paranoid?

[sierraman]

Scrap Value of a genuine Ford Focus Cat?

[richardmorris]

I'm going to buy a new thermostat for the Mercedes, as I've a suspicion that it's not opening fully. It's perfect when driving, just when stationary the temp rises quite quickly. Viscous fan is fine and strong just doesn't fill me with confidence to the extent that I dread long traffic jams.

 

Stupid question 1. Does this seem less logical? And 2. Is gates a good make?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191742038835?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

This makes it seem easy to replace!

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/212906-pictorial-diy-thermostat-replacement-1996-e320.html

[Lacquer Peel]

Is the water pump okay? Mercs of that vintage have plastic water pump impellers.

I'd buy a genuine thermostat if it isn't horrifically expensive, I've had bad luck with aftermarket ones.

[richardmorris]

Is the water pump okay? Mercs of that vintage have plastic water pump impellers.

Presumably-it's never overheated and runs at about 84 at this time of year. Just when in traffic it will go over 90 quite quickly and when in traffic on the m40 for an hour or two last year did get to 110 before cycling back to95 and up again. Radiator is fine and no leaks and the coolant is blue and up to the mark.

[320touring]

Presumably-it's never overheated and runs at about 84 at this time of year. Just when in traffic it will go over 90 quite quickly and when in traffic on the m40 for an hour or two last year did get to 110 before cycling back to95 and up again. Radiator is fine and no leaks and the coolant is blue and up to the mark.

if it has a viscous fan that sounds like a classic buggered wax clutch.

[Bfg]

MG ZT 160 KV6 related question....

 

..In 2007 it has written in " timing belts and tensioners, plus main brake pipes" but no idea if done or just recommended.. Given the religious service history up until, and after then, at 10K intervals am tempted to think that it was actually done rather than just recommended...

 

As my local friendly garage is looking at north of £500 for the belts/tensioners/waterpump change am tempted to risk the cambelt roulette and just service and drive it tbh.

 

Are these engines known for self destructing timing belts and engine disaster? No previous experience as never had one up until now...Chompy has looked after it and all fluids are new looking and correct colour coolant etc...

Am I being paranoid?

 

my interpretation would be that the belts were done ...as generally speaking any decent garage 'recommendations' are the equivalent to MOT 'advisories',   ie., are in regard to items which may soon or when conditions are adverse effect safety  ..rather than to simply repeat the schedule of maintenance items. 

 

Furthemore, any driver should know that their car is due for a service at 100,000 miles (or else a similar big rounded number),  so to mention only the timing-belts, tensioners and 'the main brake pipe' as a 'recommendation'  would be illogical (imo).

 

 

However......., having just bought an older car with belt driven ohc myself - I looked into lifespans of said belts, and even spoke to the tech support guys at Gates (imo one of the better manufacturers of these belts).  In particular my concern was regarding the longevity of these belts.., being made of rubber an all. 

 

It seems that most motor-manufacturers, and also the manufacturers of these belts, have a 5-year shelf-life and a 1-year after-fitting guarantee. Gates happen to have a 7-year shelf-life and a 2-year after-fitting guarantee.  The difference before & after fitting being because of the effects of heat/cold cycling of an engine in frequent use and the likelihood of oil / engine bay contamination,  verses the closed, dark & hopefully cool, stable in-box environment.

 

Cutting to the chase :  even if your belt was changed 9-years ago ..it is now way passed it's best-sell-by-date..   and when would you expect to change it .. in another five years ??   As almost all engines nowadays have interference engines (piston to valve overlap) - Is it really worth risking the old belt loosing a tooth and your engine suffering very expensively damaged. ?

 

£500 sounds a bundle of money.. have you compared garage prices ? 

fyi : My own (new) belts were about £40 pr.  SKF tensioner rollers, bought through the internet were around about £25 pr.   My car's air cooled but I can't imagine a water pump off the internet would cost so much as to take the task up to that sort of value.   On my car I had to remove the front bumper, the grille panel (front of the car),  the cooling fan,  and the surrounding cowling..  Aside from everday tools (small socket set mainly) ..I needed just one oversized socket, and a torque wrench.   And had I had the experience of doing the job before ..it wouldn't have taken me more than 2 -3 hours to complete the task on my own.

 

Hope that's useful.. Pete

[Kiltox]

Chocolate eBay drop links - anyone had a GOOD experience with them?

 

They're horrendously inexpensive but the last pair I fitted lasted about 3 weeks

[Stanky]

Generic OBD2 code readers - good or bad?

 

I have experience with Vag-Com lite and Op-Com on a laptop, but was wodering how much a generic reader/resetter gizmo cost. <£25 it turns out:

 

http://www.banggood.com/Universal-D990-OBD2-Auto-Engine-Fault-Diagnostic-Scanner-Code-Reader-p-939554.html

 

http://www.dealsmachine.com/best_292589.html?currency=GBP

 

Are these actually any good? If it really is useful then £25 is money worth spending, rather than having to buy the manufacturer-specific software and reader. If not I won't bother and will shelve my plan to get one reader for all future vehicles.

[bub2006]

Mine cost 20 quid 5 year back. Just gives codes in numerical form but its always done what I've needed. Mine is a basic 2 button job,no live data etc.

[Kiltox]

I have the one you've linked to at "banggood" (lol!) and it's excellent. Available on eBay from UK sellers for similar money.

 

Still need more specific diagnostics for some stuff but for quick and simple diagnosis it's great

[HH-R]

lol @ "banggood".

[Stanky]

Thanks chaps, £18 on op-com or £20 on a generic jobby - looks like an easy decision then.

[rantingYoof]

Is the 2.5TD engine in this '52 plate V70 the same as the one found in the Mk1 V70s?

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201601220328342

 

Seems like a good way of getting a facelift V70 whilst avoiding the D5.

 

It has the same power as the 2.4 20v petrol but I imagine it has torque on its side.

[Lacquer Peel]

I think it's mis-labelled, it has a D5 badge on the back, Total Car Check has it down as a 2401cc D5 SE and 2002 is late for a TDI.

I wouldn't write off the D5, my friend has an earlyish V70 D5 and it's been totally reliable, he's had it for years and does a lot of miles.

[rantingYoof]

So it does.

 

The second stupid question, therefore, is can rantingYoof read or not?

[HH-R]

MG ZT 160 KV6 related question....

Bought from Chompysnake of this parish and am very pleased with the car. Looks and drives very well. Mileage is circa 96K and thus due a change of belts. In the back of the handbook is the service history section which is complete up to 61K in 2008. Thing is, instead of just stating the work carried out, it says " work carried out or recommended"!. In 2007 it has written in " timing belts and tensioners, plus main brake pipes" but no idea if done or just recommended..

Given the religious service history up until, and after then, at 10K intervals am tempted to think that it was actually done rather than just recommended...

As my local friendly garage is looking at north of £500 for the belts/tensioners/waterpump change am tempted to risk the cambelt roulette and just service and drive it tbh.

Are these engines known for self destructing timing belts and engine disaster? No previous experience as never had one up until now...

Chompy has looked after it and all fluids are new looking and correct colour coolant etc...

Am I being paranoid?

 

They're not really known for it but might be due on time anyway. These have three belts, two shorter ones and one long serpentine. £500 doesn't sound too bad, I'm sure the general quote for a KV6 was about £700 when I had my 75 5/6 years ago.

[Bobthebeard]

^^

Thanks for the advice folks. I have decided that it is just too risky to drive it too far without having the belts etc changed. Have given the go ahead to local friendly garage to do the job in May when I possibly have enough* money.

Will only drive it from our static caravan back home until then. Circa 150 miles.

[purplebargeken]

That is not a bad price Dunc. 

[Bfg]

I stand corrected, MG ZT 160 cambelt replacement  This chaps say it cost him £400 including special tools to diy.

 

Those prices aren't Autoshite ...or am I just being a grey bearded old fart !    Perhaps my old Yugoslavian Shitroen wasn't such a dumb arsed purchase after all. ? 

[HH-R]

Supposedly a right pain in the arse to do, it's always been an expensive job on them.

[Rovorsche]

I have two cars that need to go away.

 

My local shed collector (ASM) used to have radio adverts for "minimum £100 for your old car" but right now they are offering £25 if I drive it there, the lack of MOT rules out driving them.

 

Has the price of scrap collapsed so much now I have two garden ornaments ?

 

These cars have baggage which is why I haven't fixed them.

 

A Toyota Yaris 1.0 VVti that was my Ex Wife's car, handed on to my daughter who finished the clutch off by driving like her mother.

A Suzuki Ignis 1.3 in poverty spec, bought as a run about while my daughter saved up to fix the Yaris'sss clutch, mot now expired and many things wrong with it.

 

Rather than fix the Yaris, my daughter bought a smart car with the money she saved so these two cars need to be moved or cubed.

 

Who pays the best money for cars these days ?

[scaryoldcortina]

Nobody. Price is up a bit but still below break even. You'll be lucky to find someone who will collect without charging you.

[The Moog]

Been offered £80 for a v40 from car take back. Which is a bit more than I though.

[sheffcortinacentre]

£50 a ton round here.

[panhard65]

^^

Thanks for the advice folks. I have decided that it is just too risky to drive it too far without having the belts etc changed. Have given the go ahead to local friendly garage to do the job in May when I possibly have enough* money.

Will only drive it from our static caravan back home until then. Circa 150 miles.

The "lady" I bought the ZT from told me the belts had been done by the previous owner, but she also forgot to mention the cat C so I would take that with a pinch of salt. To be honest I found it such a hateful car I wouldn't waste money on the belts when it would be better spent on the rusty rear suspension. One of the back plates was a bit crusty and both rear arms were starting to get pretty scruffy. Good luck with it as it gave me nothing but grief in the short period I owned it, it was so close to getting weighed in.

[Kiltox]

 

I have two cars that need to go away.

 

My local shed collector (ASM) used to have radio adverts for "minimum £100 for your old car" but right now they are offering £25 if I drive it there, the lack of MOT rules out driving them.

 

Has the price of scrap collapsed so much now I have two garden ornaments ?

 

These cars have baggage which is why I haven't fixed them.

 

A Toyota Yaris 1.0 VVti that was my Ex Wife's car, handed on to my daughter who finished the clutch off by driving like her mother.

A Suzuki Ignis 1.3 in poverty spec, bought as a run about while my daughter saved up to fix the Yaris'sss clutch, mot now expired and many things wrong with it.

 

Rather than fix the Yaris, my daughter bought a smart car with the money she saved so these two cars need to be moved or cubed.

 

Who pays the best money for cars these days ?[/quote

Stick a clutch in the Yaris, they sell quickly and for good money

[Bobthebeard]

The "lady" I bought the ZT from told me the belts had been done by the previous owner, but she also forgot to mention the cat C so I would take that with a pinch of salt. To be honest I found it such a hateful car I wouldn't waste money on the belts when it would be better spent on the rusty rear suspension. One of the back plates was a bit crusty and both rear arms were starting to get pretty scruffy. Good luck with it as it gave me nothing but grief in the short period I owned it, it was so close to getting weighed in.

I think that Chompy has sorted a lot of the niggles with the car. No more water leaks into the interior, carpets removed and cleaned etc. Sunroof drains sorted, plenums clean and dry, new pollen filter etc etc. I knew about the cat c but can find no obvious sign of repairs so assume it has been repaired well, or was written off due to slightly dented drivers door or similar cosmetic damage. The rear suspension corrosion was an advisory on the MOT so presumeably if I give it all a serious wire brushing an some Dinitrol wax it should catch it in time...

Any more info on the grief you mention it gave you Panhard? Am curious and it will give me some ideas on what I need to look at/for/fix.

[rantingYoof]

The S60 is on lowish profile 17s at the moment. The alloys are alright, although they appear to have been powdercoated a slightly darker grey at some point as the lacquer is peeling off one of them.

 

I've just started a new job which sees me increasing my annual mileage by 50%, and a lot of that will be done on rural roads which are not in the best condition.

 

I'm toying with the idea of buying a set of four 16" steelies and putting 205 55 16s on them, which are alternative sizes for the S60 (they tended to be on the 2.4 N/As).

 

I'd put all-weather tyres on them. My logic is that having steelies with new tyres on them on is better than having fairly nice alloys with good tyres on them.

 

Is there any fallacy to this logic given the sort of driving I'd be doing? The flip-side is, of course, poorer road surfaces, need for more grip, car is torquey and FWD so it could increase scrabble-tastic fun....

[skattrd]

rantingYoof - that sounds like my normal procedure with cars I get with big/low profile tyres on. I save the original wheels to go back on when the car is up for sale. Smaller wheels/tyres with bigger sidewalls are usually cheaper and give a comfier ride. Check ebay for second hand steels with decent tyres on, I've bought sets for £30-100 with tyres that cost more than that on them.