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Looking for a van, really want an 18 plate onwards Transit custom limited swb due to the looks, spec etc... not interested in the earlier pre facelift versions
Would prefer under 100k on the clock, in black would be a bonus, with no major dents, service history, not had the interior and back of the van wrecked by builders etc... and located in the south east area
Am i looking for a moon on a stick at that price? van prices are coming down but maybe not enough for my budget just yet?
Sounds about the going rate, based on what WBAC tells me my higher milage, older Connect is worth.
Is that with or without the VAT? That's more than likely not included if you're looking at dealership vehicles.
Is that with or without the VAT?
15K Including any VAT is my max budget
I think so! Literally the only one on Autotrader that ticks all your boxes is a Cat S write-off 😬Am i looking for a moon on a stick at that price?
Be aware of the 'wet belt' timing belt issue on the newer 2.0 litre panther engines. Older 2.2 pre facelift are chain.
Black is a terrible colour for a vehicle made of thin steel with big flat panels. The rear doors bend if you slam them too hard.
Also the cabin in those gets hot enough in lighter colours. Best make sure the air con works…
Price is optimistic yes. 15-16 yes.
Definitely optimistic pricing - prob looking at 15k +vat
Be aware of the ‘wet belt’ timing belt issue on the newer 2.0 litre panther engines. Older 2.2 pre facelift are chain.
This +1 - no way would I have a Euro6 Transit. The wet belt is a crap idea and is proving as much.
Which Transit vans have the wet belt problem?
Customs, Transit etc?
A lot of them! My 1.5 Connect does. It's a couple of years off needing replacement. They were originally meant to last the life of the engine, but when I checked with Ford the advice had changed to 150,000 miles. Maybe I should check again as that was a few years ago and it's approaching 115,000 now.
Not just applicable to diesel engines either.
Ford recommend 150k but everyone else says less. Apparently they have been good about replacing popped engines below the recommended intervals though.
On a Transit Custom you want the 2.2 or 2.4 that came with a timing chain instead but not sure they were available on the later vans? Been reading up on them today as I want an older LWB.
So for a motorhome, which tends to have a much lower mileage than a van, it should be okay up to 100k miles?
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If you have a look on some of the motorhome forums there has been numerous problems with the 2.0 ltr engines with failed timing belts at low milage and also continuous problems with failed injectors from 2018 onwards. Even the replacement injectors are failing. Some unlucky owners have now been informed that the back order on timing chain replacement is now mid July
Most wet belt issues are down to oil.
The early vans had issues with oil dilution due to DPF regen tolerances, which were eventually fixed with various updates, with all affected vehicles being recalled.
Also if the wrong oil has been used, or the oil not changed when required, it affects belt life, sometimes quite dramatically.
We had a run of belts failing at 50-60k that had been serviced with the wrong oil from another depot.
And one of our customers is currently seeing high failure rates at 80-100k on their older vans, as they told their drivers during the early oil life problems, to just reset the oil life warning, as it was 'just a software' issue. They're currently arguing with Ford over it, and threatening to not buy any new Customs, but they're also arguing with VW about Transporter injector problems, and threatening to not buy any of them either, and the current PSA options aren't any good for what they need.
All the failures I've seen, except one*, have either been down to incorrect oil, or lack of servicing.
Belts should now be inspected at every service. The failure isn't an instantaneous thing (well the actual point it fails is..), it's a gradual deterioration. The belt starts to delaminate, and the back coating starts flaking off, which is pretty obvious with a bore scope, a good bit before the teeth fail.
Also if a turbo has collapsed and been replaced, there's a strong possibility it's down to the sump being full of bits of belt which have blocked the pickup strainer.
*the exception I've seen was an engine that had been overheated twice, and the failure was a cam lobe had spun, resulting in the teeth being stripped off the belt. The belt was otherwise in perfect condition at 70k.
Ford recommend 150k but everyone else says less.
I'm not particularly worried about mine, it gets serviced well before the milage interval and does easy miles lightly loaded.
I’m looking for anything (expanded search from Ford only) L2H2 2017 onwards, same £15k max budget. They’re out there, but there’s not a lot - especially with AirCon, which is a must for me and a van full of kids. Most I’ve seen are white. You might be better to compromise on colour and add a wrap?
Likewise, scared of wet belt horror stories and horrific prices, but really want a day van that seats 6, but can double up as a makeshift camper. L2H1, Aircon and cruise a must.
Aircon and cruise a must.
Cruise is nice, but yeah air definitely. Certainly the pre facelift Customs, for some reason the centre of the dash heats up more than any other van I’ve used. Not sure about the newer ones as I’ve downsized to an L2 connect since 2019. I’m on my 2nd Connect, wish they’d fit wider sun visors and brake pad wear sensors.
I do know from the guys I work with that the newer van has a smaller fuel tank but better economy.
We’ve used them since 2014 and have had very few issues. They do 40-50kmiles per year. A lot of it is London work and they often look like Father Teds Rover by the time they get sold on @ 3-4 years old.
My mechanic has told me to replace belt at 80k. Its a £1500 job. Its not easy to view the belt condition as its not visible outside the engine - which worries me considerably. Hence I get my oil replaced every 6 months, approx 5k miles. Even with oil replacement, the belt will still deteriorate, just the filters may not get blocked I suppose. My first vehicle without a camchain in about 25years and I constantly worry about it!
What with the carp mpg on my auto, nearly £600 tax and insurance almost doubled this year (for no reason, tried loads of places), this is an expensive vehicle to run. But it is a god send for holidays and MTBing!
@superfli it shouldn't be that much, seen plenty of qoutes of people saying ford dealers are saying about £1200, mate had his done not long ago at his usual garage and i think it was about £8/900. ford recalled his for a belt inspection and said it was fine but as he was on 80k he got it changed anyway.
mine isn't on the recall list even though it's only about 8 months younger and as its on 76k it's going to get done soon, problem is the parts aren't available at the moment, ford won't supply the belt cover at the moment and i'm not sure about using non genuine parts for something like this(and don't think mmy mechanic would want to fit them)
Well I have a few years until mine is due (46k), so if parts are more available by then and prices possibly lower that would be great!
Cheers for all the replies
Id been reading up on the wet belt issue, which is a concern, espcailly when looking at vans with 100k on the clock, from what ive been reading even if they have full service history the belt can still go if the wrong type of oil has been used by independents rather than Ford or if they have been on a long life service plan rather than a 12 month/10'000 mile service plan
Plus with buying 2nd hand you can never be sure the mileage is genuine, obviously MOT and service history give a good indication of the mileage but ive heard of people who have had the mileage rolled back a few thousand miles each year before a service/MOT (condition of the pedals and steering wheel can help spot this)
Think if i do end up getting one ill have to budget in getting the wet belt replaced straight away for peace of mind and service it straight away and put it on a 12 month/10'000 mile service plan