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Gates are huge in the rubber market be fine.
Get us a picture and a part number for the hard pipe I'll ask a mate....
Re Gates
They make all sorts of stuff like aircraft door seals, train brake pipes and hydraulic hoses. As well as huge number of OEM car parts.
If the product isn't right, let me know as brother in law is one of the lead engineers...
@duncancallum thanks - I'll take it out (along with a bucket of auxilliary bits by the look of it) then go over to Merc, and if it turns out to be horrifically expensive or unavailable I'll let you know. The Merc dealer is near my house so it's easy enough.
Had a look at Forge? They're more about the tuning end of things but might have the part you want in silicone.
Gates are good though.
Surely you’re all missing the obvious solution…
The soft boost pipe and the hard plastic one were both in stock at the dealer, for £50 each ex vat, which is pretty reasonable for Merc parts direct from Merc. The fact that they were on the shelf suggests we were right and what we saw on the endoscope really was a crack.
I also picked up 1l of transmission fluid because many people have said that their trannies ended up underfilled cos of people not quite following the procedure, so I thought I'd top it up.
So I've got the car up on the ramps, I've studied the diagrams and I think I know what I'm going to do. The vacuum reservoir comes off easily, then I have to unbolt the EGR cooler from the EGR pipes. Hopefully then it'll lift up and reveal the bolts I need to access for the inlet pipe.
Oh and in case you are wondering the reason I am starting this is because I got the Passat back together with the helicoil in the chassis for the subframe. I thought I'd scrapped the car when I snapped the tap in the hole, but this is a common enough thing that they make tap extractors - which worked. The hole is slightly wonky but it's not enough to be a problem. It's waiting for its MOT.
Is this the Tally Ho of Mercedes Benz ?. Slowly replacing every part with something that works 😯
Keeping the VW and binning the Benz?
Is this the Tally Ho of Mercedes Benz ?.
Is there a parrot and big saws involved?
Keeping the VW and binning the Benz?
Not a chance now. I drove it to Halfords this morning and they had buggered up my appoint so no MOT, but the Passat felt really shit to drive. I think it's partly because the replacement shocks are too stiff but the tyres are still normal high profile ones so it's a bit bouncy. But it's really quite vague in corners so much so that I thought I'd forgotten to do something up and I stopped to check. Whole thing feels plasticy compared to the MB. Transmission is still great though.
Just had close look at how to get the EGR cooler off so I can access the bolts and I've come back in with my tail between my legs. It's a real puzzle...
The whole EGR assembly needs to come off, and I think that there's a coolant channel where it bolts onto the block. This means I'd need to drain the coolant.
It seems there's a drain plug on the block as well as the radiator. If the thermostat is closed, and I open the block drain plug will I be able to drain just the block and the rad and associated pipework will stay filled? Or am I living in fantasy land?
Where on the engine is the EGR assembly? Unless it's low down, you'd lose less coolant just taking it off and letting it drain from the channel.
I got the Passat back together with the helicoil in the chassis for the subframe.
At least you now have a back up car for the holidays 👍
Where on the engine is the EGR assembly? Unless it’s low down, you’d lose less coolant just taking it off and letting it drain from the channel.
It's quite high up. You're saying just undo it and clean up the mess afterwards? My main concern is getting coolant all over the engine, myself and the drive. Although to be fair this is probably inevitable whatever I do.
Or am I living in fantasy land?
I don't see why you wouldn't just drain the coolant from the plug and re-fill again as part of the procedure. At the very least you've ticked off another routine job.
Ahem. I'll just leave this here 😀
molgrips
Full Member
Have you any plans to take it all apart yet?**** no. I’m done with that. There’s a chance I may swap wheels or something like that, or smarten up the interior, but I’m not getting involved again. Its a curse. You listen for every tiny noise, and you want to do everything because it’s there and you decide it needs doing. And given I made a few mistakes I start to worry if the noises are because of a mistake I’ve made. It’s frankly awful, and it leads to me doing stuff to the car the day before a holiday which is insanity. So no.
Posted 4 months ago
teaandbiscuit
Free Member
Ahem. I’ll just leave this here 😀molgrips
Full Member
Have you any plans to take it all apart yet?**** no. I’m done with that. There’s a chance I may swap wheels or something like that, or smarten up the interior, but I’m not getting involved again. Its a curse. You listen for every tiny noise, and you want to do everything because it’s there and you decide it needs doing. And given I made a few mistakes I start to worry if the noises are because of a mistake I’ve made. It’s frankly awful, and it leads to me doing stuff to the car the day before a holiday which is insanity. So no.
I wondered when that would reappear 🙃 How is the road to hell paved again? 🤔
With discarded bits of Mercedes interior trims and subframe parts.
With 5ltrs of Anti-Freeze? plus 9 little sockets that always fall out the tray and an empty anti - freeze catch bucket
Yes, and I need reminding of that. The problem was that I wanted to use it at Christmas and I'd have had to wait.
Anyway, it's academic as there's no way I can access the bolts to change the hard pipe. There must be a procedure for it but I can't see it. I tried removing just the cooler not the entire assembly but even then one of the bolts is obscured by the plastic fuel filter holder which rather incredibly is the combined with a moulded piece of coolant hose junction. So even accessing that one bolt is a nightmare.
I'll have to book it in but it's going to be ****ing expensive. I've changed the soft pipe though which I think was far worse so probably that'll fix the limp mode issue enough to allow it to be driven at Christmas.
I can see a brand new lease car in Moly's near future... Mind, he'd take that bugger apart as well...🤪
Next car will be another EV I think.
People on the internet saying that jerky shifting could be caused by an underfilled transmission, so I bought some fluid, a filling tool and a squirty pump for the oil. Followed the correct procedure, turned out to be overfilled by about 250ml. I dumped the excess fluid all over the drive. It would have saved time if I'd just let it run straight out of the car onto the floor but no, I collected it carefully, and placed it out of the way whilst I got the disposal bottle organised, then I kicked it over.
Sigh. Definitely give up now.
then I kicked it over...
Annoying isn't it? I carefully placed some micro screws/parts in order on a white sheet of paper to aid reassembly then blew the lot all over the bench with a heat gun... 🙄
Lol yeah glad it's not just me that does stuff like that.
Sigh. Definitely give up now.
Not sure we believe you. You'll have it back up on ramps by the end of the week.
You did like 75% of the work to do a full atf change, but didnt do a full atf change......
5 pages back, before mountgate, tired atf was a likely culprit in the jerky box symptoms
Yet for an extra £15 You could have removed one of those ocd triggers and ticked tired atf off that list and maybe decreased the likelihood of the box playing up in the next 5 years or so. Bit like doing a cambelt and wanging in a new w ater pump whilst its in bits.
You should ask santa for a 4 post lift for xmas.
tired atf was a likely culprit in the jerky box symptoms
Well I've got a service record that says it was changed 18 months ago. So I thought it easy enough to check the level myself, it took about 5 minutes. However an ATF change isn't easy if you want to do it properly and flush the TC. Fluid was a bit cloudy and a bit more grey than the new stuff, but not sure if that's to be expected or not.
Anyway, changing the soft pipe hasn't helped, so it's booked into a local specialist on the 14th.
Nearly 1000 posts!
1000 by Boxing Day is my prediction.
I've had to 'paint' my driveway with the number of car fluids my son and his mates have dumped over it in the last year. Not allowed to work their cars on my drive now !
I’ve got a service record that says
it was changeda PO was charged for one 18 months ago
FTFY
Good point.
It's also £150 of fluid even if you buy the Euro Car Parts knock off stuff.
Is there an automotive equivalent of munchausen syndrome by proxy?
Is this an episode of falling down ?
I feel this needs intervention.
Sell/burn/trade/sink the goddam car before it ruins your sanity man.
And then what next? Another car!
Anyway it's booked in, end of thread...
One bought not under duress would be a good start. (Both from wife/holiday and carsupermarket nonsense......)
No test drive can get in the sea
Anyway it’s booked in, end of thread…
👍🤣😂🙃
end of thread
Oh no, that's not how it works. There's hours of fun to be had yet... 🤪
999 posts! upside down number of the best!
999
1000!
Ha!
>> 1000 >> 🥇✨🐱🏍🦄👍🎅
Moly gets a free litre of ATF for reaching 1000. Yay! Errrmmm...
@trail_rat I went over this endlessly. Whatever's significantly cheaper is not significantly lower mileage unless it's significantly worse. Whatever's lower mileage and not more expensive is worse.
e.g. a Passat for the same miles isn't a lot cheaper unless it's a 1.6 which is awful. And do you realy want another thread? "So I've got this Ford and..."
Id settle for not broken at this stage.
Can you get a tow bar on fossys aygo?
Cars break, that's always a risk. If you can find me a good car I'll enjoy driving and won't break, for less, I'm interested... Oh and someone who'll buy a broken Merc not at a loss.
Did you do a boost leak test?
I took it to a garage for a diagnostic, they didn't do a smoke test but I was hoping they would. There clearly is one though as you can hear it. They stuck the endoscope down there and we could clearly see the oily deposits and what looks like a crack on the hard pipe.
I don't know if this'll help, but here we go anyway.
I think the problem is Mol, that you bought an 8 year old car and expect it to be in as perfect condition as a new one fresh from the factory. They can probably be kept that way with the appropriate fastidious maintenance, buy you've inherited the outcomes of all the previous owner(s) attitude to car care, you've got to remedy all those previous decision, (some of which may well be the reason it got chipped in by the last owner) before you have the perfect car to maintain.
As someone up there suggested, get a new one on lease or loan. Start from the perfect position you want to be in and take it from there.
Why do you think I buy used cars instead of new? Might it be that I can't afford new ones? The observation has been made multiple times and I'm not obvlivious. Clearly I'd love a nice new car, not sure if you're aware of this but they are quite expensive.
Anyway. Cars fail, I'm not fixing it myself I'm paying someone else to. That's all there is to it. Not really looking for lifestyle advice.
OK, fair enough, then you should moderate your expectations of perfection, (although TBF, if this bit is cracked and causing limp mode, then that does need fixing).
Totally disagree with the sentiment that you need to buy new, in order to get a good car.
what you do need to do though, is buy used cars with lots of care, thorough research, and thorough checks (such as a test drive!) to ensure its a good car, and the right one for you.
I.E not panic buying the first thing you see without sufficient testng to reveal a jerky gearbox or a ride thats too hard for your liking as its got massive wheels on it!
I agree with that, but as you all know it was a rush purchase. However, I've really come to appreciate the car itself. Hopefully with low miles it'll last until we can afford a bigger EV.
Moral of the story is - don't go to Trade Centre Wales unless you absolutely have to.
Why do you think I buy used cars instead of new? Might it be that I can’t afford new ones?
How much have you spent on two broken cars over the last, what, say five years? And what you have to show for it after the journey is, uh, two slightly less-broken cars.
From the outside looking in this feels an awful lot like a false economy to me. Is it really worth the hassle, the stress, the work, the parts darts, the thousand-post long thread which is far from your first?
Can you really afford not to get something a little fresher?
And then what next? Another car!
Did you ever watch Breaking Bad? I won't spoiler for those who haven't, but do you remember Walter's final words to Skylar about why he did what he did?
to get a good car.
It seems that molgrips likes a car that is damn near perfection. That is difficult on second hand money (and even a lot of new cars!). That however I can understand, cars are not cheap things and we expect reliability.
I am happy to have my 9 year old, 140k wagon with a missing cover on headlamp washer, a slight knock from the rear bushings that I will replace in January and an engine that is becoming more vocal as the years and miles pass. But then I own it outright as of March and cannot bring myself to spend the moolah to make it 'perfect' or invest in a new car that *might* be a bit better.
Each to their own.
And congratulations on a 1000 post thread (-:
How much have you spent on two broken cars over the last, what, say five years? And what you have to show for it after the journey is, uh, two slightly less-broken cars.
Isn't that 4 cars over last 5 years. And ending up with 2 different slightly less broken cars.
I would agree that it makes more sense than renting a car though but only if you do as snotrag says and buy the right car first time. We all make mistakes though. I'll hold.my hand up I bought a golf that on paper and test drive seemed great. It was a dog. Actually met the guy offshore a few years later and he admitted it was a bag of shit that's why he was selling it, he'd tarted it up well.
And do you realy want another thread?
At last something STW can agree on 🙂
Unless you pay cash for a used car finance on new is almost cheaper than anything you can get on a new car.
And if you're paying cash then you can use the cash to pay the finance - after 4 years you won't be that much worse off taking maint costs being higher on used etc in to account?
Our 10 year old Defenders annual running costs aren't that far off the Cooper S lease costs we also pay 😉
"Take boots, for example. He earned $38 a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost $50. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about $10.
"Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
"But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford $50 had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in 10 years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."
Terry Pratchett
Isn’t that 4 cars over last 5 years. And ending up with 2 different slightly less broken cars.
No. I bought the Prius nearly new in 2006, that went for about 11 or 12 years before it had a fault, that cost I think £400 then it ran fine until I think 2019 where I changed a couple of battery cells (£30 each used). Then the battery went again so I took it to a specialist who did the battery again for £400. Aside from service items that's all that got spent on it and the battery was the only job I did. It got crashed 6 months ago.
The Passat I bought in 2009. You all probably think it's a wreck because I've worked on it a lot, but in actual fact it's in good condition *because* I've worked on it. If I hadn't changed the flywheel it'd have a bad flywheel. But I did, so it doesn't. I did make a few mistakes, for sure, but they've been rectified. It runs really well.
How much have you spent on two broken cars over the last, what, say five years?
About.. £1500 or so, excluding routine maintenance. How much would I have spent if I'd bought new ones?
I can't believe we're having this conversation again. Cougar - do you use a computer that has the fan blowing all the time and has annoying popups and the webcam doesn't work etc etc? No, I'm sure you don't, you fix it, because these things annoy you and you know how to fix it. It's the same for me. I like cars that run properly, so I fix them. That's all there is to it.
after 4 years you won’t be that much worse off taking maint costs being higher on used etc in to account?
I dispute that. A new Passat is now what, £30k? I bought mine for £10k and excluding ****-ups by shit mechanics I've spent maybe £3k on it - driveshafts, bushings, shocks, springs, flywheel, a few sensors. In fact, most of those things are actually consumables anyway. I fixed a boost sensor problem, the camshaft sensor which needed fixing; I installed new towbar electrics with genuine Westfalia when the old knock-off one failed and I couldn't get a replacement; I fixed the clutch valves in the transmission when they failed; I fixed a few handbrake motors and a switch; a garage replaced a caliper when one failed on holiday; and I had to fix that leak. In fact the only frivolous things I did on it were probably doing all the bushings when only a couple had failed, the turbo clean-out (wasn't needed), I did change the MAF speculatively to see if it fixed the transmission issues. That lot could have happened to any car, and probably would inside 160k miles and 15 years. But by doing it myself I've saved many thousands in garage fees, which *crucially* I didn't have at those times.
New cars are nice but they sure as hell aren't cheaper. I've done 120k miles in it in that time, so 10k a year. We'd have spent at least £300 a month on lease cars, if we were lucky, which comes to £43k. So I'm clearly ahead.
From the outside looking in this feels an awful lot like a false economy to me.
It's not. For a long time we had no spare cash, and I had no choice. I couldn't spend money but I could spend time, so I did. Then I had more money, but some of it went on a new lease EV, which is great. But in 18 months' time we'll have nothing to show for it in the way of assets, so we'll have to buy or lease another one.
Our 10 year old Defenders annual running costs aren’t that far off the Cooper S lease costs we also pay
They key word there is 'Defender'.
@tjagain that quote is about social injustice, specifically the poverty trap, not cars. Doesn't really apply here.
Bangernomics… I made the call on new (or very nearly new) years ago. Sick to death of driving 5-10 y/o cars with their ever increasing MoT/service bills, even the usual good quality German makes. Worse than that though was the low lever anxiety, worrying about not having a reliable car when needed, but also when there is a breakdown or fault : the hassle of realising there’s a problem, spending time/money/effort trying to diagnose and fix and then invariably having feeling pissed off that I’ve dipped into the financial reserves just to bail out a tired car. Also the simple economics… when I totted up wheat I’d spent over the years and turned it into a monthly bill, no matter how conservatively I set it the cost difference between 2nd hand and new on PCP was negligible, and in fact often cheaper for new. In the end I just thought **** it, and decided to outsource the anxiety and the hassle. If you just think of the all in cost of motoring as a monthly bill and nothing else, then it makes perfect sense. Irrespective of where that money goes (e.g. to finance.)
It really does molgrips. You also need to add in the cost of all your time and stress dealing with the cars.
Exactly this @tjagain. People always forget what their own hourly worth is (no matter how you are paid.) And unless you don’t like spending time with family, riding bikes, seeing mates etc. on your time off it’s bonkers.
It doesn't, because whilst more expensive boots last longer, more expensive cars aren't necessarily more reliable. Buying a new car gets you three more years of motoring than if you buy a three year old one, but it costs nearly double.
Also, you seem to be forgetting that you are always criticising the constant purchase of new items and cars, and always advocating that we should repair things and keep them for a long time. That's exactly what I did.
You also need to add in the cost of all your time and stress dealing with the cars.
And you also need to add in the high cost of new cars. And the fact that you cannot create money that you literally don't have. Do you not think I'd love a new car every few years?
People always forget what their own hourly worth is
Again, if I have time, but I don't have money, what the **** am I supposed to do?
Also, your daily drive car is categorically not an asset. Ask Warren Buffet, if it appreciates, own it, if it depreciates, rent it.
good point molgrips about repairing stuff. It just seems to me this is the wrong solution for you. But your money, time and choice. IN your position I would be buying new or nearly new but a non prestige car, look after it well and expect a long life from it
Also, your daily drive car is categorically not an asset
It's a depreciating asset.
If you rent it, someone else makes a profit from your pocket. And you never own it. When the lease is up on the Hyundai I'll have zero wealth. If I'd borrowed the money to buy it, I'd have a used car worth money. Your maths is very flawed.
IN your position I would be buying new or nearly new but a non prestige car.
That's exactly what I did at first, isn't it? Then I literally could not afford to change it with anything better, or pay for it to be fixed, so I had to fix it myself. I fail to see what I did wrong. Maybe caps would help? I COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE IT WITH ANYTHING BETTER.
Amazes me that you all think I could just come up with money from nowhere. Borrow it maybe? But that's also bad according to STW wisdom.
I can’t believe we’re having this conversation again. Cougar – do you use a computer that has the fan blowing all the time and has annoying popups and the webcam doesn’t work etc etc? No, I’m sure you don’t, you fix it, because these things annoy you and you know how to fix it. It’s the same for me. I like cars that run properly, so I fix them. That’s all there is to it.
That's actually a really good analogy and you're right. My primary desktop which I'm typing on right now is built from Wombled scrap and the chassis is probably around 20 years old. The laptop that's been my daily driver up until getting a computer desk where I actually have space for a full-sized KVM was made in 2008. And like you this is mostly born from necessity, I couldn't afford anything else.
The differences being though, I enjoy maintain this stuff and it's a net benefit in keeping my hand in now that I no longer do it for a living. Also, I know when to cut my losses. I've had friends' laptops on the bench and gone sorry, there's nothing I can do that won't be good money after bad. For all that I love it, my beloved Dell Studio 1735 has spent most of the last 12 months in a drawer. OTOH, if you'd care to point me to Cougar's thousand-plus-post-count "my computer doesn't work" thread then I'm all ears.
more expensive cars aren’t necessarily more reliable
And yet, I'm struggling to think of the last time I had car reliability issues that weren't either a puncture or running out of fuel. Maybe sometime in the 1990s?
And you also need to add in the high cost of new cars.
You seem to be labouring under the idea that your only choice is "keep what you're stuck with and try to keep it running whatever the cost" or "spunk 30 grand on a brand spanker." Other options are available here.
Please understand Ben, I'm not having a go at you here. It just feels like you're making life avoidably difficult for yourself. You're sinking money as well as hours and hours and hours of your life into this and for what? An "asset" that by your own volition is actually worth something approaching the square root of Jack. You can capitalise posts all you like but if you have a car worth 2k and another worth 3k you could turn that into a single car worth 5k.
I understand all that Moly. For me your current 'problem' is you've paid for a sorted prestige car from a dealer with a warranty and are still scrabbling about like you had to do when you were skint.
You paid the premium but are reverting to type. That's your choice but it's a bit daft paying for stuff and not reaping any reward though I understand the hassle of trying to collect on a warranty can be more aggro than taking an ATF shower on the drive.
Good luck to you though. You've more tenacity than I. As soon as my 80k 7 year old v70 threw a transmission warning light it was put to death and replaced, same as it's 5 predecessors. Company cars before that so someone else's problem.
That’s exactly what I did at first, isn’t it?
Eh? In my book a merc is a prestige car and a passat is hardly cheapo territory either - you said £30 000 new.
I am talking year old Hyundai or similar with 6 years left on its 7 year guarantee
Again - I am not getting at you here at all. I think you could see this all in a different light. sorry if you feel attacked.
Ask Warren Buffet, if it appreciates, own it, if it depreciates, rent it.
Never a truer word spoken by a man with lots of cash in his wallet.
For someone advising someone who's clearly watching the pennies of this third party well it marks them out as someone who's advice shouldn't be giving the advice.
you’ve paid for a sorted prestige car from a dealer with a warranty and are still scrabbling about like you had to do when you were skint.
Moreover, he's paid for a car with a warranty and then promptly invalidated it.
And yet, I’m struggling to think of the last time I had car reliability issues that weren’t either a puncture or running out of fuel. Maybe sometime in the 1990s?
Weren't you driving company cars for ages?
To continue the analogy, my ex-colleague used an 8 year old laptop with the fan running flat out all the time, two keys missing, took ages to start up and was generally very slow. He said 'it worked, what's the problem?' But I'd bet good money you'd have had to sort it out if it were yours. I know I would. Because the stress of using it like that would have driven either of us bonkers.
You’re sinking money as well as hours and hours and hours of your life into this and for what?
But the alternatives aren't 'not sinking money into anything'. Any car is a gamble. With the Passat, I knew exactly what was going on with it, I knew my way around it. There were failures, but there could be failures on any car. Possibly much worse. There are countless reports of full on engine failures, turbo failures, transmission failures, expensive rebuilds of this and that on here, and everywhere. None of that happened to me.
It just feels like you’re making life avoidably difficult for yourself
Yeah, it's not though. It's me fixing what needs fixing. You have to understand that when I post on here it's not 'wah wah please help me I'm so stressed' it's just general chatting about cars. And I get lots of good advice. But honestly, what's FAR more stressful is constantly getting dragged for attempting it. People tell me to buy new cars I can't afford whilst at the same time criticising anyone and everyone for buying things they can't afford or buying new cars. I've been told to sell it with something wrong with it, which is bound to lose money, or I've been told to sell it whilst not telling anyone about the problems which is flat out dishonest. And completely ignoring the fact that any other car I might buy could also have problems.
Honestly.. I fix things when they go wrong, can you all just please get over that? I'm not the only one either.
You’re sinking money as well as hours and hours and hours of your life into this and for what?
For a car that runs well! Why on earth would I drive around in something that's not working properly when I can fix it? Why would I sell something not working properly and buy something else (at increased expense) that is also likely to be not working properly at some point?
I think you could see this all in a different light.
I could see it in a different light yes. But I don't. I'm not unaware of the fact I could be driving an extremely dull car and maybe not having anything go wrong with it. But I could also be driving a nice car that I actually like, and maybe it won't go wrong. Maybe my Merc will last 100k miles more with a repaired boost pipe.
I don't actually want a nice reliable NA petrol Kia.
Moreover, he’s paid for a car with a warranty and then promptly invalidated it.
What thread were you reading? That is absolutely 100% not what happened, not at all! I've got the T&Cs right here in on the desk do you want me to go through it AGAIN? Why do you all think I'm not capable of reading a contract? Argh! I read the terms, I called TCW, I read the laws, I read the consumer advice, I called the providers and went through it at length, there's even someone on here who used to work for them confirming I'm right and yet I'm still wrong?
For me your current ‘problem’ is you’ve paid for a sorted prestige car from a dealer with a warranty and are still scrabbling about like you had to do when you were skint.
No, I took at look at it, realised I didn't want to proceed, and then booked it in for someone else to fix it. It's on Tuesday, in fact. The reason I took a look is because the place I was using couldn't get it in. for 6 weeks.
Was I wrong to take a look at it?
I used to be one of them, one of those poster's who didn't understand Moly's seemingly futile relationship with his car, however he's not on here moaning about what he's taking on, he's taking it on the chin, and from what I can gather is enjoying it and getting an overall sense of satisfaction from it. Its easy to sit back from another position and advise on where he could have things differently, but he hasn't, he's chosen his own path and all power to his elbow.
Yes it sounds like the car may be a bit of a lemon, but it sounds like he's started peeling an onion and is fixing the faults as he's finding them, such that it should keep going for another 10+ years. Like Bangernomics, but with a bit more prestige.
Thanks Pieface. Yes, I appreciate having the nice running car - e.g. engine mounts, a fairly straightforward job with low risk and saved me £3-400.
The ATF thing seriously took me 5 mins to confirm that it was correctly filled.
Most of the non-technical 'advice' on here makes no sense at all. You were all exhorting me to send it back when I had no legal basis to do so, and I KNEW this was the case.
The current fault - it just happened when I was driving along, engine light on, limp mode. So I took a look, decided I couldn't do it easily and called around garages. But apparently also wrong? I was quite happy about it until this thread wound me right back up again.
Sorry Moly. Why on earth did you buy a warranty? A grand wasn't it? You've fixed stuff and now gone to an independant to get the cause of the check engine light fixed.
P'raps that's the only 'issue' here - buying a warranty knowing the sorts of wriggles the dealers go to get out of them and knowing your own character traits?
As before - best of luck with it. I'm not trying to give advice or get you to do anything different. Your money, your time, your life, your choice. I couldn't be arsed but then I probly do stuff you'd find unfathomable.
Ask Warren Buffet, if it appreciates, own it, if it depreciates, rent it.
I wonder if Warren Buffet rents his telly from Brighthouse?
I don’t actually want a nice reliable NA petrol Kia.
therein lies your issue
You want merc on a hyundai budget then are unhappy that it does not work properly 'cos any merc on a hyundai budget is shagged out.
YOur money your choice
I love your hands-on approach, determination and Captain America suit.
I was hoping for a Passat-like picture-fest of a Merc laid out in pieces, another education in how to REALLY get the bottom of something, and some amusing pics... but now realise this is actually causing you quite a bit of anguish.
Which isn't fun.
Sorry, Molly, and good luck sorting it out.