Quoting: Andy
What is up with your Mk2?!
Ah, will take too long to explain and I am too annoyed to type it all tonight, but in short - tried to fix, cost me £200+, wrong parts made it worse, now off the road.
Quoting: Andy
As a friend has just found out (a Mk3 Mondeo Estate owner) if it comes with alloys, for christ sake make sure you get a locking wheel nut adaptor! Frauds wanted to far side of £100 for a replacement.
Ah, very good point, I will add that to my buyer's guide I have slowly been putting together..
Quoting: Andy
Erm, I believe they start with the Mk3 TDCi engine, so from about 2002 or so onwards. They fitted it to the new engine, Mk2 had a standard solid flywheel.
Quoting: Talkford.com buyer's guide
This is good, thanks for the link, didn't know you could access this information
Quoting: philoldsmobile
there are a few checks for DMF
get on and off the throttle abruptly a few times, there should be no snatching or clonking, also with the engine off, put the car in gear, and rock ot forward and backwards, any metallic squeaking is the DMF.
If there is a bill for a recent starter be very wary - swarf and dust from a failing DMF clog it very quickly, often leading to failure of the starter bendix.
Excellent information PO, exactly what I needed.
Quoting: philoldsmobile
Why restrict yourself to a mondeo though, there are many other practical cars out there that do everything as well or better, Saab 9-3 volvo V40 / S40 Merc C class and BMW 3 series spring immediately to mind..
Not so much 'restricting' myself, more so going through a check list of requirements and the Mondeo comes out top.
I need under 100k, or close to. Under 3k, estate, diesel, tow bar is a bonus (unless it is excessively used and shiny like the one I saw tonight!!!
), NOTHING French or Vauxhall and be capable of 60mpg.
Nothing ticks all those boxes apart from the Mondeo. There are a few wild-cards around like the Kia Carens which you can get an immaculate one with 70k on for under 2k. I like Hyundai and Kia, BUT I'd rather spend a little extra and get a Ford, more so from the parts availability and the MPG, the Carens just can't quite match it.
Sure, I could get a VW or BMW, but it will have 250 - 300k on for my budget.
VW retains a high resel value because of the scene from people with rubbish old buses and Beetles