Slight problem with my car

[Drago]

My Kia had just pipped past 98,000 when it decided to give itself a viking funeral.

 

[biggs682]

Well, perhaps a touch more than a teensy problem, inasmuch as it caught fire yesterday while In was driving it. I leapt out in my best Bodie and Doyle roll, and in one swift move I lunged manfully at the conflagration with my fire extinguisher. I saved the car from being physically totalled, but the engine bay is mullered so it's fair to day that financially it's easily a write off.

Bummer.

Still, been scouting around locally for a replacement this morning. Mrs Dragon has a spanking new 66 reg Shortage, so being sensible I decided to get a small runabout.

No diesels. Modern diesels are a nightmare as they age with DMF's and DPF's, so that's a no no. Plus don't want to risk being banned from every major town over the next few years.

Onwards to the next, a cutesy little Smart For Poo. I must admit I loved it's cheeky chirpiness, but couldn't get my legs under the steering wheel.

I walked by a Polo, I would never touch a VW group car on moral grounds.

Chevrolet Matiz had the build integrity of a crisp packet, so left that alone.

A class Merck was suitably small, but a shed.

Astra was nice, but a touch bigger than was strictly speaking needed for a second car that sees little use.

And then my eyes fell upon an ad for a 56 tag Ford Fusion in 3 spec. One owner, check. Full history and a full years MOT, check. Petrol 1.4, so still good for 45MPG, check. Got on the horn, shot round to an address a few villages along, and liked what I saw. No dents, scratches, gouges, corrosion. Very grubby and the headlight lenses have UV faded, but other than that couldn't fault it. Took it for a test drive and was quite pleased it didn't catch fire, and on a ten mile spin around town and country the computer told me it had managed 47MPG.

Managed to get this piece if tasty compact goodness for 700 snifters. I know you want a grand love but it's Christmas and my family will starve if I have to spend that much.

So home to sort out my insurance and I'll collect it tomorrow. One thing is for sure though - a fire extinguisher is going straight under the drivers seat.

You could have borrowed the tandem @Drago

 

[screenman]

If you were closer I would strip and recoat the lights for you, it is the coating that breaks down.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Bad luck with the car but lucky with the escape. I've just had to replace the Cambelt, get a service and fix the ABS, i am now £900 poorer.

 

[pubrunner]

Bad luck with the car but lucky with the escape. I've just had to replace the Cambelt, get a service and fix the ABS, i am now £900 poorer.

I hope you got the water pump changed at the same time.

I had a VW and when I took it to the local dealer (Inchcape) for a new cambelt, I asked for the waterpump to be changed at the same time. They told me that they would not replace the waterpump; they said that they were keen to avoid any possible allegations of unnecessarily replacing components. 600 miles after the cambelt change, the waterpump failed; the labour costs are almost exactly the same as for a cambelt change - over £300 both times.

 

[tyred]

I hope you've got go faster stripes on that.

 

[Profpointy]

Why did rubber cambelts replace those old fashioned cam chains which (mostly) lasted a couple of hundred thousand miles? Progress, eh!

 

[gavroche]

Why did rubber cambelts replace those old fashioned cam chains which (mostly) lasted a couple of hundred thousand miles? Progress, eh!

Not always. My ex-wife brother in law has a Vauxhall Corsa, had it from new and regularly serviced. At 70 000 miles, the chain cambelt broke. Cost him £2500 to repair the engine. The Vauxhall dealer he bought it from refused all liability so I told him to take it up with Vauxhall head office for a full refund as it shouldn't have happened.

 

[pubrunner]

Not always. My ex-wife brother in law has a Vauxhall Corsa, had it from new and regularly serviced. At 70 000 miles, the chain cambelt broke. Cost him £2500 to repair the engine. The Vauxhall dealer he bought it from refused all liability so I told him to take it up with Vauxhall head office for a full refund as it shouldn't have happened.

Camchains should easily last 100,000 miles - assuming the oil is changed regularly . . . . . . . but I'm not sure what your example proves ? If a cambelt goes on an engine, you'd also be looking at a (similar) significant amount to get the engine repaired.

Camchains usually become very noisy before they fail, whereas a cambelt will fail with no warning. Camchains last much longer, but are noiser than a cambelt. On my 1 litre runabout, the camchain engine has done nearly 140,000 miles; a similar mileage on a cambelt car, would have meant at least two belt changes at £300 - £400 a time.

 

[Oxo]

Not always. My ex-wife brother in law has a Vauxhall Corsa, had it from new and regularly serviced. At 70 000 miles, the chain cambelt broke. Cost him £2500 to repair the engine. The Vauxhall dealer he bought it from refused all liability so I told him to take it up with Vauxhall head office for a full refund as it shouldn't have happened.

And?

 

[Profpointy]

Not always. My ex-wife brother in law has a Vauxhall Corsa, had it from new and regularly serviced. At 70 000 miles, the chain cambelt broke. Cost him £2500 to repair the engine. The Vauxhall dealer he bought it from refused all liability so I told him to take it up with Vauxhall head office for a full refund as it shouldn't have happened.

Not always admittedly. But when cambelts had been around for a few years a good percentage of people I knew had had one fail. I think I can recall maybe one person who'd had a chain fail.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Simple answer make it illegal for anyone to smoke in a car, totally off topic I know, but they should, more dangerous than using a mobile phone

 

[Profpointy]

Simple answer make it illegal for anyone to smoke in a car, totally off topic I know, but they should, more dangerous than using a mobile phone

That's quite a big claim. I don't smoke, but can't be more distracting than maybe eating a sandwhich and I consider that a lot less distracting than a phone call even with a car kit. .....

..... admitedly you've got to be careful slicing the bread if you're going round a bend or in traffic.

 

[gavroche]

And?

That was only last Saturday when I saw him but knowing what he is like, he will just cut his loses and forget about it.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

I hope you got the water pump changed at the same time.

I had a VW and when I took it to the local dealer (Inchcape) for a new cambelt, I asked for the waterpump to be changed at the same time. They told me that they would not replace the waterpump; they said that they were keen to avoid any possible allegations of unnecessarily replacing components. 600 miles after the cambelt change, the waterpump failed; the labour costs are almost exactly the same as for a cambelt change - over £300 both times.

Yes, and water pump.