Any good as a bike/family motor?

owt to look out for?

Quite nippy, handles well for its size, plenty of toys on the higher spec models.

Problems: Dual mass flywheel (over £1k to get done), Injection problems (can be over £1k if all 4 go), oh, and the turbo went on mine (£800). Apart from that, not too much that’s hugely costly….

DMF – when does it need changing?

They don’t always need changing, though it’s usually done at a clutch replacement. Most modern diesels have DMF, so it isn’t anything to get concerned about.

I have a 53 plate zetec, with climate, heated screen, cruise control etc. It is bloody quick, and comparable to a Volvo v70 T5 up to about 70(ish…). Returns 47mpg on a tank – mixed driving.

I am thinking of selling mine, so if you’re in the market for a low mileage minty tinty one, just drop me a mail at:

m dot megeary at ntlworld dot com

how much are you after? the one i have seen with 73k miles and fsh is £4k

Mine never did (and hadn’t been done by the previous owner). It had 150isk K on the clock when I sold it a month or so back. From what I heard, anything from 70K on with the DMF, although mine clearly was OK. Plus side is it’s a timing chain, so no costly cambelts to change every 40k or so…

It had just shredded its turbo though, and started having injector problems though. After three usually very good independent auto-sparkies tried and failed with the injectors, I had to take it to a main stealer, who wanted to change all the injectors (£££££). I told them I just wanted to sell it, so they made it work (with the occasional misfire – less £££), and flogged it on ebay quickly. I was told by them that this wasn’t an uncommon problem, and has happened with all TDCi blocks at any mileage…

Estate or hatch raplh? I’ve got a 55 115bhp hatch 55 plate 58k miles you could have for £4k. DMF is about £600 from my local garage in Sheffield.

estate – saw yours and was tempted

I’ve got a petrol estate- couldn’t find/afford a diesel when I bought mine. Fantastic roomy car. 4 broken down bikes, 4 blokes and camping kit for Wales trips. My fuel economy average, but diesel much better. safe enough. very stable on road. Don’t think you’ll regret it my man

Just need to finance it now

It was a great car when it worked, but it did appear to be turning into a major money pit. It also chews front tyres. After the turbo went, I had 2 months of non-stop problems with injectors and engine management. I’m sure there are plenty that never give any trouble, but they’re certainly not cheap to fix if something relatively major goes. Main problem being that there’s no room to work on the engine, so labour goes through the roof…

Your welcome to have a look at it if you like, only over in walkley sheffield so pretty near you i think?

you are but i have no cash unless you want a pug partner combi and cash?

I assume that’s still you RR?! Bank loans innit… might consider taking the combi and selling it on.

email me

Mine has 45k on the clock – is absolutely mint and I’m looking for £4.5k

is yours an estate?

Umm, I have an ’05 130tdci estate. It has a porous block….. so seeps oil steadily through the walls of the block. Took 3 years to diagnose.

Is a manufacturing defect and did it from new (I know the first owner). So when I get organised I’ll be getting in touch with the main dealer who I bought it from. They should be liable for replacing it.

Shame as it is a great car otherwise. Fast as buggery, comfotable and well screwed together.

the wife has a 1.4tdci fiesta and two injectors went and seals in the others £525 to fix!

not the same car but the injector problem is on the mondeo aswell, search the web theres loads of posts on it, it seems to happen around the 60/70k mark on 52/53/54 reg cars, they ‘apparently’ changed the head on later models.

if you find one take it for a spin, blast the heaters on and smell for fuel, if any whif comes into the cabin walk away. also listen to the engine and raspy/pinky noise walk away.

sorry for my crap technical terminology but we had a nightmare, but had to get it fixed as we had no choie and the car is now running fine.

ta for the advice dude

Fast as buggery

Fastish, yes, but having now got a mildly luke-warm hatch (Golf GTI), the mondeo is a slow barge really…

Yes mine’s an estate.

Also worth checking the bottom of the doors as these can go on earlier models – but so long as it has a FSH, the dealer will sort these out under the warrenty.

Once you get it, it’s well worth cleaning the manifold and EGR out of the gunk as it frees the engine up as it can breathe easier. If your not bothered about NOX production (and the MOT isn’t), wang a blanking plate with a 5mm hole over the EGR.

Edit – FSH is BOTH under the bonnet and the bodywork, one’s no good without the other.

Ford

Fix Or Repair Daily….

tankslapper – Member

Ford

Fix Or Repair Daily….

Found On Road Dead, surely?

I always thought the ford diesels were completely bulletproof, that’s a real surprise that there are lots of issues. I had a company diesel focus for a while, bit slow and handled a bit crap (it rides really well right up to the point where it decides to let go and then it’s a nightmare), but solid as a rock, was reasonably comfy and seemed well put together.

You are thinking of the old Endura DE engines, I’ve got an 11yr old one with 130K miles. Had new glow plugs and alternator in the 38k miles I’ve had it, and that’s it. Had new timing belt fitted just after I got it. Really slow, makes my old TDi Landy look nippy…

Newer TDCi engines sorted the power issue (up from 90 to either 115 or 130) but at the expense of longevity.

I had one as a rental this past weekend.. quite nice, quite zippy, plenty of space for a roof rack and big trunk.

nice car until some 19yr old kid pulled out and hit me

what is it with me and rental cars?!?!?!?!!?!??

ive just replaced my twelve year old mondeo estate for a mondeo hatch 53 plate its the zetec with cruise control climate and lots of toys great and i dont miss the estate as boot is huge . Had three blokes three bikes and kit in it. Cant comment on dmf and injectors as i heard so many bad reports i went for petrol again.

I had a 03 Mondeo 130 TDCI Ghia –

Positives –

Really comfy
Great fuel economy
Well Built
Still looks good now
Handled brilliantly and I’m comparing this to Hot hatches, warm saloons, rally cars and minis..

Not so positives

Bottom of rear doors started to rust through (only on early models, fixed from 04 onwards I believe)

CD multichanger broke and literally chewed up all the CD’s in it.
6K per set of front tyres
Flywheel/Clutch had to be replaced
EGR Pipe split – No Boost when this goes
It seemed to go through discs and pads very quickly, I think this might be linked to the 6k per set of front tyres 🙂

Now got an 8v 120ps Vectra SRi, which is slower, less economical and less storage space inside, but does have a bigger boot..

I’d have another Mondeo tomorrow if needed.

I’ve done 150k miles in 2 ford TDCIs with zero problems (120k in the first one).

Both in focuses though, not mundaneos.

Fast as buggery

Er… compared with what?

I have a 53 plate zetec, with climate, heated screen, cruise control etc. It is bloody quick, and comparable to a Volvo v70 T5 up to about 70(ish…)

I find that very hard to believe. It is comparable with a D5

As others have said, they are good cars:
Great handling, comfortable, reasonably economical, a fairly linear (rather than laggy and peaky) engine.

They are not, however, fast.

Off the mark, similar to a 1.8/2.0 non-turbo petrol. Torque may be limited in 1st & 2nd. gears. On the move at higher speeds they’re possibly quicker than a similar displacement non-turbo petrol, 80-100mph is where it seems to be relatively strong.

Zokes – so it’s a FORD acronym war eh? 😉

F O R D

Found On Rubbish Dumps
Fix Or Repair Daily
Fails On Rainy Days
Fails On Race Day
Found On Roadside Dead
Failure Of Research & Development
Found On Road Deserted
Fast Only Running Downhill
Factory Ordered Road Disaster
Factory Ordered Rebuilt Datsun
Flip Over Read Directions
Four Old Rusted Doors
Ford Owner Really Dumb
For Only Retarded Drivers
(French) – Fabrication Ordinare Reparation Dispendieuse
Ford Owners Recommend Dodge
Flipped Over Russian Dunebuggy
For Off Road Death
Fords Only Run Downhill
Fat Old Rusted Dog
Freaking Old Rusted Dodge
Forget Out Running Dodge
For Old Retarded Drivers
**** On Race Day
Found On Rangi’s Drive
First On Recycle Day

picked up an 04 130 zetec estate very cheap a couple of months ago, waiting for the issues, but the saving allows for it.
it’s a high miler, but a good list of work done, including the turbo and some other expensive bits

goes fine, pulls loaded, tidy interior, no rocket ship, but it doesn’t claim to be

of course they’ll go through tyres, heavy engine and a lot of torque – the old worn ones were allowing 3rd gear wheelspin out of roundabouts

well screwed together.

Apart from the rusty doors, dual mass flywheel, diesel injectors, rapid tyre wear, EGR pipes…etc.
Sold my last Ford 5 years ago. Went over to Toyota. They’re not perfect, & the dealers are equally as useless, but every Ford I’ve driven since seems like a poor relation to the Corolla & Verso we’ve had.
Our second car is a diesel Rover 25, (was the wifes car before we met). Now if you think a Mondeo is bad trust me its a bloody revelation compared to that monumental pile of shite. Its no wonder they went bust turning out crap like that. Hasn’t let us down though, but it only does 4k a year.

Was talking to a chap in the barbers one day, a “technician” at a Ford dealers, he said there was an email circulating from Ford stating that a Mondeo with 75k on the clock is considered “past its useful life”.

That said they are reckoned to be one of the best caravan tow-cars ever.

Aristotle, you may find it hard to believe, but having the benefit of doing back to back tests on a daily basis i can assure you it’s true – I own a 130tdci estate, and drive a T5 as my “company” car. I said it’s comparable – not the same; however, it will blow a D5 into the weeds.

I own a 130tdci estate, and drive a T5 as my “company” car. I said it’s comparable – not the same

Unless you’ve got a particularly fast 130, I suggest that you get the T5 looked at! People often make wild performance claims about TD cars because of the low-rpm torque fooling the seat-of-the-pants-dyno, but a grunty 2.5 turbo petrol with an additional 100PS is going to have a significant performance advantage over a 2.0 TD.

it will blow a D5 into the weeds.

Strangely, from experience, mine won’t blow a D5 into the weeds in a straight line. The D5 is faster.

Anyway, having gone from a much quicker 5 dr family car beforehand, the Mondeo is adequately quick and a good car to own.

Obviously, when I said ‘fast as buggery. I was comparing it to small, performance-oriented petrol cars because this would be a sensible thing to do.

For a practical, economical, mid range, affordable car. And in the context of this discussion, I think that most people with normal driving experiences would concede that it is pretty quick for what it is.

+1!

EDIT: For aristotle, that is…

I think that most people with normal driving experiences would concede that it is pretty quick for what it is.

Yes, anybody who’s not driven a car with ~130 torquey horses under the bonnet may think that it is quick. Anybody who has won’t.

Anyway, this is getting off-topic!