h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>> (Timing belts usually need replacing between
60,000-72,000 miles and then double that.) <<

Thank you Orcus. I was afraid my advice was being
overlooked. This timing-belt issue is a relatively new
factor in modern cars, not something we grew up
with and not something our grandfathers could have
told us about. They used to think of the belt as only
to drive the radiator fan and the generator - and if
one broke you could wrap an old nylon stocking round
the pulleys to get home on. And 'fan-belts' were cheap,
very cheap and almost anyone could change one (unless
you own a Triumph which requires removing the fan and
often the entire radiator to get at). But timing belts
control everything that moves in an engine today - when
(not if) it wears out and breaks = Kapow! Game over.

In older cars many of these bits were controlled by a
timing chain, made of metal like a bicycle chain and covered
by an oval or bell shaped metal 'timing chain cover', and
some still are - listen for the sound of marbles rattling
in a tin can as an indication of wear if it has a metal
timing-chain.

Today most cars have a large rubber serpentine belt
that wears out like any rubber product and breaks with
the same surprising burst as a blown tyre or elastic band.


~jwf~

Aye! and when they brake it can totally destroy the engine, that happened to me a few years ago, and the car was only 6 months old!!!!!

Luckily for me, it was still under warranty otherwise it would have cost me a fortune, as it was a complete new engine build.

Anyway, has anyone else got an idea of their ideal second hand car?

Smudger.

Yes this is what destroyed the engine in my car last week.

'ping' went the belt, suddenly no power, car ground to a halt, but I managed to get it mostly into a layby.

BTW, not all modern cars have a belt. Some have chains which don't just snap.

Hmm! not quite,......mine was a timing "chain"

Ive been reading on a motoring site that times belts should be changed around the 60K mileage time, and if it has been changed with receipts and paperwork to prove it, it makes a second hand car more attractive to buy.

(Remember, this was a quote from a motoring site, not my personal opinion)

Smudger.

Am going for my first test drive today - the ford with the dodgy alternator.

Given all that I've learnt in the past week about buying cars, I'm very unlikely to buy it, at 90,000 miles, it just doesn't rank against the others cars I'm looking at now which are half that(or just about)

But it will be a useful practice run of inspecting a car, talking to the seller, and sticking my head under unfamiliar bonnets.

Have printed off everyone's comments and will be annotating them into a notebook on my journey down (by train) , so I'll let you know how I got on.

Wow. I almost wish I was coming with you.

B

On my mind is the value of the test drive.

First of all the car stalled in the train station carpark.

Cue the owner head under the bonnet pulling fuses. He also told me in a fit of unenviable honesty the wreck wasn't insured.

While he ran back home to get the spare fuses I looked it over found scratches dents and what looked to my untrained eyes like rust on the underside of the right rear door.

Then there was the, I presume oil, leaking into the radiator fluid, which was black.

When he returned I broke the news that I wasn't going to make an offer.

Honest again he told me had offers already offering full price.

Presumably they haven't seen it yet.

Oh dear The phrases 'someone else's bargepole', and 'don't touch with' spring to mind!

>> Have printed off everyone's comments and will be
annotating them into a notebook on my journey...<<

You should know how gratifying it is to hear that.
God bless h2g2 and all who sale in her.

Of course now you are committed to following through
on this thread and keeping us all updated on events
and what ever your final decision will be. You aren't
just shopping for yourself now; we all have a stake.
Good luck.


~jwf~

PS: Oh and now of course you must become a Disciple
of the Timing Belt and warn others of the danger.
You are not the first or last to lose a good car
to this modern and little understood phenomenon.
The devil is in the details.

Today, I've hired a car to go see the Ford over in Haverhill. It's low mileage >45,000 on a 10 year old model. £2000+ it's the most expensive I've looked at yet, but also probably the best in relation to all the advice I've been getting.

I'm worried though. Money. It's a focus not a fiesta (so it's what I qualified in but is it too big for just me?) Is it a good deal?

Argh. I hate this. I actually do hate it.

How people find this fun and empowering is a mystery to me.

>>It's low mileage >45,000 on a 10 year old model.

I'd like to know why it's such a low mileage. Have a look at the records; if it's done 4,500 a year, no problem, but if it was off the road for years, no being used, the low mileage might actually be a problem. Things like batteries need to be kept fully charged, else they fail. Also, make sure it wasn't off the road after a big accident, or after being written-off (that info will be in the log book).

I checked that. Original owner was a disability mobility service the last owner had used it for carrying around is disabled mother = low mileage.

The mileage was confirmed with a full complement mot certificates, stamps, and annual servicing ( with receipts!!). I found some minor surface abrasions and a spot of rust on the list of the exhaust. But that was really all goes wrong. I had an hpi check done and it confirm no finance or theft etc and valued the car higher than the sale price.

Test drive was more than fine.

Seemed like a better deal the more I spent with it. I opened bidding at £2000. Too low he said. So he knocked £100 of asking but wouldn't budge on that.

So I tried a different approach: what can I get for this princely sum?

Service was last done 01/06/12

A new mot, valid for 1 year, if any part fails *they* pay for it.

They'll rebuff the scratches.

2 month or 2000 mile warranty

I paid £200 deposit against total (non-refundable: he wouldn't budge on that)

collection and payment off outstanding funds following notification mot completed and all work completed as agreed.

Well, really the only trouble that may occur with a car over 10 years of age, is it may be troublesome to find parts in your area when you need them. But some models are not too much trouble at all. You might want to call over to a mechanic's and ask about that particular year, make and model.

It does sound like a good deal with the extra service
and warranty, and it's a Ford like you're used to.

BTW: There are no legal grounds for him not returning
a deposit if you change your mind unless you've signed
an agreement to that affect. This is something I only
learned recently - most people just assume a deposit
will be lost and don't try to reclaim it, but (here in
Nova Scotia at least) sellers have no right to retain
a deposit if they subsequently sell to someone else.
They make a small fortune off our ignorance of the law.
Or, worse really, if we feel compelled to buy in spite
of a change of heart and throw good money after bad.


~jwf~

I did sign an agreement. They will withdraw it from sale. That's why The deposit was not refundable, he said.

New question: I got my tax disc back from my dead fiesta - how do I go about getting a refund from the DVLA?

Used to be you got a form from the Post Office and it was pretty straightforward.

Congratulations btw, sounds like a good 'un

Get a form from the Post Office, fill it in, then send it to the DVLA along with the disc, job done....cheque is in the post

Smudger.

>> I did sign an agreement. <<

Right... do you have a copy?
Does it state 'non-refundable' or
did you just take his word for it?
He probably just gave you a receipt
and there is no binding contract.

It's a scam over here because no one
knows the law.

Not sure what the rules are over there
but if you do decide not to buy you
ought to pursue a refund.


~jwf~