Mondeo TDCi Dual Flywheel nonsense

MrF_2

vikingaero wrote: »

Just the standard checks on the autobox:

Make sure there's no warning lights showing.

Make sure it goes through all the gears on the test drive.

Press the Sport button on cars equipped and the box should lock out 4th (or the highest gear) and be in 3rd.

Shifts should be soft without any massive flaring of the rev counter.

Move the box from D to N to R quickly (or vice versa) and there shouldn't be much more than a small push. Some cars jerk quite hard when doing this.

On some cars the autobox shares fluid with the power steering reservoir so check the state and colour of the fluid. Should look like Ribena.

If you buy a used automatic I would take the car to a member of www.fedauto.co.uk and have the gearbox fluid changed. It cost me £80.

Is it that hard to change? last car I had auto had a sump bolt (same idea as engine) which you removed, drained the fluid, removed the pan , replaced the filter (all of 2 bolts for the filter) and replaced the pan, then refilled it....total of about 45 mins work with hand tools, and having to fiddle with the gasket due to the car being on a hill...
one before that was a pig due to no sump bolt, which meant removing a sump pan full of dirty ATF fluid....yeah that was real fun:mad:

harveybobbles

Shifty22 wrote: »

The point I'm making here is that there are thousands and thousands of these mondeos on the road, what proportion of these have had this flywheel issue pop up? I'd bet it is a very small percentage.

Quite a large percentage, actually. Speaking as someone who does them...

lawnmowerman_2

rca779 wrote: »

I am looking at getting a New (ish) Mondeo, probably on an 05/55 plate. I am looking at the 2.0, 130 bhp model, with < 50k miles.

I have read numerous posts about these cars having problems with the flywheel(s?) and that it can cost up to £1,000 to fix.

It'll only cost £1,000 to fix if you find a cheap garage and it only goes wrong once. Mine (a 02 Mondeo TDCI 115) has now gone twice in 35,000 miles and will have cost me over £2500 - the reason is that when the DMF goes it takes with it the starter motor and clutch. And despite the mass of complaints on the web Ford are not willing to help at all.

I am afraid this has completely put me off the company; I will never buy a car with a DMF again and I will certainly not buy another Ford. It's nothing short of scandalous.

harveybobbles

Most cars have DMF's these days. To be honest, it must be your driving style that has caused yours to go twice in 35k!

Flywheel £165
Clutch £58
Brand New Starter Motor £60
Labour £165.

goldspanners

lawnmowerman wrote: »

I am afraid this has completely put me off the company; I will never buy a car with a DMF again and I will certainly not buy another Ford. It's nothing short of scandalous.

you will probably never buy another modern a diesel car then.

lawnmowerman_2

goldspanners wrote: »

you will probably never buy another modern a diesel car then.

Your probably right - see Honest John's view on modern diesels.

As to my driving style, my other car, a Toyota MR2 has got it's original clutch and has just passed 130,000 miles.

PeanutX

harveybobbles wrote: »

Most cars have DMF's these days. To be honest, it must be your driving style that has caused yours to go twice in 35k!

Flywheel £165
Clutch £58
Brand New Starter Motor £60
Labour £165.

That is absolute rubbish and you will think so too when yours goes. It's not just Mondeos - nearly all newer cars have them and they are a disaster. We have a MINI cooper 2002, 91,000 miles from new -fine. Just paid £1500!!!!! for new clutch and flywheel for a Clubman - 19,000 miles and there are too many people being stung by this. And I know of another just gone at 11,000.

harveybobbles

PeanutX wrote: »

That is absolute rubbish and you will think so too when yours goes. Just paid £1500!!!!! for new clutch and flywheel for a Clubman - 19,000 miles and there are too many people being stung by this. And I know of another just gone at 11,000.

Them prices I quoted were what I paid to have my Mondeo done.

The gearbox places we use charge £150-200 for labour for doing clutch and flywheels. We supply the parts.

axomoxia

harveybobbles wrote: »

Quite a large percentage, actually. Speaking as someone who does them...

What kind of percentage? 1%, 10%, 50%? Looking at a mondeo TD myself - is it only one particular year, or all years?

Andy

harveybobbles

Well, out of say 20 Mondeo TDCi's we buy I'd say we end up doing 40-50%.

Saabs/Vauxhall 1.9TiD/CDTi: Out of 20 we do about 70%

Honda 2.2diesel: About 20%.

VAG 1.9/2.0TDi: 10%

They fail due to a combination of crap build quality and driver abuse. Now every one at this point normally says "well I'm a good driver". But how many people do you see at thraffic lights holding the car on the clutch? Have a look next time youre sat at a red light.

I'd say about 90% of people hold the car on the clutch.