Used car/or MoT repairs - advice needed urgently

espresso

AliceBanned wrote: »

Perhaps I should phone the garage and ask him whether it is necessary then? He may not have done that yet.

Maybe too late now but you may have found a reason not to trust this guy as a good mechanic should know better, unless of course he just wants take more money from you.

An Italian tune-up is much cheaper than a new cat and the OAP owned Fiesta that I know about has never needed to have a new cat fitted.

AliceBanned

espresso wrote: »

Maybe too late now but you may have found a reason not to trust this guy as a good mechanic should know better, unless of course he just wants take more money from you.

An Italian tune-up is much cheaper than a new cat and the OAP owned Fiesta that I know about has never needed to have a new cat fitted.

The cat has done 6000 miles and was not new when fitted. Maybe not so bad?

AliceBanned

espresso wrote: »

Maybe too late now but you may have found a reason not to trust this guy as a good mechanic should know better, unless of course he just wants take more money from you.

An Italian tune-up is much cheaper than a new cat and the OAP owned Fiesta that I know about has never needed to have a new cat fitted.

I do 30-40 mile runs in it about 3x a week on the motorway. Isn't Italian tune-up a dodgy way of getting it through emissions? Last time it happend I got not two but three opinions, and still needed new cat. It cost me over £500 and loads of tears and I annoyed the first garage as it was disagreeing with the second over what needed doing. Nightmare!

Horizon81

Are you talking about the mk3 fiesta classic shape? I'm surprised it's lasted this long without needed welding. Those things are rust buckets, I know cos I used to own one. Had the 1.6 early zetec engine, which was quite strong but the bodywork, electrics, door mechanisms started to give way so had to get rid.

I'd probably make this your last MoT and service before getting rid of it. No point buying a new car with the winter salt snow and ice just around the corner.

espresso

AliceBanned wrote: »

I do 30-40 mile runs in it about 3x a week on the motorway. Isn't Italian tune-up a dodgy way of getting it through emissions? Last time it happend I got not two but three opinions, and still needed new cat. It cost me over £500 and loads of tears and I annoyed the first garage as it was disagreeing with the second over what needed doing. Nightmare!

An annual MOT is not the same as regularly servicing your car and you should not have paid over £500 for your last cat. Google for yourself, they don't cost anything like that much and can be fitted in minutes! It sounds to me that you have simply become accustomed to paying several hundreds of pounds each year to get your MOT ticket.

An MOT is a snapshot in time and if it meets required regulations on that day, then it passes simple as that. It could be illegal the very next day e.g. tyre wall damage, lights not working, windscreen cracked, exhaust leaking etc. but the MOT is a simply annual safety check, that's all. I have never ever paid several hundred pounds to get an MOT ticket, even on old cars but it's your money and if you are happy, then that's fine.

mcjordi

ebay for the cat.. theres some cheap ones on there atm for the mk3 fiesta..

AliceBanned

Horizon81 wrote: »

Are you talking about the mk3 fiesta classic shape? I'm surprised it's lasted this long without needed welding. Those things are rust buckets, I know cos I used to own one. Had the 1.6 early zetec engine, which was quite strong but the bodywork, electrics, door mechanisms started to give way so had to get rid.

I'd probably make this your last MoT and service before getting rid of it. No point buying a new car with the winter salt snow and ice just around the corner.

Yes, it is one of the old shape; very few around. :rotfl:A vicar owned it before me and only used it for six months of the year; the rest of the time it was garaged. It had 58000 miles on the clock with fsh when I bought it about five years ago. So it has done me ok. I bought it for £400. To tide me over. The mechanic yesterday said it was not too bad considering its age and he has seen worse rust in newer Fiestas. This is the first time it has needed welding. I was at the end of my tether with driving it as it is feeling bulky and a bit slow at times, but has never broken down and suited me for low mileage. It's getting a bit rusty now though and I can feel it creaking and I feel I deserve a bit better:). The electrics have been fine, engine fine although the sump corroded and this could have been the end if it ran out of oil. Mechanic said the bodywork will be the first to go, a year ago and he was right. It is also burgundy and isn't pretty!:(

AliceBanned

espresso wrote: »

An annual MOT is not the same as regularly servicing your car and you should not have paid over £500 for your last cat. Google for yourself, they don't cost anything like that much and can be fitted in minutes! It sounds to me that you have simply become accustomed to paying several hundreds of pounds each year to get your MOT ticket.

An MOT is a snapshot in time and if it meets required regulations on that day, then it passes simple as that. It could be illegal the very next day e.g. tyre wall damage, lights not working, windscreen cracked, exhaust leaking etc. but the MOT is a simply annual safety check, that's all. I have never ever paid several hundred pounds to get an MOT ticket, even on old cars but it's your money and if you are happy, then that's fine.

I'm never 100% happy with garage services. But I'm not a mechanic either so I'm not exactly in an easy position. Maybe you're not a woman, espresso? I've known this to happen to men as well anyway but we women get a hard time with this sort of stuff. Not my fault if people are not honest.:(

AliceBanned

Oh and no, now way would I pay £500 for a new cat. I paid that for a full service, 3x inspections at 3 garages, 2x MoTs as I didn't want to take it back to the first garage as they were disputing the printouts from the other garage. Also needed a few other bits and pieces. I remember overall yes £500 but as I said, I'm no mechanic and I do stand my ground, but at the end of the day a council MOT centre would probably fail it anyway. Next time I will try them though.

JimmyTheWig

AliceBanned wrote: »

I feel I deserve a bit better

That's a valid reason to get a new car, if you can afford it.
But don't get rid of it just because it is uneconomical on fuel.