Thinking of buying a Mondeo Estate for ~£2k - what to look for?

YBNB

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201147430723364/sort/locasc/usedcars/body-type/estate/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/3000/seller-type/trade_adverts/price-from/1000/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/transmission/manual/model/mondeo/make/ford/radius/40/page/1/postcode/cw30ap?logcode=p

Thinking of getting something like that.

Could easily do 20k a year, so I don't think petrol is an option, and I do need the space an estate will give me.

So, as a non-mechanic, what should I be looking for?

All advice gratefully received, as ever.

Thanks,

YBNB

Flearoy

I recently bought a 53 plate 115bhp TDCi Mondeo Estate in Zetec trim. It had 138k on the clock and after 7k miles in my ownership, seems like a good car.

I searched the internet for one with a documented flywheel and clutch change, as they do tend to go around this age (though not always). The previous owner of my car had it done 12 months and about 10k miles before I bought it, and at £750 I'm glad it wasn't me paying for it.

I paid £1700 for my car. It's not perfect cosmetically, but I was more concerned with mechanical and structural soundness. It's got a full service history.

I will do more than 20k a year in mine. Driving without much concern for fuel economy, but keeping to speed limits, and it returns about 54mpg. With care, in summer, I can get 65mpg plus.

Look after it and it'll look after you!

vax2002

The diesels come in 115 hp and 130 hp, the 130hp tends to be the one with all the problems, flywheel, clutch, crank sensors.
They over egged the cake IMO at 130hp trying to keep up with VW.
I have a tiatnium 115 hp estate, 108,000 and no major problems as yet, around 43 mpg round town, more on a run.
They are a quirky drive with that 6 speed box as you have to change gear a lot more often, my only real bugbear is it would have been better 5spd

YBNB

Flearoy wrote: »

I recently bought a 53 plate 115bhp TDCi Mondeo Estate in Zetec trim. It had 138k on the clock and after 7k miles in my ownership, seems like a good car.

I searched the internet for one with a documented flywheel and clutch change, as they do tend to go around this age (though not always). The previous owner of my car had it done 12 months and about 10k miles before I bought it, and at £750 I'm glad it wasn't me paying for it.

I paid £1700 for my car. It's not perfect cosmetically, but I was more concerned with mechanical and structural soundness. It's got a full service history.

I will do more than 20k a year in mine. Driving without much concern for fuel economy, but keeping to speed limits, and it returns about 54mpg. With care, in summer, I can get 65mpg plus.

Look after it and it'll look after you!

Great stuff. Thanks, Flearoy. What sort of mileasge would the clutch and flywheel normally have been changed at? Do you know? If it's not been done, is there anything for me to look/listen out for to see if it's going to need doing imminently?

Flearoy

YBNB wrote: »

Great stuff. Thanks, Flearoy. What sort of mileasge would the clutch and flywheel normally have been changed at? Do you know? If it's not been done, is there anything for me to look/listen out for to see if it's going to need doing imminently?

Can't profess to being an expert here, but I've heard on forums that 150k or sooner might be when it needs doing... but as you might guess, there are those whose cars clutch went at 70k and those on the original at 200k. A slipping clutch would be a definite sign its going, and a high bite point and juddering would perhaps point to that too. I've also heard that flywheels on their way out can shed swarf that knackers the starter motor, so perhaps pay close attention to cars that have had new/recon starters recently. They're are a lot of cars around though. You might be able to get one that needs or will need a new clutch and flywheel, but is otherwise great, very cheaply. So long as you budget accordingly you're still buying a decent car.

If you want to prolong the life of your clutch, be gentle with it! If you get the 5speed gearbox like in mine, don't drive around in too high a gear as the transmission judders which can't be good for it. 30mph = 3rd gear. Don't go for 4th - you won't save fuel as the engine seems to have a definite sweet spot rev wise; 3rd for 30, 4th for 40. 5th gear, you need to be doing 45+. This is just my experience though.

As it happens, I think the Mondeo Mk3 estate is the best all -round regular car I've driven. It's economical, has some go when needed, handles well and is very spacious. I've had much more expensive hire cars through work that haven't been as nice to drive, despite costing 10 or 15 times what I paid for my motor.

Best of luck.

colino

If its a diesel you've set your heart on I would be hypercritical when checking it over. They were expensive buggies when new so tended to be company purchases/leases and even long declared milages may have been adjusted.

Wayne3765

Download the buyers guide from here -

http://www.talkford.com/files/download/66-ford-mondeo-mk3-buyers-guide/

It'll have all the info you need to know and more.

vax2002

Wayne3765 wrote: »

Download the buyers guide from here -

http://www.talkford.com/files/download/66-ford-mondeo-mk3-buyers-guide/

It'll have all the info you need to know and more.

Once you have registered, activated + logged in..

Hammyman

vax2002 wrote: »

The diesels come in 115 hp and 130 hp, the 130hp tends to be the one with all the problems, flywheel, clutch, crank sensors.
They over egged the cake IMO at 130hp trying to keep up with VW.
I have a tiatnium 115 hp estate, 108,000 and no major problems as yet, around 43 mpg round town, more on a run.
They are a quirky drive with that 6 speed box as you have to change gear a lot more often, my only real bugbear is it would have been better 5spd

Rubbish. I have a TDCi130 and drive it like I stole it. It is now on 162,000 miles on the original clutch and flywheel. What does kill them is too much hard acceleration from tickover and spending all its time driving round town.

Oh, and I get 55MPG out of mine and you don't change gear more often with a 6 speed box than you do a 5 speed. The only time you should be in 6th is on a motorway or dual carriageway where you can do 70MPH. On single carriage NSL roads and on 50/60MPH dual carriageways, there is no need to go higher than 5th gear. Maybe because you're changing gear too early is why you're getting 20% less MPG than me - and you'll cook the DMF before I do too.

Wayne3765

vax2002 wrote: »

Once you have registered, activated + logged in..

Is that such a bad thing ???? :doh:

A few minutes of the OP's time spent registering ( free ) , activating and logging in in exchange for information that could save them a fair bit in the future.

forgotmyname

I bought a 2004 6 speed 130 estate, 2 years ago for that price. More miles though.


Lots of stories about poor injectors etc, But the main problem is the main dealer will put all running
issues down to them and not spend time actually seeing if that is the real problem.


Injectors are £130+ each and a clutch with the DMF and slave will set you back about £600, A turbo will be
around that price also if its the later euro 4 electronic one.

I agree with the talk ford website, Some great advice on there. Local people willing to help etc.

As a non mechanic not much to check. Any receipts for a clutch/turbo/injectors/pump ??

Depending on how its driven the clutch maybe due or it might go another 70k+ miles.