Recommend me a family diesel car

jase1

The MOT fails are nothing. The previous owner obviously wasn't one for keeping his tyres right but that's not the end of the world.

The clutch could be up for replacement again within a short period of time, if it was done at 80K, is now at 150K and is a one-owner car. £800 bill. That would be my main worry.

Are your 12-15k miles on the motorway or stop-start? If the latter, don't buy this car would be my suggestion, unless you're prepared for that £800 bill as a distinct possibility.

poppasmurf_bewdley

The glow plug light is the light in the speedo head that comes on to tell you the glow plugs in the engine (diesel equivalent of spark plugs) are heating up. You are not supposed to start the engine until the glow plug light goes out.

Trebor16

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

The glow plug light is the light in the speedo head that comes on to tell you the glow plugs in the engine (diesel equivalent of spark plugs) are heating up. You are not supposed to start the engine until the glow plug light goes out.

How many diesel cars have those nowadays?

andygb

jase1 wrote: »

Don't see why not.

Would far rather have the above than, say, a 2004 Mondeo TDCI with 45,000 on the clock. This one is likely to be far less trouble.

The only thing that would bother me is the fact that the DMF/starter combo has already been done, which would suggest short-distance driving for at least some of that. Make sure it isn't an ex-taxi.

The fact that a DMF has been changed need not have anything to do with the driving style or length of journey. They can go at any time, because they are still relatively unproven in their design. Perhaps people ought to start learning a bit about the engineering of actual components before they spout urban mythology.
They were introduced as a way to make clutches (particularly on diesels) as smooth and quiet as possible. Instead of having one big flywheel, the DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel), has two large steel plates, joined by springs and interlocking tabs (on most models). When drive is taken up by the engine, after releasing the clutch, the system of springs is supposed to cushion everything.
There are many people (such as myself), who have changed the DMF/clutch for a single flywheel/clutch at a cost of around £500 (sometimes more, sometimes less), instead of paying up to £100 for a new DMF.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Trebor16 wrote: »

How many diesel cars have those nowadays?

The Mk3 Mondeo (which is what we are talking about here) for one.

jase1

andygb wrote: »

Perhaps people ought to start learning a bit about the engineering of actual components before they spout urban mythology.

I know how DMFs work thanks, I don't need to be patronised.

When drive is taken up by the engine, after releasing the clutch, the system of springs is supposed to cushion everything.

And of course there's no way that driving style could in any way influence the level/nature of that which is to be cushioned, is there?

There are many people (such as myself), who have changed the DMF/clutch for a single flywheel/clutch at a cost of around £500 (sometimes more, sometimes less), instead of paying up to £100 for a new DMF.

Absolutely. The engineers of the vehicle didn't build dependence on the DMF into the tolerances of other parts of the drivetrain at all.

Graham_Devon

I often see these conversations, and the die hard diesel lovers come out and say "I haven't had any of these problems".

I would have been one of those people until my last car. Having had several diesels on the trott and never wanting anything else, the last one being a Euro 5 compliant car completely reversed every praise I had sung about diesels. I now run around in a petrol and am very happy to do so.

It really depends on whether the diesel car has all the rubbish attached which make them so costly today. Your talking dual mass flywheels (£700-800 compared to £300 for most petrol models). EGR valves clogging up (£200-£500), which don't clog on petrol due to no carbon issues. DPF's at £700-£2000 which need replacing around 70-120k in the right conditions, let alone wrong conditions. One some models you have to top up the additive for the DPF (£300 every 60-75k miles). Turbos blowing, especially the varable vein turbos (£600-£1000). When it came to any DIY, you couldn't do it without updating the cars software, so you are forever relying on the main dealers or garages with the software to reset something.

Thing is, if your turbo goes, it's likely that your DPF is on it's way too (at least thats what my mechanic stated), so double whammy.

So yes, you might get 50-60mpg, but one turbo and additive top up is gonna cost you over a grand. That's a LOT of petrol.

It entirely depends on the car and the age of the car. But I certainly wouldn't buy any diesel on a 2006 plate and upwards (though peugeot, citreon, renault adopted this stuff earlier). FAR too many costs. My 80k service was quoted at £850!!! The car has now gone. I'd still sing the praises of the old iron block smokey lumps though, brilliant engines, can just go on and on even with neglect.

Now got a petrol which gets less to a tank, but doesn't have a turbo, doesnt have a DMF, doesnt have a DPF, doesn't clog EGR's.....just costs an extra tank of fuel every 2,000 miles.

Read an article the other day that many companies with fleet cars are switching back to petrol due to the unreliability issues of newer diesels. One company switched 1,500 cars early just to get shot.

BaileyB

Ok thanks for the advice.

forgotmyname

The glowplug light also acts as a warning when there is a fuel system or turbo fault.

The glowplug light will flash and the car will go into limp home mode.
Reduced power.

The flashing glowplug light does not mean the glowplugs are faulty and avoid any garage that says it is.

wba31

Honda Accord? diesel is a great engine. boot opening on saloon is small but estate is huge... cant believe no-one has mentioned it already