# Service Woes



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Having decided to keep my MG ZT190 because it's worth bugger all these days anyway, I am about to be hit with a Â£1000 bill for new brake discs, thermostat housing, 5 year service and MOT









There goes my watch budget for a while


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

JEEZUZZZZ......







........what do your garage spanner monkeys wear....Gucci?


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## strange_too (Feb 19, 2007)

I'm at VW tomorrow for my GTi's service, but it's only a lube job so I should be out in 1.30 hours.

I have to say Rovers are ridiculously expensive to service & the parts are really expensive. A mate has a 75 and that thing has cost him a fortune, I told him to get a Passat.

Don't get me started on changing the headlight bulbs, it's the first time I've ever got close to damaging something because I was so angry with it. On the 75 you change the bulb, through the wheel arch! :*****:


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

The front brake discs are huge mind you on the ZT you can stop on a sixpence (that's an old fashioned saying







) the thermostat housing isn't expensive but getting at it is. Standard oil service ~Â£200.



strange_too said:


> Don't get me started on changing the headlight bulbs, it's the first time I've ever got close to damaging something because I was so angry with it. On the 75 you change the bulb, through the wheel arch! :wanker:


It's even worse on the ZT, the hatch is redundant because there is so much packed under the bonnet







you have to take it to the garage to get a headlight bulb fitted


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## strange_too (Feb 19, 2007)

Main dealer for a headlamp bulb change is just crazy!!

About a month ago a mate did his gearbox on his Audi RS6 and it was just out of warranty. As the engine was out to do the box, he had the Cam belt done too, even with a huge discount on the 'box it was the thick end of Â£6k.









He's on the list for the new RS6, but he's waiting for the saloon as he doesn't like the Avant. Lambo derived V10


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2008)

There's a lot to be said for bangernomics - buying a semi decent car for a couple of K (or less) and then junking it when something major goes wrong.

Other than that, get a decent classic - not much good though if your job requires a hard working ultra reliable car.

Cheers

Lee


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## johnbrigade (Oct 15, 2007)

strange_too said:


> On the 75 you change the bulb, through the wheel arch! :*****:


i was sent home with a 75 (2.0 V6 - v good) as a pool car one weekend and decided to sort the dodgy bulbs, i took it to a rover dealer in the end, who still had no idea where the access to the headlamp was (salesman, not technician). Only when I'd read the manual did I work it out and did it myself.

The mrs's megane is the same, only i have to get the wheel off as well in order to get my arm in the gap or there isn't room over the top of the tyre.


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## strange_too (Feb 19, 2007)

Well I'm back from the VW main dealer and with my discount it was Â£49 for my GTi service. Not bad, if I say so myself.

I believe there are 2 types of headlamp bulbs fixtures in the 75. One is the old wire type and the newer version is the plastic holder. The plastic holder is easy, but the wire clips are a "mother trucker" of a stupid design in such a small place.

I didn't know that about the Megane, but I must admit I don't do French cars if I can help it.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

JoT said:


> The front brake discs are huge mind you on the ZT you can stop on a sixpence (that's an old fashioned saying
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

I must admit that I'm lucky as far as parts and servicing are concerned. My brother works for a motor factors and the brother in law is a mechanic. Full service and mot on the old Proton came to Â£50.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

johnbrigade said:


> The mrs's megane is the same, only i have to get the wheel off as well in order to get my arm in the gap or there isn't room over the top of the tyre.


Got called to a megane on renault assist. When I got there guy is sat on the floor with his arm up the wheel arch, wheel still on. Ah I thought he's having ago himself.

Nope, he had tried himself and had managed to get his hand stuck between the inner wing liner and the headlamp! He'd been sat like that for nearly an hour waiting for me to arrive! Luckily his wife heard him shouting otherwise he might have been there all day!

I had to remove the hedlamp, wheel and inner wing liner to free him!


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## mrteatime (Oct 25, 2006)

pg tips said:


> johnbrigade said:
> 
> 
> > The mrs's megane is the same, only i have to get the wheel off as well in order to get my arm in the gap or there isn't room over the top of the tyre.
> ...


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

mrteatime said:


> pg tips said:
> 
> 
> > johnbrigade said:
> ...










Just as well she called you PG and not the local fire brigade .... I don't think the hydraulic jaws would have been as considerate to the car


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## strange_too (Feb 19, 2007)

Now that is funny


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## johnbrigade (Oct 15, 2007)

excellent









I'm not surprised, it's a pain in the arse and requires some serious hand contorting to get through the tiny gap.

bloody ridiculous car


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## Ventura (Nov 27, 2006)

I have a SAAB 9-3 and though expensive to service it's basically been trouble free. SAAB service in Birmingham has been always good.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Picked the car up, must say they have done a grand job it feels like driving a new car again







final bill Â£1040











Ventura said:


> I have a SAAB 9-3 and though expensive to service it's basically been trouble free. SAAB service in Birmingham has been always good.


Other than a minor problem with a fuel pump I haven't had any problems with the ZT .... I guess new front discs aren't really a problem just worn out









I have test driven a number of cars and the Saab is in top spot as a potential replacement at present .... another really good one was the new Mondeo







I don't want a BMW or Audi and I haven't a clue whats going on at Jaguar. I had a test drive of a Honda Accord 2.4i-VTEC S similar in performance to my ZT 0.3 sec slower on the 0 - 60. Nice car but despite the sports set up it still looked like a car you would take the kids to school in


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## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

One tip for anyone with the ZT or 75 series is to watch out for water building up in the void immediately between the scuttle panel and the engine bay. The drain for this space is pretty small and quickly clogs up with debris so check it regularly during the winter as for reasons best know to themselves the Rover designers decided to fit the ECU in this void and if it gets floooded then the ECU gets drowned and that's major, major trouble. I have heard horror stories of people facing bills of up to Â£3K to get this replaced as in addition to a new ECU itself, the job involves replacing the locks and reprogramming everything (main dealer only, of course!!)

I had the Rover 75 with the BMW diesel engine and auto box and must say I found it a great car - not at all fast, but if I wanted a sports car I would have bought one in the first place. It was certainly more comfortable, more luxurious, more prestigious and a much better ride than the Passat estate which it replaced. At 110K the auto box got a bit sluggish and even with discounts I was looking at about Â£1300 to replace the gearbox (which I thought might have to happen sooner rather than later!) so I traded it in for a new Citroen C4 diesel last September. A lot of people don't like French cars, however I bought a new Citroen ZX diesel in 1992 and apart from one speedo cable it has been pretty much trouble free for over 100K so I thought I'd go for another Citroen (plus a cracking trade in and 0% 3 yr finance helped!!)

Good luck with the ZT - it's a great car.

Rob


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## rev (Oct 12, 2007)

Work for Ford so get bugger all discount apart from a company car! so if anything goes wrong I just drop my motor off with the lads in the shop and they fix it. As for changing bulbs my old mondeo is a piece of [email protected]! also sell the things (no cracks about car salesmen please!) Although the new focus and mondeo are superb cars better than any similar priced BMW, AUDI etc... more bang for your buck.









Oh and parts and servicing are also quite cheap!


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Barryboy said:


> One tip for anyone with the ZT or 75 series is to watch out for water building up in the void immediately between the scuttle panel and the engine bay. The drain for this space is pretty small and quickly clogs up with debris so check it regularly during the winter as for reasons best know to themselves the Rover designers decided to fit the ECU in this void and if it gets floooded then the ECU gets drowned and that's major, major trouble. I have heard horror stories of people facing bills of up to Â£3K to get this replaced as in addition to a new ECU itself, the job involves replacing the locks and reprogramming everything (main dealer only, of course!!)
> 
> I had the Rover 75 with the BMW diesel engine and auto box and must say I found it a great car - not at all fast, but if I wanted a sports car I would have bought one in the first place. It was certainly more comfortable, more luxurious, more prestigious and a much better ride than the Passat estate which it replaced. At 110K the auto box got a bit sluggish and even with discounts I was looking at about Â£1300 to replace the gearbox (which I thought might have to happen sooner rather than later!) so I traded it in for a new Citroen C4 diesel last September. A lot of people don't like French cars, however I bought a new Citroen ZX diesel in 1992 and apart from one speedo cable it has been pretty much trouble free for over 100K so I thought I'd go for another Citroen (plus a cracking trade in and 0% 3 yr finance helped!!)
> 
> ...


Thanks Rob ..... I give my drain hole a poke every month







the garage I bought it from is now a Honda dealership .... the salesmen are fed up of ZT owners moaning about the fact that they really want another one!! I must admit I fall into that category


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

rev said:


> Work for Ford so get bugger all discount apart from a company car! so if anything goes wrong I just drop my motor off with the lads in the shop and they fix it. As for changing bulbs my old mondeo is a piece of [email protected]! also sell the things (no cracks about car salesmen please!) Although the new focus and mondeo are superb cars better than any similar priced BMW, AUDI etc... more bang for your buck.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I had a drive of the new Mondeo Ti X .... superb car


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## tertius (Jan 30, 2007)

JoT said:


> Picked the car up, must say they have done a grand job it feels like driving a new car again
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I go through two sets of discs a year on my 911 - thats mainly thanks to the track mind ...  ... also pads, tyres, ...


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