lots of miles

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

Hello, first post Smile

Was browsing AutoTrader today, and notcied a clio for sale (1.4 rt) its only about 5 miles from where i live and with in my budget,(Â£595, but can prolly push that down a bit)
anyway, i was reading on abuot it, thinking "hmm, sounds good with all thses little options etc", when BAM!! i read it has 145,000 miles on the clock.
Just wondering if its still worth going for it?.
I dont know if its has a full service history as ive not phoned up about it yet, or actually had a look at it, but if it had, and its been serviced at the "appropriate times" 145k shudent really be that much of a problem should it?
how ever if it dosnt, any reason to stay clear of it cos of all that use.

Thanks a bundle.

P.S
(bone question now, bit like, "how longs a pice of string")
but in genral, how long will them engines run before thay wont go anymore?"

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

145k's nothing.

My 19 with 205k miles on its clock still goes fine, except for the chassis damage it suffered in a bump that is!

The energy engines are very strong and long lived, as long as its poils changed and the cambelts changed they last forever.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

poils??

dont forget chris, u r mechanically minded and looked after it well and fixed easily without delay....so to you 145k is nothing as whatever probs it throws at you, you can deal with easily.

obviously i do not know roger, but if he is not mechanically arsed like us, he may just want the motor to go, end of.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

well some pretty nasty soundign 150k milers have gone on for a while.

As for my mechanical skills, I may have them but I am far lazier than you all imagine.

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

alrighty, 145k = nothing much then, what if i cant find out when the servings where, anything to look for in particular on them as signs of a bad engine? (bar the standard stuff wich isnt a problem being a mechanic my self, just not to faimlar with these engines)

thanks a bundle.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

u dont sound too lazy....always seem to be getting on with your cars everyday....i put things off for ages.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

for a customer yeah, jobs done straight of, if you read the prog reports you shall see its all laziness. Everythign in them could be done in a day if I got my finger out, aside from waitign for parts etc.

Anyway engines are fine, rocker cover gaskets leak, coolant never gets changed which it should and just general stuff.

Nothing special or exciting about the engine thats why they last really.

Level 8 User Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 278

Just to state the obvious, the mileage of a car is a better indication of future reliability than its age.

No matter how well it's been maintained, doing 145K miles will take its toll on all the moving components as well as the fixed and semi-fixed (rattley) ones.

There is more to worry about than the engine, but most of can be maintained/fixed buy the home mechanic.

Personally I wouldn't buy anything above 100K (that's miles not Â£) if I could help it, except if it was German, Jap or dirt cheap and maintainable.

In the past we have bought a 10 year old car with a genuine 32K on the clock, it did quite well and I think there is 85K or so on it now.
It was a 1.4 RT Clio and cost Â£950.

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

There any other problems that stand out with them, that are worth looking at either? (cant really start taking the car to bits wilst im just browsing at it, but ill ask to anyway :p)
but anything that is easily noticed..

(not including dents hehe)

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

clios if its a mk1 then look for rust, they rust in the sills, rear arches, in the scuttle, the ECU is in the scuttle and the drain blocks so the ECU might be in a pool of water

just the usual stuff really.

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

hmm, well brought the car now Smile

not a single bit of rust on it, ran fine..bit of a hardclutch, but i take it there known for that, valve clearnce needs doing, shed loads of work done to it as well,(all on paperwork) brakes are a bit feeble, thay known for that to? was a bit smokey round the exhaust mainfold, but that cleard after a few mins (had bonnet open looking at it, and it was raining, prolly just rain that was on it, will have a prop look when get it home)

ne ways getting in tomoz, Â£595 i paid for it in the end, as it was supposed to be 795, but was priced wrong in auto trader :-/

Thanks a bundle.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

clio clutches are heavy, this is due to the stupid route the cable takes.

Brakes will prob be bendix fronts which are borderline at best useless at worst. Rear brakes tend to back off/not self adjust, pull the handbrake on a few clicks and see if they improve, if they do the rears need looked at.

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

also, another quick question, what dose the 3rd dial read?
got no hand book with it and no idear what that little symble means..
but im gonna guess its oil pressure?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

3rd dial is only oil level when you turn the ignition on, when the car starts it will drop to nothing.

On 16V's it reads the oil pressure when the cars running.

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

hmm, well, that dont work then, lol. reads in the red when dip stick reads full..

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

senders round the back of the engine, connector usually suffers with oil contamination.

But theres a chance your car doesn't have the right loom for the it.