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+ 1 The car manuf. spec. for the engine oil is far more important than the label or the price. I use a 5w40 fully synthetic in my old BMW but stick to a 20w50 with high zddp for the old Range Rover as it's flat tappet engine design harks back to the 1960's

Components made from monkey metal? Think the (quite comprehensive) tool kit that new Russian Ladas came equipped with in the 1980's :rolleyes:

And auto wipers but then a large proportion of today's car owners are not drivers in the true sense, so someone with a business mind will benefit from that fact by inventing a device that was never needed in the first place.

To me it's just another gimmick that employs additional technology with the potential to fail. Presumably both battery & starter motor have to be purpose built, in order to save miniscule(?) amounts of fuel & emissions. But then I'm a confirmed cynic.

Thanks to both of you (#9 & 10) I would imagine that constitutes a significant slice of the £1800 +vat of the quote he's already had from my local garage & would include their labour charge.

That's definitely a good idea, I'll suggest that to him. Thank you.

As yet I don't think he has. Being a pensioner like myself, lacking the ability & facilities to carry out the swap himself, he's probably concerned that having forked out for the labour charges the used replacement 'box might develop the same fault .. especially if the 6 speed is known to have...

That's exactly what he does, but curious to know why repairers give it a wide berth. Could it be the usual story, why repair something when you can flog a new one instead?

A good friend of mine has a gearbox (manual) problem on his Dec '12 reg. Ford Focus 2ltr. diesel. The sixth gear will not stay engaged once selected & jumps straight out of gear regardless of whether it's under load or overrun. He has been quoted £1800 to supply & fit a replacement 'box, which...

Think I'm right in saying that in Europe it's 3mm (?)

I agree, replace my tyres at 3mm & always have done. 1.6mm across 75% of the tread is legal but totally absurd.

WD40 makes them look good .. until it rains ! You read of people using toothpaste, which is about as effective as the WD. A semi-retired bodywork guy does mine & the effect lasts for around 2 years but I don't know what product he uses, only that a buffing wheel is part of the process.

For the 'daily' using E10 fuel it's anywhere that is convenient, usually BP/Shell/Esso. For the low-mileage classic it's usually supermarket as E5 prices are too pricy at the above.

Apologies, I seem to have been referring to the wrong post. Another senior moment :oops:

I sense yet another boring discussion about the pros/cons of EV ownership coming on. None of which answers the OP's question :rolleyes:

Re. the leaking, I think that's how my mate finally cured the problem. Why did Ford use foam rather than rubber I wonder? Sadly though the gearbox fault is a different matter & although the car is usable with just 5 gears that problem, coupled with the ULEZ expansion, has sealed the car's fate.

I recall reading about a similar set-up in Norway, Chinese owners I think, except this was a few years ago & there were staff to carry out the task rather than automation.

Have a friend with a 2012 Focus diesel, very economical but they are known for water leaks in the luggage bay, spare tyre tray often a swimming pool & in the case of his example 6th gear won't stay engaged; nobody wants to tackle a repair & a replacement 'box + labour is more than the car is worth.

Correct. Probably the latter as my estate isn't worth a great deal, once you remove the property value, though my partner would be a beneficiary in so far as should she chose to move a percentage of the home's sale would go to her. It's so difficult trying to ensure fairness to everyone, as...

Many thanks for all your replies to date. My situation is not entirely straightforward as I am divorced with 2 adult kids & have a partner of 24 years that I need to ensure a roof over her head, for which she would have no legal right as we are not married. Therefore my priorities begin with...