General The Story so Far

[Mick F]

The story so far .................

Daughter2 bought a brand new Panda 1.2 Dynamic in March 2004. It's now done a faithful 106,000+ miles.
She's found that the work requiring on it is rather expensive, so she was offered £200 scrap value, and meanwhile has bought a modern 4x4 Panda.

We need/would like a second car as a runabout, so we're taking it off her hands. Had to charge the battery, and then drove it the ten miles home.
It needs a new cam belt, possibly a new radiator, and a probably a new battery ............ and the heater doesn't work ............... but is still MOT'd until September this year.

I've booked it in at the local independent for Thursday this week. It'll cost a packet I expect.

I'll keep you all informed!

Best wishes, and fingers crossed,
Mick.

 

[Yolanda]

Are you able to do any work on it yourself.

 

[Mick F]

The front O/S indicator bulb is blown, and today I bought a Lucas one for the princely sum of £1.90 something. I'll fit it tomorrow. I paid cash!!!

As for the battery issue, that's easy of course, but I can charge the existing one any time I need to. The battery is fine, but loses its charge over maybe a week.

Radiator is difficult I reckon, and the cam belt even more so.
Cam belt was done in August 2011 at 60odd thousand miles, so it's well overdue. and the chap at the garage agrees as the car has now done 106,000+ = 46,000odd miles and done 12years on it.

Main thing?
Is to transfer the ownership, tax it, and then insure it, but that won't happen until it gets a clean-ish bill of health.
Mrs Mick F is a named driver on the main car - Yaris Hybrid - and has had insurance in her own name many times over her driving career, so she's going to insure it and I'll be a named driver .................. or that's the plan!

Thursday - day after tomorrow - is the crunch day.
I'll keep you all informed.

Best wishes,
Mick.

 

[koalar]

Heater didn’t work in not getting hot or fans not blowing ?

 

[Mick F]

Dunno.
When I booked it in, the chap suggested that the thermostat was stuck open.
I said that when I drove it home, the temp gauge was ok and in the middle.

I'll leave it with them. The cam belt will be task enough, and whilst the car is on the rack, they can see the radiator and check out the 'stat.

Goodness knows what this all is going to cost, but probably more than the car is worth. Hence the scrap value, but we would like a second car, and we know the car from new. Meanwhile, our daughter has bought a fairly new Panda 4x4, and the "bank of mum and dad" will get the old Panda up and running .............. fingers crossed!

TTFN,
Mick.

 

[DaveMcT]

If the car is structurally good and well maintained, I look at repair costs in terms of loan repayments for a replacement car. Lets say you budget £200 per month. If the repairs cost £1000 (a hard pill to swallow) it's only 5 months of repayments and you are back to rent free driving. Obviously you have to evaluate the whole car. If there is other stuff going on, those "5 months of repayments" are better spent on a newer car. That said the 169 Panda 1.2 does take some beating.

 

[Yolanda]

Your heater problem might be something to do with the radiator you mentioned, if it's got a leak and been topped up you might just have an air lock which is quite common on these cars.
When I bought mine getting on for two years now the rad had a slight so as a stop gap ( pardon the pun ) I put a bottle of K Seal in till I got a new one. The leak stopped imedeatly and I still haven't got round to putting a new rad in.

 

[Mick F]

Baby Panda is in at the menders.
Told them not to bother checking the battery, as the car will be ok for the time being.

Cam belt and probably a stuck thermostat, and they'll check out the radiator - could be a new one required.
Should be ready this afternoon. I'll get back to you all later with the gory details!

Fingers crossed,
Mick.

 

[Mick F]

Collected Baby Panda this morning. He has done 106,377miles in total.

They fitted a cam belt kit and water pump (they come together as part of the kit) and the cam belt.
The heater problem was an airlock in the coolant system. There are two bleed valves (somewhere, so I must look it up) so they bled it and put in two litres of antifreeze. The heater works a treat now!

Total price including labour was £250.06
Doesn't seem a lot if you say it quickly!

Happy motoring,
Mick.

 

[koalar]

airlocks only happen if Air or gasses are entering the system

Need a very close eye on the coolant level. Very important

£250 inclusive seems reasonable for coolant, cam and water pump

We have a garage review section to help others

The two bleed screws on top of the black heater matrix pipe right hand side of the engine

The other on top of the expansion bottle / radiator. Hard to see. Normally you never have to touch this one

I am assuming yours is a radiator/expansion tank combo. Some have a separate bottle

In a completely working system the coolant self bleeds so should never need doing

A bright light helps to see the coolant level.

 

[Mick F]

Thanks for that.
I'll be keeping an eye on the car, and when I'm next under the bonnet, I'll look for the bleeder thingies and how the expansion bottle is situated.

TTFN,
Mick.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Radiator are readily available on the net and eBay and wont break the bank. Im having the belt done on our 2011 car as we spak so it will beinteresting to compare. I have alreadt clocked up about £150 on other work so will ask what the cam belt bit is. The man said its not a big job. Kits are £100 or so.

 

[rmjbn1]

That's very reasonable for a new timing belt
Keep a close eye on the coolant level until you're happy it's stabilised.
Also temp gauge - it should sit on half. If it doesn't get up to temperature, thermostat could be leaking - common issue as the rubber seal deteriorates with age.

To help avoid future potential big bills, inspect & treat for rust:

• rear axle spring pans
• rear sills (access via rubber bung in rear wheel arch)
• rear bump stop turrets
• coolant return pipe across front of engine
• engine sump pan
• mud trap behind front springs
• brakes (build-up of rust on sliding surfaces of front calipers & inside of rear drums)
• shock absorbers & springs
• exhaust bracket below cat