Friday 23rd Feb 2024 Sarah was driving to work in the 2008 Volvo S40, and the clutch pedal just sent to the floor and didn't want to return.
I picked up Sarah and took her to work in the Kia that morning. At lunch time I took a look at the Volvo, yep pedal to the floor, could lift it up, but there was no resistance there. Possible blown slave cylinder.
I picked Sarah up at lunch to bring her home to make me a sandwich. While waiting outside her office in horndean, I had the radio on for about 2-3mins without the engine on. When she came out the car woulnd't start. Sarah was happy to push start the car, and all drove home fine(did get the battery checked at proparts the next day and all good, just needs a good charge, original battery from 2015)
Anyway, back tot he Volvo. We have RAC cover, so called them out using the website. Estimate of around 5 hours, but it was actually nearer 2 hours. Met them at the car. He added fliud to the clutch, and pumped the pedal, the fluid just came out of the bottom. Got a tow to the local garage where we have it serviced.
I had already phoned ahead to the garage to let them know the clutch has gone and possibly the slave cylinder. The RAC guy confirmed it was the slave. The garage has a quote all ready for me. That engine is a PITA to work on, due to being so big in a little space, the waterpump was a challenge. The clutch has a 7hour book time. May aswell change slave and clutch while in there. Quote was around £1500 or around £1800 to include the master(if we wanted) However its approaching or exceeding the value of the car. The car has some electrical gremlins, like central locking dosn't work and a few other things wrong.
Is it worth spending out money on the car? or is it time to get something newer. Something to think about over that weekend.
Sarah started looking as some newer cars, perhaps 6 or 7 years old. I was expecting around $6-7k. The Volvo was a 2.5L turbo, so it didn't hang around, need something simular. Also need comfy back seats, as I sit in the back with the dogs. There go in thier dog bed beside me with their harnesses on plugged into the seatbelt.
Sarah was looking at Mazda 2's or Ford like a Fiesta or Focus. Checked Cazoo and a few other online places. My thinking of these online places that deliver, let you try them to a couple of weeks and collect them if you are not happy must be making a tidy profit from the sale, as delivery cant be cheap.
I'm happy to buy from a place you can take it back to if something not right.
Went to Port Solent on Sunday. On the way back we were passing Hendy Ford. I said shall we just pop in to take a look at what they have got, get an idea of prices. Not actually go inside, but view the cars on the forecourt. Sarah was instantly attracted to a 2017 Focus RS in dark blue, up for £12400 which was on par with the prices Sarah saw online. There was enough room in the back for me and the dogs. Looks at a few others too.
That evening I viewed it on their website, though I'd book a test drive. My thought at that time was to get Sarah to test drive it Monday evening. Asked the bank to fill my account with adequate funds, this was all approved and available 6pm Monday evening. Monday morning Hendy called me. By then I had changed my mind about the test drive and just wanted to put down a deposit, I went down there to take alook around it and start off the paper work.
Hendy were trying to push for their finance option, where you pay a deposit, pay every month for a couple of years and then pay a lump sum to keep the car. I said, I'm paying on debit card.
The MOT was due to run out in a week, so I asked for a fresh MOT, this would mean the car would be ready on Tuesday. Paid a deposit, Hendy wanted the remainder to be wired. So that was done Monday evening.
Sarah noticed it wasn't on their website anymore, she was quite dissapointed, she kinda fell in love with it, but didn't know if I was willing to pay that much for the car. I still didn't let on. I also let her spend some more time looking for a car she liked.
Tuesday morning a chap from Hendy picked me up and nipped down there to finalize the paper work, put tax on it, have it registered in Sarahs name. Then I drove it home, was a great drive, was a bit low on fuel so fulled it up at Shell in Waterlooville, was surprise I got over £70 in there, that more than the TA and like double the Kia.
So now its all ready for the surprise when Sarah comes back for lunch, she will be parking up the Kia. I was behind the gate when she turned up. Could her her saying, "he didn't, no he didn;t, did he... no... it cant have" she was in a loop of talking to herself. lol. So I went out there and gave her the keys. She was over the moon.
Changed her car insurance in the luch break, drove it around the block, and then drove back to work, no time for lunch, so she just took a jar of pickled onions to much on.
Its a really nice car inside, and nice to drive.
I picked up Sarah and took her to work in the Kia that morning. At lunch time I took a look at the Volvo, yep pedal to the floor, could lift it up, but there was no resistance there. Possible blown slave cylinder.
I picked Sarah up at lunch to bring her home to make me a sandwich. While waiting outside her office in horndean, I had the radio on for about 2-3mins without the engine on. When she came out the car woulnd't start. Sarah was happy to push start the car, and all drove home fine(did get the battery checked at proparts the next day and all good, just needs a good charge, original battery from 2015)
Anyway, back tot he Volvo. We have RAC cover, so called them out using the website. Estimate of around 5 hours, but it was actually nearer 2 hours. Met them at the car. He added fliud to the clutch, and pumped the pedal, the fluid just came out of the bottom. Got a tow to the local garage where we have it serviced.
I had already phoned ahead to the garage to let them know the clutch has gone and possibly the slave cylinder. The RAC guy confirmed it was the slave. The garage has a quote all ready for me. That engine is a PITA to work on, due to being so big in a little space, the waterpump was a challenge. The clutch has a 7hour book time. May aswell change slave and clutch while in there. Quote was around £1500 or around £1800 to include the master(if we wanted) However its approaching or exceeding the value of the car. The car has some electrical gremlins, like central locking dosn't work and a few other things wrong.
Is it worth spending out money on the car? or is it time to get something newer. Something to think about over that weekend.
Sarah started looking as some newer cars, perhaps 6 or 7 years old. I was expecting around $6-7k. The Volvo was a 2.5L turbo, so it didn't hang around, need something simular. Also need comfy back seats, as I sit in the back with the dogs. There go in thier dog bed beside me with their harnesses on plugged into the seatbelt.
Sarah was looking at Mazda 2's or Ford like a Fiesta or Focus. Checked Cazoo and a few other online places. My thinking of these online places that deliver, let you try them to a couple of weeks and collect them if you are not happy must be making a tidy profit from the sale, as delivery cant be cheap.
I'm happy to buy from a place you can take it back to if something not right.
Went to Port Solent on Sunday. On the way back we were passing Hendy Ford. I said shall we just pop in to take a look at what they have got, get an idea of prices. Not actually go inside, but view the cars on the forecourt. Sarah was instantly attracted to a 2017 Focus RS in dark blue, up for £12400 which was on par with the prices Sarah saw online. There was enough room in the back for me and the dogs. Looks at a few others too.
That evening I viewed it on their website, though I'd book a test drive. My thought at that time was to get Sarah to test drive it Monday evening. Asked the bank to fill my account with adequate funds, this was all approved and available 6pm Monday evening. Monday morning Hendy called me. By then I had changed my mind about the test drive and just wanted to put down a deposit, I went down there to take alook around it and start off the paper work.
Hendy were trying to push for their finance option, where you pay a deposit, pay every month for a couple of years and then pay a lump sum to keep the car. I said, I'm paying on debit card.
The MOT was due to run out in a week, so I asked for a fresh MOT, this would mean the car would be ready on Tuesday. Paid a deposit, Hendy wanted the remainder to be wired. So that was done Monday evening.
Sarah noticed it wasn't on their website anymore, she was quite dissapointed, she kinda fell in love with it, but didn't know if I was willing to pay that much for the car. I still didn't let on. I also let her spend some more time looking for a car she liked.
Tuesday morning a chap from Hendy picked me up and nipped down there to finalize the paper work, put tax on it, have it registered in Sarahs name. Then I drove it home, was a great drive, was a bit low on fuel so fulled it up at Shell in Waterlooville, was surprise I got over £70 in there, that more than the TA and like double the Kia.
So now its all ready for the surprise when Sarah comes back for lunch, she will be parking up the Kia. I was behind the gate when she turned up. Could her her saying, "he didn't, no he didn;t, did he... no... it cant have" she was in a loop of talking to herself. lol. So I went out there and gave her the keys. She was over the moon.
Changed her car insurance in the luch break, drove it around the block, and then drove back to work, no time for lunch, so she just took a jar of pickled onions to much on.
Its a really nice car inside, and nice to drive.
