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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - HGF

Do us ZS120 owners need to worry at all about HGF? it appears all the hype is geared towards the mid-engine MGF etc.

Thanks
Demon

Demon,

The owners of any water cooled car must always keep an eye on such things that may cause a head gasket to fail..... can't think of any exceptions.

JMcF (120+)
John McFeely

Anti/freeze lasts for 3years but the anti-corrosion inhibitors in the anti/freeze is only effective for 1 to 2 years. The HeadGasket corrodes and fails despite what Watchdog and other Forums say about the red bead of sealant on the gasket splitting. Change your A/freeze every 18 months and you should'nt have a problem. It's worked for my customers cars- I've proved it to myself over the past 6 years working on Rovers and will stick to the same process of changing A/Freeze to keep my customers cars reliable.
Steve Tyler

"The owners of any water cooled car must always keep an eye on such things that may cause a head gasket to fail..... can't think of any exceptions."

John McFeely you f*cking Joey. You've obviously never heard of a Bugatti. No head gaskets, therefore no head gasket failure.
Jonesy

"The owners of any water cooled car must always keep an eye on such things that may cause a head gasket to fail..... can't think of any exceptions."

Yes John...unless you own a Honda, Skoda,Toyota etc...you know the good makes!
Mega
Mega

Honda, Skoda, Toyota etc, you know the really boring makes with no character, engines that are dull as dishwater or need the ar*e ragging off them to get any performance, OAP/MPV styling, uncomfortable driving positions, split radiator hoses, lunatic electrics, prohibitavely expensive cam belt changes, cracked engine mounts, cheap feeling plastics, shared platforms with roughly 50 other cars, each one with it's own distinct faults, overweight, underpowered euroboxes or Jap buscuit tins with zero appeal to the enthusiast - i think that about covers 95% of the model ranges of those makes.

:)
Smiley

Jonesy you 'kin plonker ... I've never fcuked a Joey in my life or a sheep come to that! You some kinda antepode? Don't judge others by your own standards and habits! ...lol.

I saw my first Bugatti when you were an immature ovum in your mum's ovaries. Not much further development there!!! Yes, some cars have a solid block and head ....that is NOT news to me. Even so, advice good: still pays to keep an eye on coolant temps and levels ...WHATEVER YOU MAY DRIVE in your dreams! Loss of coolant, and here I'll use one of your favourite terms: can lead to a "fcuked" engine.

AND you can pipe down Scouse-Mike ....gorn right orf you AGAIN! ... As already quoted on this thread, those makes you list are mostly as dull as ditchwater and strictly for those who unable to judge for themselves, rely on "iffy" surveys, consumer magazines and motoring journalist's opinions for their next choice of car..... how dull is that!

and I remind you again ....I own a Honda, but not one of those dull "old man's cars" they produce in huge numbers ... and it is red-lined way above your Focus clone high-revver buzz-box too ......... and it's faster and more economical than yourn!!!!! ... and ...Oh sod it ... so there....LOL
John McFeely


Mega thinks skodas are great because daddy went out and bought one, he was considering a MG Rover, ZS if I remember correctly.
Mega would you have put MG Rover in your list if daddy had bought the ZS ? Dcik head.


P


Here's a link for mega

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&group=alt.autos.honda

you see, not all hondas are reliable, not all MG Rovers are either. So out of the two I'd rather have something with a bit of style and character (no mega, not a Honda).
P

I suppose the A/Freeze replacement is a usual Service thingy. as mine ZS is due a service in February.

it will be 30k/2 year service.
Demon

I've got a Honda too, it's a lawnmower. It does the job very well and to date no HGF, but i wouldn't want to ride round the island sitting on it, i'd look a right mug.

;)
Scarlet Fever

Note that Glycol based antifreeze has not been used for several years in MG Rover cars and has been replaced by OAT (Organic Acid Technology) along with an extended 4 year change irrespective of mileage. Of far more importance though is that the Gycol and OAT coolants are not compatible together and extensive flushing has to be done if changing between one and the other.

Rog
Roger Parker

whoops

what happens if you top up with the wrong sort of coolant

Dowh!!!
Neil W

HONDAs dont blow head gaskets???????????????????. you must be joking!!!!!!!!!!! if the engines are british built they are worse than the "k" series. go for a ride in a skoda you bullsh*tting scouse t**t!!!!!!!
colin

>Honda, Skoda, Toyota
Honda, Toyota, OK.
Skoda ?????????????????????? U must be joking !
The only good parts of a Skoda are from VW. And even those aren't that great...
Anthony Braham

Skoda Octavia
17 months old
36000 miles
Hours off road for repairs - 0
Hours off road for routine services - 3
Brakes - excellent
Handling - excellent
No of sets of front tyres used - 1

Compare this to my MGF at similar age and mileage
Hours of road for repairs - too many to add up
Hours off road for routine serviceing - 24
Brakes - piss poor
handling - a bloody nightmare until I gave up on 4 different MG dealers and took it to Techspeed who sorted it at the first attempt - cost me £600 of my own money to sort out a problem that MG couldn't deal with under warranty
No of sets of front tyres used - 8

Speak as you find

Paul

Paul

Paul - Great post mate. Skoda gets my vote too!
Eric

MG ZT
17 months old
35k miles
Hours off road for repairs - 0
hours off road for routine services - 4 hrs
Brakes - still original and excellent
Handling - class leading
Tyres - 1 set at 25k miles

Speak as I find!
Martin

MG ZT 190
23 months old
25k miles
Hours off road for repairs - 0
Hours off road for servicing - 5 hours
Brakes - still original and unbelievably good
Handling - class leading, even round the Nurburgring it was better than most saloons
Tyres - second set just gone on (might be something to do with the Nurburgring !!

Anyone else?
Steve Tyler

BL succesfully built a fixed head engine of their own - the TL500 diesel which was fitted to zillions of those Leyland National buses which went right around the world, and can still be seen today banging around the streets in the hands of smaller operators. Shame they never sorted the turbolag which caused so much smoke on pullaway.

Oh yeah..

MG ZT-T. 12 months old, 36k

Time off road for servicing - 4 hrs.

Ditto repairs - 0hrs, 0 mins.

Handling - Impresses Audi driving neighbour

Brakes better than his A6 as well on his admission.

Tyres - One set at 29k.
Ace

This thread was discussed between 22/10/2003 and 09/11/2003

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