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MG MGF Technical - constant break downs

Hi,

I purchased a 98 MGF (75,500km) at the end of March and have driven it for less than 48 hours in those five weeks because of breakdowns.

The first time I didn't even get it home (it was a private sale, 4 hours away from where i live). The timing belt went and it cost me over AU$2600 to get it repaired (12 valves killed). They had it for an extra week because it wouldn't start and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. It turned out that the camshaft was on backwards (or something like that, i'm not very technically minded).

I got it back Thursday afternoon, only to have it not start Friday afternoon. After push starting it and taking it for a drive I thought it would be fine, but I went to start it again later and despite numerous attempts to push start it, it wouldn't go. Called road assistance and they said the alternator needs replacing.

Less than 48 hours in over five weeks - this can't be normal, surely? The guy who sold it to me told me he had no problems with it, though mysteriously lost the services logbook and is now not answering any of my calls.

Just wondering if there's any way the alternator could be connected to the previous problem, or if there are any other problems I'm likely to encounter? I'm fairly sure the head gasket was changed with the repairs for the timing belt.

When I got it on Thursday there was also a clunking noise in the back, whenever I hit the accelerator or break too quickly (maybe something loose?). Is this a common problem?

I love my car, but I'm just not sure I can take any more heartbreak. My bank account can't take anymore, either, for that matter. Thanks a lot for any advice you can give.

- Kel
KL Corradi

I would go to consumar affairs, even though you bought the car privately. It looks like you have been sold a dud and try taking him to small claims court. Once the work has been done and if it was done properley you should not have any problems other than routine maintanace for the next 100,000km. So enjoy.
Andrew Regens

Definately sounds as if your car was poorly maintained before you bought it.

As a precaution check the routine maintainance has been done, especially those parts easily forgotten - are engine oil and brake fluid clear? Have all hinges and suspension nipples been greased? Is coolant filled to the mark? Inside of wheels clean or bubbled paint treated?

Chris
Chris

kel what a shame it can hert the pocket ive just found out, not as bad as you ? ive had my 96 mgf for just under a year 70,000 miles on the clock and 1 radiator 2 front tyres new cat and twin pipe box and the 60,000 mile service and the MOT test end of the month but i am attached to the little thing.I would be in doubt if the previous owner had it serviced the car has only traveld about 45,000 miles in 8 years so it has been sitting around and like all things deteriorates.have the car checked over by some one that knows the MGF and as andrew has said the rights on your side.
Graham

sounds like a combination between imcompetant garage and dishonest previous owner :-(

The clunking noise is probebly the engine steady bar that bolts to the sump, where it meets the car there is a big rubber bush, the bolt thru the centre of this must be done up real tight to clamp the centre metal bit of the bush, or it will shift and clumk with power on/off.

putting the camshaft on backwards (translate as the camshaft was 180degrees out?) would happen if they pulled the head to fix bent valves and they lined up the pullies backwards, easy for a novice to do this (!)

If they didn't do up the alternator properly then the belt could be slipping (or missing!!) and this would give you the alternator fault, they would have to have pulled the alternator belt to do the cambelt.
Will Munns

I agree- seems likely that the cam belt wasn't replaced at the specified interval and consequently failed. The problems you've had since would appear to point a suspicious finger at the repairing garage. The procedure for re-timing the cams is pretty straightforward - so it makes one wonder what other problems there may be in terms of loose bolts here and there.

I wonder if they dropped the engine on its subframe? In which case, the knocks could be loose suspension bolts: well worth checking all of these.

The alternator problem - really difficult to know whether this is a fault related to the cam belt failure. It may be possible for an alternator belt to snap, and the ensuing debris to cause a failure of the cam belt - but I presume that this was not a problem reported by the repairing garage?
Rob Bell

>> I got it back Thursday afternoon, only to have it not start Friday afternoon. After push starting it and taking it for a drive I thought it would be fine, but I went to start it again later and despite numerous attempts to push start it, it wouldn't go. Called road assistance and they said the alternator needs replacing.
<<
Did you re-charge the battery at any stage by other means? If the alternator is at fault, you wouldn't have got far as if there's not enough charge in the battery to turn the engine over, it won't run the ignition & EPAS for long. Was the output of the alternator actually tested? Feasible it's a wiring issue (i.e. a short somewhere) and not the alternator.
Mike Hankin

firstly - thanks for all your ideas and support! i will get my partner to check into everything you've suggested. i'm very attached to my mgf (even if i've only technically had it for 48 hours!!) so i want it fixed not only to work, but to be running the best it can.

Andrew - i really hope there will be no more problems! over the past few weeks i have spoken to consumer affairs, department of transport and a few other departments, but no luck. someone said a new law came in recently that could cover it, so i am going to check with racq's legal department to see if they know anything.

Chris - the mechanic said the oil was black and hadn't been changed in a while (which is annoying as i told the guy i bought it off i was going to get a service straight away and he said he'd only just had one and not to worry about it.. of course, it could be his mechanic, it's hard to know). thanks for the list, will get everything you mentioned checked and fixed up asap.

Graham - not sure what some of that means, but i feel for you!! the mechanic that did the repairs specialises in mg cars, and he checked everything over when he fixed it, so hopefully after the alternator is done it'll be okay for a while!

Will - the mechanic said he didn't put the cam shaft in, the person who did the head did it - ? not sure if that means another company, or another worker there. will definitely get the steady bar checked, clunking noises always worry me, especially when there has been so many problems already. will also check the alternator belt just in case. it wasn't an immediate problem, but if it came loose it would explain it.

Rob - nope, the alternator was working fine Thursday night and Friday morning/some of Friday afternoon. it doesn't look like they are related problems, just very bad luck. (my partner's car has also broken down due to gear box failure, and we're borrowing his dad's spare car which had a mysterious flat battery the other day - it's just not our month!) will get the bolts checked, as some of the ones that access the engine from under the softtop were not in that tight.

Mike - yep, the alternator was tested by road assistance and they said it was faulty. they tried recharging the battery, but the car would always die a minute or two later.

thanks again! i really appreciate your time and help.

- Kel
kellie

Hopefully a new alternator will solve the problems then Kel! Fingers crossed for you :o)
Rob Bell

>as some of the ones that access the engine from under the softtop were not in that tight.

Don't do these up tight or they will strip their threads, they are not ment to be very tight.

Will Munns

Well look on the bright side, my wife's needs a new engine!!!
David

This thread was discussed between 01/05/2006 and 02/05/2006

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