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MG MGF Technical - HELP-Worse than a HGF!?

I have got a 98 vvc Abingdon, recently on the way to work I noticed that the heater wasnt working properly. I felt a slight mis-fire accompanied by steam from the rear of the car. I stopped straight away and had the AA tow me to an MG dealer for HG replacement - bad enough, I thought, until they contacted me today to say that on test run the car was smoking heavily - more so than the mechanic had ever seen before. (burning oil)

The garage have priced a new unit and it will cost £2000 + VAT + Labour + work already done =£4000!!! A reconditioned engine with a 1 year gaurantee will cost £3000 all in.

Steve (the other half) has asked about the possibility of replacing the pistons and liners this would total around £2500. Is this likely to sort the problem? Are these prices realistic? Is there anything else we should check before basically remortgaging the house?

The car has got FSH and Steve regularly checks levels etc.

Any advice will be appreciated - thanks.

Kerry '98 Abingdon (just!)
k pemberton

Another option is to contact Victoria at MGF Centre in Wolverhampton to see if you can get a low milage used engine at a decent price.

I really should put their phone number on the side of my monitor! They are listed under ADVERTISERS at the top of the screen.

You may, of course, have closed some of your options already by having the car taken direct to an MGR dealer - they may be reluctant to step away from the official party line just to save yoy a bit of money.
JohnP

MGF Centre 01902 403045

Don't be afraid to tell the garage that you don't want them to complete the work. There may be a bit of a charge for the strip down but if you can save 500-1000 or more by going else where then it would be worth it.

Tim
tim woolcott

Sounds just like what mine did. Get a reconditioned engine from the mgf centre.
S Laithwaite

Thanks for the advice, I will contact the MGF centre. What is the likely price for a reconditioned engine and will the MG garage be likely to fit it for me?

They have already suggested that they will charge for the HG replacement, £600ish, regardless - is this acceptable considering it hasnt solved the problem that they diagnosed?

Kerry '98 Abingdon

k pemberton

It'd be cheaper to get the MGFC to do all the work for you. If you have AA relay, then you should be able to arrange transport - but I think that the MGFC also has a low loader so they could potentially collect the car for you? Tim?
Rob Bell

Kerry,

Exactly the same thing happened to me recently, the garage replaced head gasket but all was not well and eventually fitted an exchange engine that I sourced from Brown and Gammons.

Technically the head gasket work was guaranteed, I kicked up a fuss and as a compromise the garage offered to fit the exchange engine for free. This was not much consolation after a £450 service, £600 HGF repair bill and of course the bill for the engine, but I’m back on the road now after 3 months and I suppose it was cool having the car garaged over the worst of the winter!

E-mail me if you want further details.

Good luck, Russ.
Russ Mellor

p o o f
foo cough

Rob - thanks for the advice, Steve has been trying to source a reconditioned engine (MGFC havn't got any at the mo.) in the hope that we can bring the price down a bit.

Russ - thanks for that, I will the try the kicking up a fuss tactic, a compromise is better than nothing i suppose!

Kerry '98 Abingdon
k pemberton

This thread was discussed between 26/03/2004 and 29/03/2004

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