Scrap it, trade it, fix it?

[thinfourth2]

My faithful Ford Focus 98 vintage 1.6 has a dying clutch and cash isn't exactly plentiful at the moment. Seeing that the MOT laws are changing it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

I am in a quandary wether i should scrap it and buy another snotter but i think i am bored of snotters and i am considering a new car with a warranty and everything i was thinking of getting one of these from kia or something similar

I could buy another snotter but i hate car shopping as folk are hard to contact and you just end up buying someone elses problems

The other option is to repair the clutch so how hard a job is it i have loads of tools but no car lift. I've never done a clutch on a car FWD and i don't know which bit is best to take out seeing it is hard to work underneath a car in a garage trying to bench press a gearbox back in.

Unless i borrow a telehandler and rolled the car onto its side

[Monkeylegend]

Buy the dishwasher, likely to be less trouble.

[C8PPO]

thinfourth2 said:

it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

Got any info on that change please?

[Superhoop]

So, cash isn't plentiful.....

But you're thinking of going out and buying a new car ??

Surely fixing it is the cheaper option

[daemon]

Superhoop said:

So, cash isn't plentiful.....

But you're thinking of going out and buying a new car ??

Surely fixing it is the cheaper option

+1

Having said that, i have a comfortable second income reselling trade ins like this, so i shouldnt be discouraging people from trading in.

A new clutch kit on ebay is £44.99 for a 1.6 Focus, i cant see a mechanic taking more than 5 hours to do it. I'd say you could find a mechanic who would fit it for £100.

I got £800 for a 1998 Focus 1.6 LX after a quick polish, hoover out and the tyres slicked, so definitely wouldnt consider it being down to scrap money.

Edited by daemon on Monday 6th December 09:12

[daemon]

C8PPO said:

thinfourth2 said:

it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

Got any info on that change please?

I think its after Nov 11.

There are ways round it if you really cant get the light to go out. Its not difficult to have it wired in to another dash light so that it comes on and then goes out when the rest of the lights go out.

[daemon]

The Crack Fox said:

I'd get a cheapo garage to fix the clutch (tools and faff make it one of those jobs best left to experts) - then I'd remove the airbag light to get around the MOT issue. Make sure you put it right and/or tell the next owner about it if you sell it on later.

Better the devil you know...

I dont think the airbag light legislation comes into play until Nov 11, so thats another year away. I'd get my car Mot'd in Oct 11 to avoid it then, so that would mean its only an issue for the O/P in two years time.

[Morningside]

Fix it. Do a shop about to some clutch specialists. I mean the Focus is a bog standard car (Hell are they THAT old now?).
Parts must be pennies for them. Plus a car standing does not cost any money. Just wait until funds are plenty.

Trading it in? You know that the dealer will knock hundreds off. Scrap? Why give away what is essentially a good car?

[thinfourth2]

So which bit has to come out? The engine or the gearbox?

Never done a clutch on a front dragger

[thinfourth2]

Do you need to pull both halfshafts? Or can you get away with one.

If you can lift it in from above makes things easier as I could just chainblock it in from above.

Any fancy tools needed?

Is a Haynes manual a worthwhile purchase or are bits pretty obvious.

[DaveH23]

C8PPO said:

thinfourth2 said:

it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

Got any info on that change please?

Ive said it before and I will say it again.... black sticky tape on the dash will get this through the MOT.

Did for me 2 years running anyway.

[soad]

I say - fix it.

[CDP]

If cash is too tight to afford a clutch change it will be tight for every monthly payment on a new car.

Ring around a number of garages for quotes, it shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred. Even if the bill's on your credit card it's only two months repayments.

[Chiswickboy]

DaveH23 said:

C8PPO said:

thinfourth2 said:

it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

Got any info on that change please?

Ive said it before and I will say it again.... black sticky tape on the dash will get this through the MOT.

Did for me 2 years running anyway.

But if it is correct that this does not come into the MOT until the end of next year you have wasted all that black sticky tape

[thinfourth2]

CDP said:

If cash is too tight to afford a clutch change it will be tight for every monthly payment on a new car.

Ring around a number of garages for quotes, it shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred. Even if the bill's on your credit card it's only two months repayments.

Its more that I can't justify throwing a few hundred at a car that is worth a few hundred and the suspension is starting to suffer from being thrashed along a mile long rally stage twice a day.

I've been considering something dull with a warranty of late so wandering if this might be the time. then someone else can deal with the issues that living at the end of a farm track brings

However seeing that its not too hard a job to remove the gearbox i will probably just feck-it and fix it myself as it is probably less hassle removing a gearbox then it is dealing with car sales men. Its illegal to hit salemen with hammers when they annoy you but perfectly acceptable to hit a gearbox with a hammer.

And the gearbox is less likely to annoy me.

[daemon]

DaveH23 said:

C8PPO said:

thinfourth2 said:

it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

Got any info on that change please?

Ive said it before and I will say it again.... black sticky tape on the dash will get this through the MOT.

Did for me 2 years running anyway.

Then you would be wrong.

After Nov 11 your airbag light has to be active and working. Covering it with tape wont work.

I dont even currently bother doing anything if an airbag light is on for MOT. They dont currently check it so they dont care.

[JB!]

fix it.

i'm sure you can find a half decent specialist to do it cheap, its a slow time of year for them, or someone you know WILL know a good mechanic who likes private jobs.

[DaveH23]

daemon said:

DaveH23 said:

C8PPO said:

thinfourth2 said:

it won't pass another MOT due to the airbag light being lite up.

Got any info on that change please?

Ive said it before and I will say it again.... black sticky tape on the dash will get this through the MOT.

Did for me 2 years running anyway.

Then you would be wrong.

After Nov 11 your airbag light has to be active and working. Covering it with tape wont work.

I dont even currently bother doing anything if an airbag light is on for MOT. They dont currently check it so they dont care.

This was several years ago now, If tests have/are about to change then I take that back and I have wasted all that sticky tape!

[patmahe]

Fix it, especially if the only other option you're considering is a new car and money is tight.

[EDLT]

I MOT'd my car in the middle of November and it was fine, despite the air-bag light flashing for the last three years. I can't find anything official about changing regulations either, AND as far as I know its very unusual to change the MOT pass criteria for old cars anyway.