MLW

2002 LS430. Did a service today and did the spark plugs. I am very experienced on cars, but it is a tricky job and took two hours in all. The passengers side is worse because of limited space, the drivers side is better when you remove the air filter box and the other black box above it (3 bolts and some rubber pipes in all). You can then swing it upwards and all 4 holes are revealed. See photos. A few points. Get a 3/8 socket set with two extensions (long and short) and a universal joint. It really is a contortionist nightmare. Can't see how you can do it otherwise. I have a Bahco set which is fantastic. Best £33 you will ever spend. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-S330-Socket-Piece-Square/dp/B0001JZRYY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537888968&sr=8-1&keywords=bahco+3%2F8+socket+set I removed 4 of the coil packs with the wires still connected. This seemed less brutal than pulling them off. The 4 wires that go into the connector are very thin. I was terrified of snapping them as I tugged them off. A new loam looked on the cards. Do not cross thread. I took Denso's advise and did not grease the threads. The all came out easy but you MUST gently ease them in by hand for at least 3/4 way up the plug thread. There is quite a lot of thread on it. Put them in dead square, back turn till they click, and then screw in by hand. Use a good torque wrench. You cannot see anything, so although I usually 'feel' the torque, I was so scared, I bought a great £44 Teng low torque wrench. I have wanted one for a bit, and it was critical to getting 22 Nm. The washers can be felt scrapping the head as you screw in by hand. It then seems like you are over tightening, so must use a wrench as it is surprising how the washers give when compressed. Also, when it clicks, you feel good! The most difficult is the front left one by the dipstick. There just isn't any room to get the coil tube out. Eventually by carefully 'bending' the dipstick tube away and rotating the coil you can JUST get it out and back in. But I was terrified of snapping it. Anyone know a better way? Snapping all the wires and tubes under there, is a constant fear anyway. Took the car for a test drive and although it is probably physiological, it did seem very smooth and pulled great. Fuel economy thoughts after more miles. Get good genuine plugs. There are a lot on eBay that are very cheap, and look iffy. I got mine from Opie oils, (made in Japan) at £51.51p including delivery and a bit of on-line discount. Not bad for Iridium plugs that should last another 60,000 miles. Don't want to do this job for some years, although I would be quicker next time. .

Got an aerosol of silicone spray in a £1 shop. Amazing stuff on so many applications. If it moves, I now spray it.

I was very impressed by a Kent Drying Towel. Soaks up an amazing amount quickly. Cheap too. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kent-Car-Care-GKEQ6100-Microfibre/dp/B0030B9U6Q/ref=sr_1_1/262-1434611-7083950?ie=UTF8&qid=1536077566&sr=8-1&keywords=kent+drying+towel

I live in a hard water area and always found black cars very difficult for this reason. Drying off immediately is really the only long-term answer.

I did it once with a VW Passat. It was all up front. Even spoke to the garage that did the repair work and got the certificate saying it had all been repaired to top millimetre correct spec. All measured on a jig. However, it never felt right. The boot slightly leaked. Overall, it just always felt like a car that had been extensively fixed after a big whack, which was what it was. The world is full of second-hand cars so I would never get one again. I never consider them, Selling it on in a few years time might be very difficult. HPI will show it up immediately. Wait and wait and a good one will come along soon.

It will probably go back to normal after a few tankfulls of good stuff. Might be worth popping a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in. At about £4, got to be worth a try.

These are good points. I really feel for this chap. We have all make car mistakes. Car fever is a terrible thing. You want the car, and really really want the car, so a red mist comes down and all logic goes out the window. Sometimes taking a critical friend along is helpful and they see things, and say this smells bad. Where are we here. The auction route is an interesting one. With an MOT it might fetch .....what? £4,000 or £5,000, I don't know. It is a hell of a hit and risky. This is a very specialist car, with a limited pool of sellers. Trying to reason is probably not so good with this outfit. Trading standards has to be worth a punt, as they would want to know how come this sort of 1960's type practice is still going on. This may take time, but I would do it whatever the outcome. The small claims court will cost £410 to start a claim, and a lot of personal time. Given the £9k+ it might be worth it. The real problem is that stamp. It is blindingly obvious that it signals big trouble, yet it was accepted. It is so very unusual. I have never seen it as a condition of sale of a normal retail outlet. You would only really see it on a £300 car with a rusty floor sold for spares to perhaps a classic car enthusiast. He will argue it is a trade sale. Does it specify that anywhere? If not, the contract implies it is a normal retail sale. The point above regarding the MOT is a good one. Having a car MOTed and then selling it as spares, implies the seller wants a high retail price option, linked to a trade sale with no comeback. A judge may not like this at all. They will question the seller rigorously. I have seen it in court. If you loose he will ask for costs, say £250 for attending etc. The court paperwork arriving at his showroom, may promote a settlement. It often does. In fact, courts like the parties to settle. It is actively encouraged. The other option is to accept the car and go with it. It may be OK and you may get years out of it. This often happens. Whatever you do I would do it quickly. If it were me, given the sums involved and that I would never really love this car as it is tainted, I would risk a small claims court.The stamp is a nightmare that you accepted, but courts look for what is 'fair and equitable' within the law. A judge may well have been stung themselves in the past, and will find this sharp practice unacceptable. If you win the will enforce it. This outfit has assets and a court will enforce payment. He may settle when the paperwork arrive in a court envelop. You could also ask yourself, what could you accept to walk away from this mess. If he gave you £8,000 back for the car, would you take it? If so, offer that and see if he will settle, if not a small claims court for me.

Bilt Hamber stuff is top rated. Their clay bar which I have used is amazing.

It looks great. Remember pay peanuts get monkeys, pay top dollar get Rolls Royce. How much. It looks great.

The preaching can come later, and I will be happy to preach. The issue now is getting your money back. Any dealer has legal obligations he cannot avoid. That is what parliament set up. £9,400 seems about the market price, for a normal car, and way way above a 'spares banger'. Ever a Rolls-Royce would not be that price for spares. Don't get any repairs done. I would try 3 lines of attack. 1. Write a letter rejecting the sale on the grounds of an unfair contract, and ask for your money back. (Do you have a 14 day cooling off period? If you do, just cash this in and reject the sale). Send it by first class registered next day post and give him 3 days to reply or you will seek damages in the County Court. Add that if you do not hear from him in the said 3 days you will contact trading standard and ask for his business to be investigated. Also ask him how much VAT you paid on the car, as you will be contacting them if you do not get satisfaction, as you feel that the VAT arrangements were not what they should be. In my experience if he is iffy he will be terrified of the VAT . They make the mafia look soft. It once worked for me. 2. Contact trading standards at once and explain how you have been duped by his sharp practice, and a possible illegal and unfair contract. Ask for help in resolving the situation. Don't drive the car. 3. Keep records of everything. You could easily go to a small claims court. When the paperwork from the court arrives he may concede, that is the last fall back option. Or a judge looking at it all, will probably think you have been naive, but he is a crook. After all this is over happy to preach about the pitfalls of buying a car. Good luck.

I am not sure. It will probably constitute part of the terms of the contract. Why would it not. It is so very strong a statement that one would be terrified to agree to the sale and leave under those conditions. It is a very clear statement. Where is the ambiguity? As an economist. I have to ask the following questions. How old is the car What is its mileage What did you pay for it?

How easy were the drain plugs to open? I have a big breaker bar. Can you not get the oil in without a special pump?.

The difference in price is about £20 for 5 litres. The engine cost £5,000 to replace. Surely £20 a year extra is not too much to pay?

This is really tricky. In my view, either you buy privately 'as seen' and you know you are on your own, relying on your 'car' judgement, and your experience. Remember when you buy such a private car, you are buying 50% the car and 50% the seller and paperwork. Fair enough, as you will get it cheaper, buying private, but there is little comeback. Or, go to dealer and pay more, for a dealers full services. You seem to be half way. If the stamp on the contract says what it does, one normally would see bells ringing...... i.e. trouble. Did you pay the £20+ to get an HPI report, or run it through 'Check an old MOT history' on the web. I know this sounds patronising, but he knows more about the car than you (asymmetric information), so you must protect yourself. It seems like you thought it was a bit 'iffy' and got a £1,000 off ( an unusually large sum). Big money. You took it almost on trade terms, i.e. taken as seen , no comeback. Why did you agree to that stamp? It rings trouble. I fear a small claims court would say it is clear on what terms you purchased. By all means try to get the dealer to cough up, but I would not put my pension on it.

I'm amazed how long these blades last. In previous cars I replaced the blades every 18-24 months. My 430 is now nearly 3 years and going strong. I think it is because they are 'parked' below the bonnet line and out of the sun, so less deterioration.