Buyer bewa’R’e issues:
Whilst this is not a definitive list, it covers most of the common issues.
Now, I will assume that you have done the 'normal' checks that apply to any car purchase (e.g. Oil in header tank, white emulsion in oil filer cap. No obvious signs of smoke( blue or black) from the exhaust, Car travels and brakes in a straight line, etc., etc.) and concentrate purely on 'R' specifics. . (Oh dear - here goes).
Brakes
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The ‘R’s standard brakes leave much to be desired. A brake upgrade should be the first item on the upgrades list.
Drive Train
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Check Fluid in Clutch Master cylinder hasn’t turned black (indicates that the seals have gone and will cause gear-change probs. leading to eventual gearbox failure as clutch is unable to disengage properly.
A receipt for a recent new clutch is a good thing. However, if apparently running standard boost, it could be a sign of a previous owners fun with a boost upgrade. Beware!
Clutch slip – especially when cold. Common problem on cars with uprated boost. Clutch is more than man enough for normal power. However, once you up the boost , it soon gives up, unable to cope with even modest increases in power for long.
Difficult gear change (usually 2nd to 3rd, but could be others) when trying to change at high revs. Usually infers syncro prob. or similar. This is a gearbox out job - loadsa wonga (cGBP200-300 labour and same again for a recon. Box), especially as you will want to consider checking/changing the clutch at the same time whilst it is accessible (add cGBP200-400, dependent on spec.)
Noisy gearbox or clutch. Walk away – loadsa wonga, as above.
Squeeling on spirited cornering. Someone has fitted CRAP tyres. The original tyres (Bridgestones) are pretty good.
Worn inner-edges of tyres. Usually caused by tracking problems. However if the car is on 17s and has been slammed (lowered) it’s more likely to be the camber adjustment. Needs camber bolts cGBP50 or better still adjustable top mounts cGBP200 to fix, together with a full laser alignment. cGBP75
Lack of any braking ability after 3 consecutive spirited braking manoeuvres in close proximity. This is normal and should be high (if not first) on your list of mods. Uprated brakes! cGBP300-1000+.
Noisy/loose wheel bearings are a common problem, especially if the car has been subject to spirited driving. Bit of a weak point this. But not major, cGBP50 for the parts.
Engine
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Fuel filter blocked. Will show up as Poor performance.
Cat-pipe blocked (really puts kibosh on performance)
Loadsa blue smoke on the overrun, may indicate blown or terminally ill turbo - loadsa wonga to fix.
Bleed valve fitment or any boost mods without a rolling road printout, would imply that car MAY not have been setup properly. If car 'pinks' or shows signs of other signs of detonation when under heavy load this is a sure sign of not being correctly setup. (NB: timing should not be set with a timing light on these cars, it can only be set correctly on a rolling road or on careful open-road testing)
Car fails to rev over 3000 rpm, implies potentially serious engine management fault, as the 'brain/ecu has gone into limp-home mode! Sometimes this is a simple sensor problem, sometimes it isn't. Use the yahoogroups list to help with a diagnosis - someone somewhere will already know of the problem and in all likeliness a cure!
Poor starting, even though the engine turns it fails to catch. commonly caused by dodgy battery - fit a new one!
Misfires and hesitation - Could be a whole host of things, but usual culprits are plugs, plug leads and/or inlet manifold or vacuum air leaks.
Exterior
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Most import ‘R’s come without this expensive accessory. You are looking at GBP40 to replace it! (when you do so, remember to t-wrap it on, otherwise you can guarantee that it will walk!)
Interior
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Problematic electric windows, usually down to connectors on Driver door side switch cluster.
Check for Brake Fluid on drivers carpet . A so often found wet patch indicates a master cylinder seal failure. (Whilst the seals are readily available and cheap, cGBP15, the job is a real ‘bitch’ due to lack of space)
No ice-cold air when air-con engaged. System needs re-gassing and probably, in 9 times out of 10 cases, needs a new exchanger (radiator) - GBP300-400
Hand-brake idiot light on dash-board remains on continuously flickers might usually indicates a broken hand-brake switch, cheap but fiddly to fix.
Speedo. Not reading in mph. requires an electronic speedometer conversion (approx. £100). Requires dashboard out! (Usually signified by a kph instead of mph on the speedometer)
Speed limited to 115mph (or thereabouts) requires a de-limiter to be fitted. (Usually incorporated as part of the speedometer conversion)
A petrol gauge that goes from full to empty in 150 miles (ish) This is fairly normal. Some do get 250 miles, but I believe that they are in the minority.
Excessive wind-noise from the doors. Not serious, can be fixed by CAREFUL bending / manipulation of the door.
Misc. screw holes in dash or other parts of trim. Usually indicate after-market electronic gismos have previously been fitted. Someone may have removed them in an attempt to hide it's modification history, (it may have been thrashed, it may not) - Just beware!
Loads noise from inside the roof, when stereo is turned up loud. Indicates that the roof has come away from the roof frame. Not serious, but irritating. This is fixed by applying sealant to the roof spares, but requires the roof lining to be removed - not easy, but well documented.
Now that you know the not so good side, you should understand that I am not trying to put you off ('coz I lurv my 'R') just trying to ensure that you go into this ‘investment’ with your eyes fully open. If a warranty is on offer TAKE IT, as you will probably need it! If you can barely afford the car, you are unlikely to be able to feed it's need for petrol and your own need for ever increasing performance and handling mods. I spent £2.5K on mods. alone, probably another £1000 on maintenance items (DIY) without really trying in the space of 6 months. And that's without anything serious going wrong!
If/when you get it, keep in touch with this list and enjoy the fantastic social scene surrounding 'R' owners. Most of the guys on-list are extremely knowledgeable and always ready to offer help.
So forget about the worries and the cash - just make sure that you buy a good one and enjoy it! ;o)
oh....sorry didn't know about that part of the site as i found this forum through a 'google' search
