Buying first Mg, advise if you please

Dacman · 9th April 2007, 17:30

Hi there,

I found this site trundling through Google and you all seem a clever lot, so i thought i would ask a few questions.

I know this has probably been asked many times but..... I am looking to buy my first MG ZT about an 02 or 03 plate, i have seen a few around that fits the bill, one is a 2.5 160 and the other a 2.5 190, is there anything i should look for? apart from the obvious oil leaks / accident damage.
In general are these cars reliable? many moons ago i had a Rover 420sli and reliablility was never its strong point, but it was a fine car.
What is a realistic fuel consuption on these cars? It would mainly be driven in town, you know, the old work run.
Is there any weak points to the car?

Many thanks in advance

Keith · 9th April 2007, 20:41

Hi Dac lots of info here so read up on past threads
the 190 is not too good on MPG around town mid twenties perhaps 30-33 on a motorway run (I doubt the V6 160 is any better on fuel either) a diesel would be the only sensible choice if you are concerned about economy and they are far more tunable than any of the petrol cars.

The cars are quite heavy so the gearing on the 190 is very low to get the best from the engine, 4th gear in my 260 is higher than fifth in my ZTT 190!

The ride in a ZT can best be described as firm, great for the driver I regularly do 500 miles in both of mine but passengers can find the ride unpleasant

Handling otoh is superb and the cars can cover cross county miles very well

The cars are not the cheapest to maintain with various design and maintenance issue that can be costly

the V6 has a plastic inlet manifold that often breaks leading to a very obvious top end rattle (£500). Cam belts need doing at 90,000 or 6 years and prices for this vary enormously depending on where you go e.g. £500-£1000. The Radiator fan motors are notorious for packing up. Tyre wear if the wheel alignment is out can be very uneven. The cars have a water trap which can lead to all sorts of nasty issues if the previous owners have not maintained the drains to let the water out. Headlight bulbs seem to fail more often that one might expect. Drivers seats can show early signs of wear at fairly low mileages, early model have rock hard suspension and as a result suffer lots of window rattles etc. rear door handles can jam.

These are vehicles that might need a bit of weekend TLC occasionally but the drive behind the wheel more than makes up for it.

Get a good one and you will have an excellent car at a very good price.
Why not find a member local to you who is wiling to show you his own car and help with going over any you are viewing.

GreyGhost · 9th April 2007, 21:08

Excellent job of putting a potential owner off there Keith. Glad I didn't ask you before buying one.

They are great cars, most don't have any of the issues mentioned above unless they have been poorly maintained or just plain neglected. In most cases these cars, especially the MGs have been well cared for. Look out for all the points mentioned in the previous post by Keith, check for full service history. They were expensive cars to buy consequently servicing and general maintenance and repair costs can be high.
The club was first started to support ourselves and with a little knowledge and assistance from our membership many savings can be made.

Best of luck with your search.

Dacman · 10th April 2007, 07:24

Thanks for the reply Keith and Grey.

I suppose all cars have there 'quirks', i think its just handy to know these things. I have not actually driven one yet although i have sat in one and it did feel quite firm. Fuel consumption doesnt really bother me as the car will only do 5000 miles a year, although i wouldnt like to see silly figures if you know what i mean.

Where is this water trap and how could i tell if its not been emptyed?

many thanks again

Kandyman · 10th April 2007, 07:44

Hi Dac,

The water ways are called "plenum drain" if you do a search you will find loads of stuff about them http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ghlight=plenum

We do have a data sheet telling you how to check/clean them which can be found on our web sites How to page http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/index.php?thepage=howto

Hope that helps

GreyGhost · 10th April 2007, 07:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dacman

Thanks for the reply Keith and Grey.

I suppose all cars have there 'quirks', i think its just handy to know these things. I have not actually driven one yet although i have sat in one and it did feel quite firm. Fuel consumption doesnt really bother me as the car will only do 5000 miles a year, although i wouldnt like to see silly figures if you know what i mean.

Where is this water trap and how could i tell if its not been emptyed?

many thanks again

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/index.php?thepage=howto

2 documents bottom right.

Plenty of other posts about plenum drains on here as well. The lower plenum drain is the serious one as the ECU and plooen filter are located in the same compartment. Make sure you clear it as mud and small leaf particles can easily build up and block the exit.

Mike · 10th April 2007, 07:48

Hmmm...........well I have a 2001 KV6 with the original fan motor going strong, no plenum water trap issues, cam belts changed for a less than £400, headlamp bulbs that are now a shocking 4 years old

, my tracking is steadfastly refusing to deliver uneven tyre wear and worst of all the car goes like a dream

hth

Mike

ps manifold has been changed

GreyGhost · 10th April 2007, 07:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Hmmm...........well I have a 2001 KV6 with the original fan motor going strong, no plenum water trap issues, cam belts changed for a less than £400, headlamp bulbs that are now a shocking 4 years old

, my tracking is steadfastly refusing to deliver uneven tyre wear and worst of all the car goes like a dream

hth

Mike

ps manifold has been changed

That's extraordinarily bad luck Mike, surely something else must have failed.

EnEnGee · 10th April 2007, 07:53

Just in front of the windscreen and bulkhead area in the engine compartment, is the plenum box where the ECU is mounted (nearside) and brake master cylinder and servo (offside). There are a number of drain holes that can be blocked up with leaves and other such debris. A number of plastic covers have to be removed and the small clips holding the trim at the base of the windscreen need to be removed. Careful, as the small clips can fly off (its useful to put a piece of tape over them before removing them.

A periodic check and rod through of these holes with a bit of garden cane or similar, is required to ensure that that the box does not fill with water and drown the ECU. There is a "how to" information sheet on how to do this on this site. It's only a 5-10 minute job and once you have done it once, is "easy when you know how" if you get my drift. In the two years I have had my 75, its never been blocked but there have been horror stories, particularly if parking under trees.

Ken · 10th April 2007, 07:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith

Hi Dac lots of info here so read up on past threads
the 190 is not too good on MPG around town mid twenties perhaps 30-33 on a motorway run (I doubt the V6 160 is any better on fuel either) a diesel would be the only sensible choice if you are concerned about economy and they are far more tunable than any of the petrol cars.

The cars are quite heavy so the gearing on the 190 is very low to get the best from the engine, 4th gear in my 260 is higher than fifth in my ZTT 190!

The ride in a ZT can best be described as firm, great for the driver I regularly do 500 miles in both of mine but passengers can find the ride unpleasant

Handling otoh is superb and the cars can cover cross county miles very well

The cars are not the cheapest to maintain with various design and maintenance issue that can be costly

the V6 has a plastic inlet manifold that often breaks leading to a very obvious top end rattle (£500). Cam belts need doing at 90,000 or 6 years and prices for this vary enormously depending on where you go e.g. £500-£1000. The Radiator fan motors are notorious for packing up. Tyre wear if the wheel alignment is out can be very uneven. The cars have a water trap which can lead to all sorts of nasty issues if the previous owners have not maintained the drains to let the water out. Headlight bulbs seem to fail more often that one might expect. Drivers seats can show early signs of wear at fairly low mileages, early model have rock hard suspension and as a result suffer lots of window rattles etc. rear door handles can jam.

These are vehicles that might need a bit of weekend TLC occasionally but the drive behind the wheel more than makes up for it.

Get a good one and you will have an excellent car at a very good price.
Why not find a member local to you who is wiling to show you his own car and help with going over any you are viewing.

Phew! glad I got a 75

9th April 2007, 17:30	#1
Dacman Loves to post MG ZT 160+ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham Posts: 435 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Buying first Mg, advise if you please Hi there, I found this site trundling through Google and you all seem a clever lot, so i thought i would ask a few questions. I know this has probably been asked many times but..... I am looking to buy my first MG ZT about an 02 or 03 plate, i have seen a few around that fits the bill, one is a 2.5 160 and the other a 2.5 190, is there anything i should look for? apart from the obvious oil leaks / accident damage. In general are these cars reliable? many moons ago i had a Rover 420sli and reliablility was never its strong point, but it was a fine car. What is a realistic fuel consuption on these cars? It would mainly be driven in town, you know, the old work run. Is there any weak points to the car? Many thanks in advance

10th April 2007, 07:48	#7
Mike This is my second home Rover 75 V8 Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3,448 Thanks: 0 Thanked 206 Times in 32 Posts	Hmmm...........well I have a 2001 KV6 with the original fan motor going strong, no plenum water trap issues, cam belts changed for a less than £400, headlamp bulbs that are now a shocking 4 years old , my tracking is steadfastly refusing to deliver uneven tyre wear and worst of all the car goes like a dream hth Mike ps manifold has been changed __________________ Mike [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

9th April 2007, 20:41	#2
Keith This is my second home ZT400 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ellesmere Posts: 5,948 Thanks: 0 Thanked 43 Times in 29 Posts	Hi Dac lots of info here so read up on past threads the 190 is not too good on MPG around town mid twenties perhaps 30-33 on a motorway run (I doubt the V6 160 is any better on fuel either) a diesel would be the only sensible choice if you are concerned about economy and they are far more tunable than any of the petrol cars. The cars are quite heavy so the gearing on the 190 is very low to get the best from the engine, 4th gear in my 260 is higher than fifth in my ZTT 190! The ride in a ZT can best be described as firm, great for the driver I regularly do 500 miles in both of mine but passengers can find the ride unpleasant Handling otoh is superb and the cars can cover cross county miles very well The cars are not the cheapest to maintain with various design and maintenance issue that can be costly the V6 has a plastic inlet manifold that often breaks leading to a very obvious top end rattle (£500). Cam belts need doing at 90,000 or 6 years and prices for this vary enormously depending on where you go e.g. £500-£1000. The Radiator fan motors are notorious for packing up. Tyre wear if the wheel alignment is out can be very uneven. The cars have a water trap which can lead to all sorts of nasty issues if the previous owners have not maintained the drains to let the water out. Headlight bulbs seem to fail more often that one might expect. Drivers seats can show early signs of wear at fairly low mileages, early model have rock hard suspension and as a result suffer lots of window rattles etc. rear door handles can jam. These are vehicles that might need a bit of weekend TLC occasionally but the drive behind the wheel more than makes up for it. Get a good one and you will have an excellent car at a very good price. Why not find a member local to you who is wiling to show you his own car and help with going over any you are viewing.

9th April 2007, 21:08	#3
GreyGhost Banned 180+ Sport Auto Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bedford Middle Level Posts: 17,787 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 5 Posts	Excellent job of putting a potential owner off there Keith. Glad I didn't ask you before buying one. They are great cars, most don't have any of the issues mentioned above unless they have been poorly maintained or just plain neglected. In most cases these cars, especially the MGs have been well cared for. Look out for all the points mentioned in the previous post by Keith, check for full service history. They were expensive cars to buy consequently servicing and general maintenance and repair costs can be high. The club was first started to support ourselves and with a little knowledge and assistance from our membership many savings can be made. Best of luck with your search.

10th April 2007, 07:24	#4
Dacman Loves to post MG ZT 160+ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham Posts: 435 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Thanks for the reply Keith and Grey. I suppose all cars have there 'quirks', i think its just handy to know these things. I have not actually driven one yet although i have sat in one and it did feel quite firm. Fuel consumption doesnt really bother me as the car will only do 5000 miles a year, although i wouldnt like to see silly figures if you know what i mean. Where is this water trap and how could i tell if its not been emptyed? many thanks again

10th April 2007, 07:44	#5
Kandyman Banned ROVER 75 2.5 V6 Connoisseur SE Limousine 2004 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Welling Posts: 10,995 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Hi Dac, The water ways are called "plenum drain" if you do a search you will find loads of stuff about them http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ghlight=plenum We do have a data sheet telling you how to check/clean them which can be found on our web sites How to page http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/index.php?thepage=howto Hope that helps

10th April 2007, 07:53	#9
EnEnGee Posted a thing or two CDT Tourer (SORN) & 2.0 V6 Saloon Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sittingbourne Posts: 1,058 Thanks: 2 Thanked 11 Times in 8 Posts	Just in front of the windscreen and bulkhead area in the engine compartment, is the plenum box where the ECU is mounted (nearside) and brake master cylinder and servo (offside). There are a number of drain holes that can be blocked up with leaves and other such debris. A number of plastic covers have to be removed and the small clips holding the trim at the base of the windscreen need to be removed. Careful, as the small clips can fly off (its useful to put a piece of tape over them before removing them. A periodic check and rod through of these holes with a bit of garden cane or similar, is required to ensure that that the box does not fill with water and drown the ECU. There is a "how to" information sheet on how to do this on this site. It's only a 5-10 minute job and once you have done it once, is "easy when you know how" if you get my drift. In the two years I have had my 75, its never been blocked but there have been horror stories, particularly if parking under trees.