Russ68

Yup, if the water was fresh and there was no corrosion, indicating a leak over a longer period, I'm with Andy that it's not an issue. Worse case scenario is replacing boot seals which I think has been covered on the forum before. Could be a winner then

Good link from Frank re MOT history, didn't know about that! It takes mine all the way back to 2006 where she failed on a pitted rear disc and a leaking power steering pipe! I've printed it out and added it to the history

Thanks Joe, not sure why they're referring to the gearbox as a transaxle, which it isn't, plus they suggest I should call the local distributors for expert advice. Given that these are listed as Halfrauds and B&Q, I don't think I'll bother with that! From Peter's recommend, I'll likely go with Opie and what they suggest, although I'll choose Castrol if there is an option, rather than the Fuch brand which they recommended...

That's what I said / thought Joe. Didn't seem to phase them, apparently ATF is used in some manuals, doesn't seem right but they are the experts. They say the 75w80 is too thick and will result in slower gear changes...

Opie are strongly recommending the ATF3353 for they manual box. I'm still not sure but will defer my decision to the New Year when I'll be doing the job 😉

Hey Simon, What colour are the heated memory seats, and how is the interior condition? Plus, what is the paint code? Looks similar to mine! As mentioned in my PM, tentative interest, but in no rush etc. Cheers, Russ

I have the 3.0 V6 petrol and it's an awesome engine, especially in the manual Sport configuration I have. I average 25mpg all in, although this could be over 30mpg on a run if driven sensibly. Any S-Type you buy will need a little spent on it to keep tiptop, whether it be factoring in coil packs and plugs for the petrol or DPF / EGR / timing belts on the diesel. I've considered mine a rolling restoration, and while I've spent quite a bit on maintenance this year, this is an investment in my view and I don't regret it Make sure you check the bodywork for rust, particularly the sills...

Sounds good Peter, I think I'll do that next year for all the help I get from the forum, the discounts may be useful as well

Okey dokey, I wondered if you subscribed or similar, perhaps Peter can tell us when he's back online? I'm going to leave the fluid changes until the New Year, but I will do engine oil as I have it already. I went to update my spreadsheet on the car and I've thrown money at her this year! I don't mind it and I think all expense has been justified, but Xmas is coming so this can wait a short while!

Thanks Joe, I've checked them, but think I'll go with the synthetic Castrol from Opie, as mentioned £82.50 all in, so worth spending just that little bit more on what I think is the best product BTW, the Supporter tag you have, what's that about?

Righto! I figure in for a penny, in for a pound, so I'm going to change all the fluids in the car! Something I've wanted to do since I've had it, and the boys at Opie say brake fluid every 2 years! - Engine oil I've done anyway and I'm doing again with a 5w30 semi synthetic. - Transmission oil I'm doing (after much deliberation and a little help from Joe), with Castrol Syntrans 75w80 and Syntrans 75w140 for the box and rear axle. - Brake fluid needs a DOT4 and I'm considering a high performance Castrol DOT 4 - Power steering fluid confused me and i may need some input on, a Dextron 3 was recommended, but this is ATF, not specifically a power steering fluid. To match the rest of my synthetic Castrol choices, I thought that; Castrol Transmax Dex 3 would be a good choice, any thoughts? Even choosing more or less the most expensive lubes I can, all of the above, excluding the engine oil (which I have anyway), is only costing £82.60, which has to be a good investment IMHO

Ha ha, just after I posted that I did turn up a 75w80 Syntrans, this exactly: Castrol Syntrans V-FE 75W-80 Manual Transmission Fluid - 1 Litre Although this 75W is recommended for Ford gearboxes, it's cheaper but this isn't a great decider as I don't need much and will only mean c£10 difference: Castrol Syntrans FE 75W Fully Synthetic Car Gearbox Oil - 1 Litre Whereas this is the ATF that Opie recommend: Fuchs TITAN ATF 3353 Automatic Transmission Fluid - 1 Litre Tempted to go with the 75w80 Syntrans if Joe has used it before and it meets the spec, and I can get a matching Syntrans for the back axle, job done! Castrol Syntrax Limited Slip 75W 140 Fully Synthetic Car Gearbox Oil - Formerly SAF-XJ - 1 Litre Opie also sell K&N filters, tempted to go for this but will leave this for later...

Thanks Joe, just what I needed. If viscosity of the oil is an issue, I was tending towards the 75w80 as opposed to the 75w90, maybe the thicker oil works best in hotter climates? But I'm not seeing a Castrol Syntrans 75w80 listed anywhere. There is a 75 and a 75w90 Syntrans and the 75 is from Opie, who Peter informed are friend of the club. I can get a Halfrauds 75w80, and while I'm not normally bothered re branding on oils, I'm probably only going to do this once for the foreseeable, so would prefer the comfort of the branded product. Do you recall where you got your Syntrans 75w80, or could the straight 75 be a contender? Also, what did you suck the diff oil out with? Is it worth investing in a pump? I'm tempted to let a friend who runs a garage change the gearbox and diff oil as he has the kit and ease of disposing of it. But he asked me to ascertain the correct oils to use. If the pump is a worthwhile investment, I'd consider it. Thanks

There have been posts about the auto adjusters before, I was lucky enough to have an older model where adjustment is made with a 10mm allen key, took about 5 mins! Not all progress is good progress I guess! Hopefully someone with experience of the later ones can help Dave, or you could search the site for previous posts about it. Good luck

Hi Peter, Thanks for the recommend, just spoke to them and they suggest ATF3353, which is surprising as she's a manual. They say it's just like a light gear oil and if we went with the 75w80 or 75w90 that I've seen recommended elsewhere, it could be too thick and slow the gear shifts. Before I take the plunge and order this off, does anyone have any comments or knowledge? Slightly tricky I guess as most JOC members will be driving autos, but any guidance would be appreciated All the best, Russ

Thanks Peter, I was logged in via our new iMac at home, which could've contributed to the issue. Essentially it said it hadn't uploaded, whereas apparently, it had!

There seems to be a real issue with posts and responses being logged multiple times, looks like I was going for some kind of record above! I had a look at this when doing my expansion tank, and it definitely looks like a bumper off deal as there's noway of getting to the fixings with it in place. Quite possibly one can just remove the lower bumper part. My lower bumper is a bit battered, so I may leave this until I'm ready to repair this as well...

Actually I bought the tank 1st in the end and I'm glad I did. They are are pain to get at, you have to go in through top and bottom on the X200, not sure if the same on the later ones. So the trim panel including wipers need to come off, then offside wheel and wheel arch liner. I dislike the Ford type hose clips so swapped them out for jubilee clips. Just to make the job more fun I thought removing the strut / bulkhead brace would give more access, and I snapped the head of the bolts that secure it, so I spent more time rectifying this (drill out and retap) than I did on the tank replacement itself. It did give the the opportunity of having a good poke about in there and it's all pretty good, but would benefit from a Waxoly, which I'll schedule in soon, plus I changed the pollen filter. The existing tank had a nasty crack in it and the new one is holding water and pressure nicely, so it was all worthwhile

Seriously? Nobody know the gearbox and rear axle oil for a 5 speed manual. Surprised at that!

I need to do the same thing so interested in any responses

Hi all, I've had a look around online but can't nail this down. Does anyone know spec / type of gearbox oil I'd need for my 2001, 3.0 Sport, 5 speed manual? I've seen on another forum a 75w90 or 75w80 is specified for the box, c1.5L. But my autofactor wants to know if synthetic or not. The MTF 94 I used in my Discovery is not suitable apparently. And similar quantity of 75w140 for the rear axle. While we're about it, quite fancy bleeding the complete braking system, what brake fluid are we using nowadays? Any help appreciated. Many thanks, Russ PS. She passed her 2nd MOT yesterday, straight through but advised on lower suspension arms, order both sides and fitting on Tuesday, ordered the expamnsion tank as well and finally fitting the big staggered alloys, will post pics afterwards

I use a 5W-30 semi synthetic for my 3.0 sport, but she's petrol. If nobody here has a strong opinion, I'm sure a bit more web research and a few calls will tie it down. The fully synthetic Castrol would seem OTT if you're changing oil regularly. What does it say in your handbook?

Osram Nightbreakers and a beam adjustment made all the difference to mine...

Yup, for a brief period, they looked a bargain. But I think I'll hold out for the X150, which is what I originally wanted in any case

Ha ha, it may come to that! My plan for an X100 XKR has hit a snag as the prices appear to be going nuts, and I'm not paying a premium for an older model. If I can't get a good deal on an XKR, I would consider the STR. But this is by the way as I'm not in the market for at least a year, after which everything may have changed