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Those follow my more bad luck thread in the 164 section will know that our mint 164 was nearly totalled the other day. It is borderline repair/write off, so I'm thinking about the next car. I really can't seem to find anything else that offers the same value for money in the $10k-$20k (Aussie) range. BMW 5 series seem to be high mileage and parts (more) expensive, I'm not too keen on a VW Bora/Passat, Peugeot 406 (too small). I haven't looked at Audis other than a friend's A4T (again too small), and my wife doesn't want a "big Aussie" Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore. I guess the answer is in my face? The 166 is a lot of car for the money...
I'm considering mostly the series 2 as I've heard a few horror stories about the series 1, in particularly the heater hoses rupturing and leaking onto the ECU. The 4 speed auto is the only option in Australia unfortunately and we only got the 3L or 3.2L(?) V6. I also much prefer the styling of the series 2 facelift compared to the earlier model, but they are generally at a premium.
So, what do I need to look for aside from the usual servicing/timing belts etc? I have seen 1 or 2 cars for sale with gearbox problems - is this common? What are the specific issues?
Any tips and pointers most appreciated!
Cheers,
Benjamin
I'm considering mostly the series 2 as I've heard a few horror stories about the series 1, in particularly the heater hoses rupturing and leaking onto the ECU. The 4 speed auto is the only option in Australia unfortunately and we only got the 3L or 3.2L(?) V6. I also much prefer the styling of the series 2 facelift compared to the earlier model, but they are generally at a premium.
So, what do I need to look for aside from the usual servicing/timing belts etc? I have seen 1 or 2 cars for sale with gearbox problems - is this common? What are the specific issues?
Any tips and pointers most appreciated!
Cheers,
Benjamin