Who owns a Mondeo ST220 / ST TDCI?

[Ringiho]

I do just over half that £300 on petrol, £180 - £210 on LPG.

I would defo belooking at the highest MPG diesel I could find at that money (Unless your employer pays your fuel bill)

Isn't the VW diesel one of the most economical engines out there at the minute ?

I spend about £300 a month on diesel, depending on regular (6-8 weeks) trips to Manchester from Basingstoke. For example, I did 1050 miles on two tanks (£140) on the last lot so that certainly isn't bad going for a "performance" diesel. Around town the fuel economy obviously drops and it certainly doesn't like short trips.

Considering that I've put 50k on it, I am pretty impressed with it. I can hear the DMF giggling though. It will die, just when is the question!

 

[ThundyCat]

The ST TDCI sounds like a Transit.

Mine sounds more like a tractor going in reverse.

 

[Vita]

Well I went and bought the Mondeo ST TDCI. I was impressed by its condition and running. Really is a mint example with the optional heated electric recaros. Drives beautifully and I'm just impressed by it. Probably my best purchase to date.

Oh and it's blue and in rare saloon form.

 

[Rybo89]

Blue is the best colour

 

[Vita]

Blue is the best colour

Certainly looks the part. I never thought they'd be good, but I am really impressed so far. Are the lights in the footwell and underneath the wing mirrors standard?

 

[Howard]

Yes they are.

Congrats on your new van purchase, get pics up!

 

[DogsBody]

My Sony HU has decided that I should be listening to Radio 2 more.

If I set the channel to Radio 2 it has no issue, however any other channel will randomly flick to radio 2 for a split second then back again, it can do it once a minute or 5 times in a row and it basicly means you cannot listen to any other channel than radio 2.

I think aftermarket might be the route to go down here but I am just concerned it will spoil the look of the dashboard

 

[blueboy2001]

Isn't the disesal ST just a tarted up Titanium? It does not have the stiffer chassis and suspension and steering does it?

The ST TDCi does have the quicker steering the same as the ST220, and the same suspension geometery - the front arms are different to standard due to the wider track.

The springs and dampers are specific to the ST TDCi - it's not quite as low as the ST220, but IIRC it's 15mm lower than standard.

I've just swapped my ST TDCi for a Mazda 3 2.0 Sport. The comparative silence from the engine at low speeds is deafening!

The TDCi was a great motorway/distance car, but the sharp clutch, diesel clatter and general harshness made it pretty horrible to drive in heavy traffic.

I had the car 7.5 years so I'd got used to it, but the NA petrol is so much more flexible - the ST TDCi had to always be in the correct gear and needed lots of downchanges as it laboured really easily which will quickly trash the DMF.

However, I owned the car from 5 months old to 7.5 years old, 7k to 82k miles. It never let me down. It had a new bumper at about 12 months old due to sagging, which I later had to add screws to to lift it back up, and it had the injectors and the pulley/belt/tensioner replaced under warranty at 38k,

I had to have a new exhaust at 6 years old - be warned the ST TDCi factory exhaust is no longer available from Ford - your options are a different replacement back box from Ford at around £180 where the tailpipe is in the wrong position and you can't see it, or aftermarket - I had a Powerflow stainless steel full system made up for £250. I also had new handbrake cables and a caliper last year which was about £220.

At the point I got rid, the aircon had packed up (suspect the condenser, it dumped all the gas), it needed new front springs (aftermarket ones are not available, £150 a pair from Ford) and I think it was getting ready for another set of injectors and the pulley was vibrating away again.

 

[Rybo89]

You'll be scaring Vita with posts like that

Have to say, 75k in 7.5 years is very low mileage to warrant a diesel.

Vita, did you check that it had the injectors,DMF and DPF sorted over the years like mentioned before you bought it?

 

[Vita]

You'll be scaring Vita with posts like that

Have to say, 75k in 7.5 years is very low mileage to warrant a diesel.

Vita, did you check that it had the injectors,DMF and DPF sorted over the years like mentioned before you bought it?

I did, saw work for cambelt/services but not for that and I haven't seen any receipts for the work yet. I know the cambel been done, but will have to dwell into it further. There were no interment signs of any problems and unfortunately never got to see the car start from cold.

The seller did explain to me that the car on cold start was very loud/shuddery. Little did I know what it would be, but experienced it today after the car was parked over night. I was watching youtube videos by chance of st tdci's and saw one which was started from cold let a puff of white smoke out, apparently that's a sign for the injectors going/need doing.

Mine did the same today. Ran rough until warmed up. Needless to say that was the only white smoke that came out.

After a 12 hour shift at work and going to start the car again, it started first time no problem, no smoke no nothing. No signs of DMF/DPF going at the moment, the car has done high mileage between MOT's so I'm thinking it was a motorway muncher.

If I knew what the seller meant I would have gave it a miss but apart from that issue which I'll budget for and get seen to ASAP, I can't fault the car in any way.

One little niggle is the left wing mirror seems to be borked and doesn't allow full adjustment. I will need to resit the mirror or something as the motor works, but the mirror doesn't move fully around.

Back bumper is sagging but the clips are there and the pins. Might try the screw method but it's not really bugging me. Mpg is being shown at 41mpg around town.

I'm happy with the purchase hopefully it shouldn't be anything to serious.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Good comparison and info, thanks. It all sounds about right - the BMW is likely to feel like a higher quality product, but then that's what it is

I'd broadly agree with his comments. As you know in 2006 my shortlist was 2-3 year old ST220 or 3-5 year old 530i Sport. I drove both, really liked both but felt the 530i was the better car so purchased on that basis. I was at the time a huge Mondeo fanboy as everyone on here knows, so there was no bias at play.

7 years later I have absolutely no regrets and I have this feeling that had I gone for the ST220 it wouldn't have still felt quite so fresh and rattle free as the E39 does now.

I also doubt it would have gone wrong like the E39, either

 

[Rybo89]

The brake rattle (sqeak) is becoming unbearable on my car. Having the windows down, it is all i can hear.

Only need a bit of copper grease on but i have been putting it off till i get some new disks and pads along with painting the callipers.

Might have to be my Saturday job as it is sending me loopy!

 

[Howard]

I'd broadly agree with his comments. As you know in 2006 my shortlist was 2-3 year old ST220 or 3-5 year old 530i Sport. I drove both, really liked both but felt the 530i was the better car so purchased on that basis. I was at the time a huge Mondeo fanboy as everyone on here knows, so there was no bias at play.

7 years later I have absolutely no regrets and I have this feeling that had I gone for the ST220 it wouldn't have still felt quite so fresh and rattle free as the E39 does now.

I also doubt it would have gone wrong like the E39, either

Now, If I didn't have the Mondeo, I'd probably buy an E39 and just fix it when it breaks but for me I think it's too much of a sideways step to warrant doing.

My Mondeo still feels as fresh as when I bought it, but then I have mechanical sympathy and am pretty fastidious when it comes to fixing things, i.e. I'm replacing a front brake caliper this weekend because it's binding, not in a way that most people would probably even notice but it still bugs me so it's getting done

The brake rattle (sqeak) is becoming unbearable on my car. Having the windows down, it is all i can hear.

Only need a bit of copper grease on but i have been putting it off till i get some new disks and pads along with painting the callipers.

Might have to be my Saturday job as it is sending me loopy!

Well is it a rattle or a squeek?

 

[Rybo89]

A squeak,squeek or sqeak (how ever you spell it )

 

[Howard]

Squealing when you brake (not all the time I assume) usually just means everything needs to come off and be thoroughly cleaned up. Spend a bit of time doing this and put a little bit of copper grease on the back of the pads where they meet the piston, and in the bits where they slide in the carriers and this should sort it

 

[ThundyCat]

Well I went and bought the Mondeo ST TDCI. I was impressed by its condition and running. Really is a mint example with the optional heated electric recaros. Drives beautifully and I'm just impressed by it. Probably my best purchase to date.

Oh and it's blue and in rare saloon form.

Yup I have a saloon.

 

[Rybo89]

Squealing when you brake (not all the time I assume) usually just means everything needs to come off and be thoroughly cleaned up. Spend a bit of time doing this and put a little bit of copper grease on the back of the pads where they meet the piston, and in the bits where they slide in the carriers and this should sort it

Yeah thats the plan for Saturday.

Sound goes when braking. Did the same on my Fiesta ST. So disks off and cleaned, clean hub and apply a bit of copper grease around.

Told me mum to bring her car up Saturday to for a brake change. So busy day for me. Woop....

 

[Imy]

One little niggle is the left wing mirror seems to be borked and doesn't allow full adjustment. I will need to resit the mirror or something as the motor works, but the mirror doesn't move fully around.

My passenger side wing mirror seems to have the same problem as yours. Let me know if it's an easy fix

 

[Howard]

My passenger mirror was once a bit reluctant to move electrically. I mashed the mirror a bit with my fingers and made it move and now it moves better


That's not a very technical solution though I'm afraid..

 

[Imy]

Ummmm I never considered the Jeremy Clarkson approach Might give that a go while there's a spare going on ebay.