Hi guys ,as some on here may know my 15plate zetec s tdci was presurizing the coolant . In depth analysis is now required and finance company want to send out a independent inspector .  But the working theories is most probably the head gasket. So that all being said neither finance co or trader would help me with transport.  It just being after Christmas progress is slow . And being due back to work and with limited finances i have ended up now driving a mk1/1.5 focus estate auto !!. With 128k miles on . Car is reasonable for age and runs good . The only gripe /question i have is the radio. I get sound playing cds but not radio . Any ideas? . Its says a lot about maintenance etc that a 20 year old car can outlast a modern equivalent!. But thats probably down to the old boy that had it ,had it maintained to a high standard ! 

28 minutes ago, John Burns said:

I get sound playing cds but not radio .

On models of that era there is an aerial amplifier in fitted in the base of the aerial which sometimes fails.

its not luck - cars are now made with a 4 year life expectancy - lease and bin it 

as its blatantly obvious we've been in this phase for more than 10 years, I find it hard to accept so few can see it yet - half the issues are special extras in software, 20 years of alchemy inside making special metal that self destructs, or just moving away from basic engineering principles, that together cause the exact reliability issue facing all owners

the longest lasting are those designed before 2005 and usually made by the Japanese.  Mercedes accountants started the ball rolling in the early 1990s, then all German manufactures jumped on the bandwagon and we are towards the end of what's possible - two fold, the planet died a year ago, so we are all on borrowed time and you can't go shorter without being so obvious the rest of the crowd wakes up

rather too late to the party - Toyota have stated an aim to return ex-lease car's back to the factory (Note FACTORY) not some halfwit dealership, and refurbish ready for customer two,  they have also mentioned they might try to do round three, and realise they need to get a 10 year life expectancy - but remember these guys were always far less crooked than the majority - not sure how they expect a designed to implode BMW engine to work out !!!!  maybe the Toyota one's get a cam chain made of metal rather than cheese, engine sensors with copper wire rather and orange paint inside and a water pump that was built with more than a lets just hope its mechanical life exceeds 3 years, before the 4 year random death counter turns off the electricity