I currently live in Germany and come across a used 2003 Mondeo Ghia TDCI euro spec with about 98k miles on it for 2k euros.  The car has been sitting for about two months.

When I test drove it today, the snowflake light was on - I am assuming because the engine was cold.  After driving for about 30 seconds the coil lights started flashing, then the engine cut out in 3rd gear around 40-50 km around 2-3k rpm rev (estimate).  All I felt was a big thud and the car would cut out.  It did this about 3 times in a 5 mins span, coil light start flashing and then cut out.  I didn't hit above 60 kph.  After the 3rd time, about 10 mins later, the coil lights stopped flashing, but the snowflake light was still on.  The car didn't cut out anymore.

The sellers are willing to bring the price down to however much it cost to repair.  This is why I am even considering the car, as I know the cutting out is a known issue based on what I have read, and it seems like it might be an easy fix.

What do you guys feel?  Is it even worth the trouble even if I can get the car cheap?  Do you think the cutting out will go away since the engine hasn't been started for two months?

I am bringing it to get a German TUV inspection, so I am not sure if they will catch it or not, but hopefully I can get an estimate on how much it will cost to get it fixed.

What do you think?  

The amber snowflake has nothing to do with engine temperature - it's an ambient air temperature warning & turns red at zero & below to warn of ice.

 

It's amber at +4C to +1C iirc

The car sounds like a dog so i wouldn't bother - at any price

Beat me to it😀

Hmmm not even worth a shot huh?  The engine cutting out is that big of an issue huh?  Seems like such low miles for that car.  

The low-ish mileage is probably due to the fact that the car has spent too much time off the road  . . . probably being repaired.

It's your money & your choice - but i'd look elsewhere

The family selling me the car is going to let me take it to the mechanic before i buy it.  The car is sitting because the father died and the mother doesn't drive.  Son is located on the other side of the city.

I figure a mechanic will be able to tell me whats wrong with the car and the cost.  The family is willing to reduce the price of the car to how much it cost to repair it.

Let me ask this... how much is a perfectly working 2003 2.0 Mondeo Ghia with 98k miles on it worth?  2K? 3k?  

This car can either be a nightmare or an easy fix.  Especially if I can talk the price down a lot more.  I will only hold on to the car for 3-5 years before I head back to the states.  I can buy it, fix it for 1500 and then sell it when I lave around the same price, it would be awesome.  The family has record of all the maintenance records, so it can;t be like this car was neglected.

Also after a lot of google searching I compiled a list of solutions to repairing the flashing glow plug.  The "X" represents how many times it was mentioned by users in this and other forums.  I tried to categorize them as well. I hope it is an easy fix, the mechanic will let me know.

try to find a diagnostic/fault code stored in ECU

crankshaft position sensor tested X (black ones caused issues)
camshaft position sensor XXXXXXXX (watch out for defective cheap sensors on ebay)

crank case sensor wire - covered by a wire protector
check wires connecting sensors - bad connections X

fuel pump X
fuel pressure checked

fuel pressure sensor
new fuel filter XXX
***check for metal parts in the fuel filter. (make sure turbo isn't going out)

EGR valve problem - sticks open letting in too much exhaust gas
Cleaning EGR valve and inlet manifold XX

Change Inlet metering Valve (attached to the back of the fuel pump)

Injector coding - get them recoded or may need a new set and recoded.

Loose injectors

Injector pump breaking up and blocking up injectors (error code p251)

Injector replacement XX

Turbo activator XX

replace turbo and actuator

 

bad crank/flywheel sensor

 

small leak in the exhaust pressure emition indication sensor - thin sealing plate between pressure pip and sensor

Look on the underside of the engine cover, if there's soot on there you have a split intercooler hose

when overtaking and was caused by low fuel pressure ( or fuel starvation ) in the common fuel rail due to worn out leakback valves in the injectors All OK when driving up to 60 mph and cured by reconditioning the injectors which is really just renewing the leakback valves inside the injectors

Injectors of spray nozzles that leak. causes valve to leak and pressure reduced in fuel rail
http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/54917-mondeo-tdci-2004-flashing-glowplug-and-cutting-out-when-overtaking-fixed-now/

Resources

EGR valve and Inlet clearout

http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php/EGR_Valve_and_Inlet_Manifold_Clearout_TDCi

Probably worth no more than £1k in the UK.

I doubt if there's such a thing as a '' perfectly working ''  2003 car - of any make

Good luck.

is there something you guys use in euro to get used car prices?  In the states we have kelly bluebook or edmunds, where they give you estimates of used car values.  However I can't seem to find something like that for Europe.