Time for a new family car.

[MikeT]

My standard will be the Peugeot 405 that it replaced, a car that was panned by Consumer Reports but which lasted 366,000 km and was never subject to any unusual repair in all that time. At 366K, the head gasket went due to my bad maintenance and not paying attention to symptoms, and it could still have been running today had I spent $2500 on that and some suspension work. The Peugeot's only major repair was replacement of the rear trailing arm bearings, which only cost me about $300.

[scwmcan]

My standard will be the Peugeot 405 that it replaced, a car that was panned by Consumer Reports but which lasted 366,000 km and was never subject to any unusual repair in all that time. At 366K, the head gasket went due to my bad maintenance and not paying attention to symptoms, and it could still have been running today had I spent $2500 on that and some suspension work. The Peugeot's only major repair was replacement of the rear trailing arm bearings, which only cost me about $300.

I quite liked the 405's. A friend of mine had one, and I considered getting it when he sold it, but didn't wind up doing it, it was a very nice little car, can understand why you liked it especially since it held up so well for you. I am guessing that you had a manual in that car too ( my friend's was an automatic, I seem to recall that it might have been starting to have problems with it, I think that may have been the main reason I didn't jump on it, that and maybe fear of getting parts in Canada, can't quite remember it was a while ago after all). His family also went through 504's and a 505, I really did like the cars, though I stayed with the Volvos I was driving at the time.Hope you b holds up to your standards.

[MikeT]

The Peugeot I had before that was better: a 1963 404 with 580,000 km when it died at age 27....of rust. The engine is still in my shed.

[lebikerboy]

He (Mike) already owns one...

Edited November 1, 2012 by lebikerboy

[Pingu]

He already owns one...

Mike T is sensitive about being referred to in the third person.

[MikeT]

Well I think you should go with Benz B200.

Your 4 posts are so off-topic, are you sure you belong here?

[MikeT]

He (Mike) already owns one...

Not only that, it's the same colour (inside and out) as the one I've owned for 5 years. Ha

[Graham]

I'm not looking to replace this car, it is worth less than the 2005 smart that was probably written off today! No-one but me wants a manual Mercedes! We're keeping the B 200 for life.

Not the only one Mike. As you recall my daughter was considering a B-Class. She did buy it and it is a manual just like all of her previous cars. She learned to drive in her first car - a classic VW bug in very hilly Cape Town where she spent one semester as a student.The 2009 B she bought from MB Canada, had just 30k km and looked in all respects same as a new car. They had some curbrash on alloys buffed out, put on new brakes, tires and did an alignment (Invoice for work was in 150 point certification report - $2300) Included extended warranty. They gave her $1000 more than she paid for B as a trade on her 2009 Mini Cooper. I think they really wanted to get rid of that manual B! I was really impressed with the way they prepared the car. Drove it and it feels good. But for us after e-class, not enough of a car for our winter trips south. Maybe GLK diesel will be OK - If I win the lottery!PS: Feeling of deja vu - Hope I didn't post this before

[MikeT]

I hope she has a good one!

[MikeT]

The B 200 goes into TPM Wednesday for another sunroof leak (yay!) and wooly steering.I have suggested to the dealer that M-B just put the fixed laminated glass roof panel in instead of messing about with the stupid opening roof that is a tad incontinent. That laminated glass panel was an option in Europe and is glued in.The steering is not as precise as it used to be and the car's tracking is unduly affected by road camber and ridges from trucks. I suspect the A-arm bushings have gone soft...This is under the extended limited warranty that I am SO GLAD I bought!The good news is that the new body panels are all rust free!

[bilgladstone]

That's a farily new car to have squishy A-arm bushings. Not that that isn't the case (I know you know what you're talking about), but to have the bushes go wonky in such a short time on good roads seems a material defect to me.Would they press out the bushes or just re/re the arms? Same thing as the smart I guess...B

[MikeT]

I may get a report back that the steering is "normal", but assuming I don't, there is something amiss/worn in the suspension. The steering has been imprecise from new but now it's a fair bit worse. Yes it's early, which is why warranty would cover it. I usually expect 200K km minimum from bushings.

[MikeT]

Apparently the suspension/steering is normal and they could not replicate the sunroof leak. Ho hum. Well at least the slack tiller is not evidence of something breaking in the suspension!

[MikeT]

I found the source of the sunroof leak on Saturday with Sandy's help:

Basically: the junction of the aluminium drip rail and the ABS channel towards the drain: water was weeping through this junction as seen above.

M-B Canada is apparently (according to my dealer) reviewing this and will advise what - if anything - they intend to do about it.

[MikeT]

There is a newly researched fix involved so the car will go back to TPM soon for this shim adjustment. I hope this is the last word!

[scwmcan]

I wish you luck with the leaky sunroof, nothing worse than having water get into the interior, especially when it is not a convertible.

Edited March 7, 2013 by scwmcan

[MikeT]

The roof is done, so now we will wait and see whether this was THE repair. If not, I can live with it, we just have to back the car into our driveway instead of nose-in to prevent the leak it used to have in torrential rain. I will let you know what happens, if anything.

[MikeT]

I have to buy a set of new summer tires for the car next week. The rubbish standard Continentals wore out faster than my V-rated Michelin Pilot winter tires, which are still going strong! I'll likely get some MXV4s from Tire Rack.

[MikeT]

Well I changed my mind and got some Michelin Pilot Exalto V-rated tires for the B instead. I wanted better steering reaction that a V tire will provide.

[MikeT]

At 150,500 km the first front brake pad change was done. Jenn T and I did it this evening. There were a couple of mm left on the inside pads but the warning light went on so that was the cue. The rotors should be good for at least 250,000.

[dieselkiki]

It's incredible how braking parts are better than just 20 years ago! With harder discs brakes and ceramic composed brakes pads, now we have to replace the brakes 3 or 4 times in the vehicle life and even if now the car last for more years and more km. It's a good thing!

[MikeT]

My 1966 Peugeot 404 C has its original brake shoes, front and rear.....the car has 135,000 km only but there is about 75% of the asbestos/metal lining left. I remember talking to an old Peugeot mechanic in the early 1980s and he said that even with bad drivers, the front linings on a 404 would last at least 100,000 miles. I have a new set but may never need them!The not-so-funny thing about the B200 brake pad change is that the dealer at the last service 4000 km ago said the front pads had 55% left. FAIL!

[dieselkiki]

Well, and my question is: What the hell you did to the dealer for a maintenance!?? They are so... You look handy Mike, are you? You don't realy leave your car to the dealer for a simple maintenance? Keep your car away from the dealer shop as possible. It's the best advice I can give to you Mike.About the brakes shoe of your Peugeot, I think that the kind of driving can explain the long lasting of your brakes. I expect that you don't drive it as a road rage too often...

Edited August 13, 2013 by dieselkiki

[MikeT]

I gave them the job because I was lazy and also I want to maintain good relations with them (which are already proving to be useful with my smart problem). That car has a drivetrain warranty to 160K km. I do oil changes in between the regular ones scheduled by the car.I can do anything on a car (except electrics, I hate that) but it's easier/cheaper for me to pay them to do it. When I was a student I did all maintenance, rebuilds and repairs on my daily driver cars but now my time is too valuable to me to grovel under cars that I ought to be driving! Save that for the project car (404). Generally the quality of the work at TPM is great; their miscalculation on the brake pad thickness was bad, however.I have only put about 2000 miles on that Peugeot, the others were by the original owner and the second owner, mostly before 1979.

[MikeT]

This was taken tonight on the road in Nanaimo.