X-Type possible purchase. Info needed

[Frances The Mute]

Morning gents.

I've been offered a 51 plate 2.0 petrol which I'm considering as a daily hack due to it having a LPG system fitted. I've not physically seen the car yet and am unsure of absolute spec, but have been advised it's in very good order.

What sorts of issues do I need to look out for on these? I know they are essentially Mondeo's with a nice frock, but that's as far as my knowledge of these cars goes.

[r11co]

Frances The Mute said:

I've been offered a 51 plate 2.0 petrol which I'm considering as a daily hack due to it having a LPG system fitted. I've not physically seen the car yet and am unsure of absolute spec, but have been advised it's in very good order.

What sorts of issues do I need to look out for on these? I know they are essentially Mondeo's with a nice frock, but that's as far as my knowledge of these cars goes.

2.0 Petrol is FWD so no need to worry about transfer box oil leaks that have been neglected.

Main thing to look out for is rust behind the sill extensions (get underneath and look behind the plastic sills - careless owners forget to wash behind there and any mud and dirt collecting inside the sill extensions becomes a soak for road salt), and a leaking/split inlet hose (they perish from underneath - the damage will be invisible from the top even if you take the engine cover off).

ABS sensors can be a problem - the sensors themselves are easy and cheap to fix but if the front reluctors are away then the driveshafts need to be replaced. This is where 'Mondeo in drag' comes in handy as the shafts are (AFAIK) identical to Mondeo ST220 ones (not the case for 4WD X-Types though).

Oh, and be aware that changing the rear bank of three spark plugs necessitates removing the inlet manifold - not particularly difficult but tricky and time consuming (there's a great guide on the 'net for doing it - most important advice being to mask the inlet ports to prevent anything falling in!). This will matter more with an LPG car as you'll be changing the plugs more often than the 60-70,000 miles specified normally.

Don't let the above put you off though. They are exceptionally reliable cars.

[Frances The Mute]

That's great - thanks for the input. It may provide me with some exta bargaining power, too.