Sold a lemon of a Polo? Seized gearbox?

[13aines]

Hi all,

Recently bought a 1999 1.4 6N Polo off of a guy on the local cars for sale Facebook group, claiming his wife wanted a Fiesta. All seemed well, no rot on the car, quite recent entire exhaust system, MOT until May, and in great condition bar some minor niggles, like non-functioning central locking, drivers door lock and airbag light on, and some parking marks. He took my mate and I for a test drive (neither of us insured for other cars) and all seemed well - no funny noises, braked well and perfectly straight. 96k miles.

I knocked him down as much as I could, from £425 to £400 and picked it up the next day. I went to message him on Facebook later in the day (to ask about cam-belt history) to find I was unable to - he seems to have blocked me - alarm bells ring but I hope it's something minor (like he never told me the stereo didn't work, and lied to me about the ciggy lighter not working but having power - guess what, no power either.)

I fixed a few of the niggles very cheaply within the first couple of days, and drove it around town a little, to the shops and back etc. and it drove very well. It's first longer journey was Oxford to Bracknell and back. Having very little car experience (bikes...) I was quite cautious and it was not driven hard. Seemed fine but took a long while to heat up. When my partner drove it back to Oxford that evening coming off the motorway she said it would not go into gear and was stiff (I assume 4th). Trying again it went in fine, but then wouldn't go into another lower gear when we got to a junction. We pulled over and I noticed with the clutch engaged there was a whirring sound - like a bad bearing possibly - which went away if you disengaged the clutch. I expected the clutch release bearing and we limped it home in 3rd through the village a mile and a half, managing after a couple of attempts to get it into 1st to park. It then got stuck in reverse and I could only get it out by rocking the car back and forth.

The next day starting it with my mate to troubleshoot I noticed that it stalled in what appears to be neutral when the clutch was engaged. Put it into first and it will stall but not even try to move (I don't think). I'm parallel parked on the brow of a hill so I can't try much more until my mate can pop over and push it up onto the flat.

Car did less than 100 miles in my ownership before this - I don't have time to strip it down for a while now as i'm mid-semester in my final year at uni. No income, bar student finance which barely covers the rent so I can't afford to take it to a garage, and need to sort it as cheaply as I can. Thankfully, if it wasn't for the lack of time i'm pretty handy with the spanners.

I'm not sure what to think the issue is now - still just the clutch and release bearing gone? Or a seized input shaft on the gearbox? Perhaps promisingly it does seem to want to jolt forwards when starting with the clutch engaged in neutral - maybe the gearbox isn't seized. Maybe the linkage is buggered... who knows until both my mate and I have time to get it on the flat and onto axle stands for inspection - first need to get a number of big deadlines out the way!

He claims he told me everything he knew - but then why did he block me? Ironically, if he hadn't blocked me i'd believe him! I think he's done well at my expense

My seventh vehicle, none of which I've had any unknown major mechanical problems with, let alone in the first 6 days. Once bitten, now twice shy

[Tom_C76]

If it jolts forward when you try the starter and you think it's in neutral, it isn't. Could the linkage have come adrift?

Edit to add it's hardly a lemon if it's a solid body on a car for £400. At that price all bets really are off in terms of longevity.

Edited by Tom_C76 on Monday 2nd November 16:53

[RS Grant]

13aines said:

1999 1.4 6N Polo off of a guy on the local cars for sale Facebook group

13aines said:

96k miles.

13aines said:

I knocked him down as much as I could, from £425 to £400

I know money is tight but add all of these up and more often than not they are going to result in hassle/additional costs for the buyer.

13aines said:

I went to message him on Facebook later in the day (to ask about cam-belt history) to find I was unable to - he seems to have blocked me

Facebook trading sites are riddled with wannabe wheeler dealers, once a car is sold, they will want no further contact from the buyer just in case there are issues/problems... see it happening all the time.

13aines said:

No income, bar student finance which barely covers the rent

This begs the question why did you decide to buy a car in the first place?!


Cheers,
Grant

[13aines]

RS Grant said:

This begs the question why did you decide to buy a car in the first place?

Cheers,
Grant

Because my savings allowed a cheap car, basic running costs, and living expenses through to around June by which time I should have graduated and found a job. I figured if I didn't find a job soon enough I could sell the car (or the bike) - it was never going to depreciate much at this price point - if it didn't go wrong! I'm able to do any work myself though so anything going wrong would not be overly expensive - but I wasn't expecting this. I had a big motorcycle accident last November and broke my neck - I have decided I want to reduce motorcycle use this winter.

Perhaps it's just the clutch and urgently needs changing. Today in "neutral" it stalled with the engine running when engaging the clutch but when the engine was off rolled fine. I put it into reverse to move it out of my space onto the flat and it absolutely will not move without stalling.

Confused. There was no sign of clutch slip in the 100 miles prior to it going wrong.

Edited by 13aines on Monday 2nd November 19:47

[13aines]

Tom_C76 said:

If it jolts forward when you try the starter and you think it's in neutral, it isn't. Could the linkage have come adrift?

Edit to add it's hardly a lemon if it's a solid body on a car for £400. At that price all bets really are off in terms of longevity.

Edited by Tom_C76 on Monday 2nd November 16:53

This is my thought - I guess it could have yes... I've also been advised it's just the clutch though, and also that the gearbox input shaft is seized.

Yes of course they are, I wasn't expecting nothing to ever go wrong! I just think it might be the worst, since the seller blocked me from messaging him the day I bought it - alarm bells...

Edited by 13aines on Monday 2nd November 19:48

[bearman68]

It's the same job anyway. Get in there and get the gearbox off. Then you can see what the box is like by rotating the input shaft.

Prob the clutch though

[13aines]

Yes I understand that.

I would if I had time but i'm unlikely to for the next couple of weeks to be honest - however it's driving me nuts looking at it everyday!

Oh well - you win some you lose some - seventh vehicle, and the first I've had a major mechanical problem with, and the first i've had any problems with in the first month!

[bearman68]

It's the trouble with buying cars at this end of the market. It's marginally above scrap value.

Not saying you are wrong to do so (I buy this st all the time), you just coped it badly this time.
Mind you a clutch is prob only £50 in parts.

[13aines]

Hopefully it's just the clutch, the cost is not a problem and it was something I was prepared for.

I'll update when I have time to investigate further.

[IBM9000]

It's hardly a 'lemon'.

Definition:
A lemon is a (often new) car that is found to be defective only after it has been bought. Any vehicle with numerous, severe issues can be termed so and, by extension, so can any product with flaws too great or severe to serve its purpose.

You probably mean 'sold a pup'.

Etymology

From an old swindle, where one would be sold a bag purportedly containing a piglet, but which actually contained a puppy. Compare 'pig in a poke'.

Edited by IBM9000 on Monday 2nd November 23:01

[cianha]

Clutch pedal box is a known weak point on these, which is often ignored until it damages the clutch. I had a '01 Ibiza which did this.

Caveat emptor, and all that.

[13aines]

Thanks, something else to look at

And i'm ever so sorry I have used 'lemon' incorrectly but I feel you're being rather pedantic to be honest - it hardly adds value to the thread... *goes back to biker banter*

[S0 What]

Look under the passenger wheel arch at the end of the gearbox, if there's a large green plate in the end, prize it off/out (WARNING fooking smelly gear oil will pour out ! ) try not to bend it too much you will probably need to reuse it, inside you will see a pivot arm with a finger on it, this finger pushes on a bearing, if it's welded to the bearing you will need a new clutch, release arm and bearing, common issue usually pre-emted by the clutch pedal going stiff.
There is a rod that runs inside the input shaft from the release bearing (behind that plate full of SMELLY gear oil) to the clutch, it usually welds itself to the clutch cover and or the release bearing.
It's a wierd set up, the clutch cover bolts to the crank and the flywheel bolts over the plate and to the cover, easy enough to do just looks wierd the first time you see it.

[13aines]

Great advice - thanks, I will take a look when I have some time.

I wasn't driving it, my partner was, but I don't recall the clutch operation going stiff at any point. If I find there is no smelly gearbox oil that will be a telling sign! Having said that i'm sure I would have heard something wasn't right if that was the case.