The "Styria" Thread

[Styria]

Just to bring the thread up to date. We returned from the Central Coast yesterday, and the car consumed 20.62 liters of fuel over a distance of 206 kilometers. I used the cruise control feature for the very first time (after all these months) and set it to between 95 and 115 - most of the time, in the higher range.

Traffic was moderate except for fairly lengthy delays on the way up in the suburbs on Pennant Hills Road due to a broken semi trailer. I decided to keep a proper check on the fuel consumption, and in the old imperial terms, it came out at 28.23 miles per gallon. In money terms, it cost $29.00 plus for two occupants for the whole trip. No complaints on my part. Remember, this is a 5.7 liter V8 ! Regards Styria

 

[Michel]

Just to bring the thread up to date. We returned from the Central Coast yesterday, and the car consumed 20.62 liters of fuel over a distance of 206 kilometers. I used the cruise control feature for the very first time (after all these months) and set it to between 95 and 115 - most of the time, in the higher range.

Traffic was moderate except for fairly lengthy delays on the way up in the suburbs on Pennant Hills Road due to a broken semi trailer. I decided to keep a proper check on the fuel consumption, and in the old imperial terms, it came out at 28.23 miles per gallon. In money terms, it cost $29.00 plus for two occupants for the whole trip. No complaints on my part. Remember, this is a 5.7 liter V8 ! Regards Styria

Twice? Not acceptable....

 

[Styria]

Hi Michel, I sort of tend to agree with you. But, on the other hand, that is the way it is also spelt in German and I just wanted to illustrate my bi-lingual capabilities ! Anyway, 28.23 LITRES per 100 is no mean feat. As I said before, who needs a buzz box as good and reliable as they may be. This'll do me for starters. Regards Styria

Now, this is serious and no bull. I looked on various websites the other day, and there is not a single Statesman below ten grand - eight months ago, I paid less than that thanks to Parker Jnr's generosity and goodwill (you know, looking after the old man etc. etc.).

This car has leather (immaculate), as are the carpets, Sunroof, tint all round and sold for 65k. back in late 1999. I have books, service records from new....Regards Styria

 

[Styria]

So, what's been happening to the Statesman since July of last year and the last report ? Well, a fair bit of updating is required, and some of my experiences may make interesting reading - remember, we will also be talking about my observations in relation to various issues.

The speedo reading is now up to about 185k.'s - in other words, about 25 thousand kilometers since we bought it. I guess it's being used a little more that what I really would like to, but it is such a pleasure to drive - the kilometers just disappear.

What problems and faults have been encountered since July ? They are as follows:

1. Alternator - the "reconditioning" process was never completely successful despite the fact that the 'Sparkie' removed the alternator again to check for intermittent failure to charge. It lasted about two days, and in the end it was deemed preferable to fit a brand new Mitsubishi unit which cost us an additional $150.00, with labor thrown in. That's all working well now, and at the additional charge, it can best be described as a real sweetheart deal.

2. We bought the car with warped brake disc rotors, and I ignored the problem (such as it was) until, in the end, I got a bit sick of having steering wheel shake on light application of the brakes. New disc rotors on front, new brake pads front and rear, cured the warping problem, and for good measure we had the engine oil and oil filter replaced at the same time. The cost for all of that - about $410.00. We were also advised that the slight oil leak that had become evident emanated from the front timing cover. That was an interesting diagnosis as there is no front timing cover. I was also advised that they were not equipped to handle this sort of job. What sort of job, one has to ask themselves !

3. The next port of call was with a Holden specialist to carry out the 180K. service, with instructions to also trace the source of the oil leak, and to degrease the lower part of the engine. There was also the matter of the electric rear windows being inoperative and to assess the general condition of the car. The cost of that service/work came to $410.00, which included $110.00 for two electric switches (really not that cheap), removal /replacement of the left rear door trim and service charges, including oil and filter, and checking various fluid levels and checking timing and air con. belts adjustments. They are, of course, self adjusting by means of a spring loaded idler wheel. There was no time to carry out degreasing, but we were advised that both the power steering pump, and the steering rack were in need of replacement, together with respective hoses (about $120.00), rack about $280.00, pump another $280.00, plus labour to remove and replace. There was no doubt that some of the problems were going to be a little on the expensive side, but we slowly got used to the idea of further financial outlay in the near future. One facet of concern as far as quality of components are concerned are statements along the lines "a pretty common problem' and "they all suffer from it" and I am not used to that sort prognosis. I also think the labour quote may have been another $300.00, but I can't quite remember the exact figure. Continuation of this thread in the next post. Regards Styria

 

[Styria]

So we continue the Statesman story. For whatever reason, I just did not seem to be able to get the degreasing carried out, so I decided to do it myself. I needed to know and find out for myself as to what was going on. I removed the top engine cover secured by four 10mm nuts (beautifully produced), and also needed to jack up the car quite substantially to remove the steel and plastic protective plates.
I had never really wanted to get underneath the Statesman as it sits so low to the ground, but once you get it up a bit with a garage trolley jack, access is not too bad.

The plastic protective plate was a 'bodgey' held on by wire fitting, but the steel plate was easily removed by undoing four 13mm bolts. Both plates were cleaned properly (and degreased), and I also painted the steel plate in gloss black. I also needed to remove the plates to trace a water leak that had suddenly developed and I wanted to trace the leak. The lower part of the degreasing was effected with pressure pack degreaser and water, but I also tackled the upper section where the coil packs and the intake manifold and rocker covers are, all of which showed quite a bit of accumulated oil sludge etc. Obviously, those areas had probably never been degreased, but I was careful not to use water - I merely air hosed all the areas, with no detrimental effects. I did this probably two or three times for best results.

With the water leak which I was unable to trace accurately, I thought it was best to take the opportunity to renew various coolant and heater hoses, and those I procured from the Holden Dealer (Heartland Holden) at a cost of $215.00, which also included bothe the Air Con. and engine belts - they were about $40.00 for the two. Thus, as you can see, even Holden parts can cost. I thought I'd be smart and replace the various hoses myself, but after some two hours of working under fading light conditions and starting to curse myself, I came to realize that there was no way that I could figure out how to remove the two bottom radiator houses. The were held in place by those confounded hose clips that you need to squeeze with a suitable tool that, obviously, I did not have handy and it also required removal of the twin engine fan assembly to gain access to. Just too troublesome and it was decided to farm out the work to the Radiator Shop at Pendle Hill.
They fixed the leak, and fitted the various hoses, for $200.00 neat. To be continued. Regards Styria

 

[BenzBoy]

Doing a quick addition of all those costs show that the Stateman is quite economical to repair!!! Well it certainly is when compared to say a modern Benz or a Rolls-Royce.
Regards,
Benz-Boy

 

[Styria]

Doing a quick addition of all those costs show that the Stateman is quite economical to repair!!! Well it certainly is when compared to say a modern Benz or a Rolls-Royce.
Regards,
Benz-Boy

Hi BenzBoy, maybe you may like to give us more details of some of 'your' expenses - especially in relation to your Benzes. Information along those lines could prove invaluable for 'the bods that don't know' - like yours truly. Regards Styria

 

[BenzBoy]

OK - 2 examples.
1. Top radiator hose for ML = $120 and no aftermarket fits.
2. Rear struts for Spirit began to leak. $5000 a pair as they are part of the self-levelling. However, it was simply the hydraulic feed union (not available as a seperate item) and we used an olive from an airbag to make a good fix.
I was looking through invoices for the 450SE today and I see genuine shocks at $107 a pair from MBS two years back...
Regards,
Benz-Boy

 

[Styria]

Hi BenzBoy, you haven't given me that much to compare, but I guess in the overall scheme of things the information is not that vital - but thank you nevertheless. Those rear shocks were hellishly cheap. Normally, as far as I know, they should be a lot more expensive than that.

Anyway, let's turn our attention to the Statesman. With the water leak rectified, there was still the matter of a slight, but annoying and incessant oil leak. The GMH 'guru' had diagnosed a leaking steering pump ($280.00), as well as a leaking steering rack. From memory, another $280.00 plus GST plus labour.
So I let my eyes do the walking and looking, and came across a business card left on the counter of my very friendly spare parts retailer at Wentworthville. The card said that they could speak Spanish and that seemed to be a good start. He quoted me $150.00 to rebuild and fit the pump, and that was obviously a pretty reasonable quote. Mind you, I really wasn't comfortable that the mechanic seemed to know all that much about the work involved. I got the impression from questioning people that these pumps can be troublesome and fiddly to repair. Anyway, probably against my better judgement (still not sure if justified) I decided to hand the car over to him for the pump job.

I understand the time is about 1.5 hours for remove/replace, but they had the car for a day and a half. Much to their credit, they rang to convey that the dust boots for the steering rack were full of oil, thus replacing that assembly became a matter of necessity. However, this time I opted to get a replacement unit on exchange from my Power Steering people at an exchange cost of $200.00 - again a satisfactory figure, with R & R costing another $120.00 - again, quite reasonable. I also understand, once again, that those racks have a reputation for leaking and wearing out.

So, the car was picked up on the Saturday, in the afternoon, and after some small amount of driving, and parking overnight, Sunday revealed that there was still an oil leakage. Handy ! To be c/d. Regards Styria

 

[BenzBoy]

"Hi BenzBoy, you haven't given me that much to compare, but I guess in the overall scheme of things the information is not that vital - but thank you nevertheless. Those rear shocks were hellishly cheap. Normally, as far as I know, they should be a lot more expensive than that."
That's because R-Rs don't wear out as easily as other cars!!!! Belts, pads and hoses are straight off the shelf so that they can be serviced by a competent person who does not have access to specialised parts - out in the colonies, you know!! Everything, just everything can be repaired. When the map light switch failed it was a matter of disassemble and solder in new pins. Can you do that with the Statesman?
When a well-known panel shop (repaired rear beaver panel) managed to jump start the Spirit and fry the electronic dashboard it was repaired by an instrument maker for a few hundred dollars - not that the well-known panel shop contributed anything!!)
Certainly not the same for the Goodwood product but that is another chapter.
Regards,
Benz-Boy

 

[Styria]

One would be a bit peeved and quite miffed when neglect, or carelessness are the cause for additional repair and/or outlays of monies. The same sentiments applied when I discovered that the Statesman was still leaking oil. Sure, you get a warranty on the repairs, but you're still out of pocket by having two return trips of six kilometers each (so that's 24k.s for the first job), and of course the same amount of time would apply again, not counting time on our part etc. etc. - I am sure you all know what I am talking about.

Anyway, getting back to the Statesman and the oil leak that was still showing. I started investigating things by pulling off the engine cover and saw that two of the hoses had not been changed inspite of mine having supplied them with new items which they were supposed to fit. In addition, the reservoir that sits on top of the pump had not been cleaned even though it had to be moved to change the pump, but other than that I was unable to trace the leak. So I assumed that the reconditioning of the pump had not been successful. On the way back from Michel's shop at Prestons, I called in on the mechanic to discuss the leak and possible remedy. "Look, no problem, just bring the car back. We'll double check everything". Okay, what about the two hoses that I asked you to replace ? "Well, they looked okay, so we didn't replace them". So, where are they ? "Ah, we've got them in the Office. Do you want tem back ?" No, because you will still have to fit them when I bring the car back. "Okay, no worry, just bring the car back".

Prior to calling in that morning, I had rung the Power Steering people and asked them to have an exchange pump ready for me as I really I had no confidence that they had resealed the pump properly in the first place. That was fine, with a quoted exchange cost of $80.00. So I rang the mechanic and offered him a deal. "go me half in the cost of the pump ($40.00) and you fit it free of charge", but bo, he did not want that. He insisted on checking his work first and to see if anything else was causing the oil to leak. I said "okay, but I want to be there when you re-check your work", but that was NOT acceptable, so he would have to drop me back home. How silly, as it also meant that he would have to bring the car back as well. All for the sake of not letting me keep an eye on them !

Anyhow, I still procured the replacement pump 'on spec' in case it was needed and I told them that it'd be in the boot of the car - just in case. As it turned out, eventually he rang to say that the job was finished, that he had used the replacement pump even though the pump he took out had shown no sign of leakage, and that it was the hoses (that he had not replaced) that had been leaking. So they returned the car one and a half hours late (it was supposed to have been 14.00 hours) with $40.00 in his hand.. "You know", he said, "we did fix the job properly, there was nothing wrong with the pump, so what about the forty dollars" ? I gave him back twenty, and told him that was all I was prepared to return as a matter of goodwill. So off they went, he and his son.

I refitted the sump components, degreased everything again just for that 'perfect job' and everybody was happy - it was all over, thankfully.

Until, the next day, I discovered that there was still an oil leak under the car.

Regards Styria

 

[TJ 450]

That sort of service is all too familiar with a Holden... It's probably a good hint to find a more competent mechanic.

Tim

 

[Styria]

I bet it is this one... 604 with the big V6 engine

Here is the famous Sylvie Vartan

The thread was getting somewhat dry and uninspiring, so I turned my attention to this hauntingly good looking lady to see what she is (was) all about. Great French songstress, I can recommend some of her You Tube features - very much French. Thanks Michel (Ihad never heard of her previously). Regards Styria

 

[Michel]

The thread was getting somewhat dry and uninspiring, so I turned my attention to this hauntingly good looking lady to see what she is (was) all about. Great French songstress, I can recommend some of her You Tube features - very much French. Thanks Michel (Ihad never heard of her previously). Regards Styria

She was for a long time the darling of the French singing world and married to the very famous (in France) Johnny Halliday

 

[260ebenz]

Fine looking Lady if I do say so myself!


The car in the photo is a 604SL Peugeot wonderful cars my Parents had four 604 Peugeot's.

French built of course!

Mind you the Germans made fine cars as well!

Cheers Slim.

 

[Styria]

Well, Sylvie Vartans and the Peugeot - what about them. I have to say that the car for a long time had been a dream car of mine after its release - everything looked just absolutely beautiful, you just couldn't fault it and I could never understand the poor reputation it built up subsequently until, of course, one day someone or some magazine started talking about the V6 engine it had been fitted with.

This was a joint effort between Peugeot, Volvo and another manufacturer, and it had a nasty reputation. All Alloy in construction, it was notorious for oil and water leaks, oil mixing with water and that engine just about killed Volvo in this country. No such problems with Sylvie. If one has a look at some of the photo albums, she reveals herself as quite multi faced in appearance, and one could say that there were at least six women in one. Also, on a nostalgic front - take yourself back forty years, la dolce vite in romantic Paris, smoke filled bars, the opposite gender ever looking so beautiful and Sylvie singing her hits - ah, those were the times ! We can't get them back, no matter how hard we try and how optimistic we may think we are.

Well, it takes me back to Juke Boxes, the first cigarettes, taking your first dancing steps, thinking that you're ever so cool promenading up and down the same street for hours on end looking for little adventures......ah, is this the Styria thread ? I am afraid so. Regards Styria

 

[TJ 450]

It's a nice car, the 604.

The PRV engine has quite a history, and it's not all bad. The LH Jetronic EFI iteration used in the Peugeot 505 V6 and the facelifted Volvo 760GLE was actually a refined and reliable engine... too bad about the reputation it had already gained in the late '70s. It still had the wet liners though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRV_engine

Tim

 

[Styria]

After my sentiments about the good old and dare I say exciting times, the thread finished on a rather 'very' dry note, talking about Peugeot, that beautiful yet troublesome 604 model, and I now think it is about time that I'd come along with an update on what is really quite a fabulous car - of course, I am talking about the Statesman. I gave that mechanic the 'flick' in the end as I just couldn't be bothered with the inconvenience and likely arguments. Life's too short - well, it's getting shorter all the time. In the end, I myself did work out that it was the power steering reservoir located atop the power steering pump that was leaking. I let it go - till next time. I changed engine oil and filter once or twice after that, and kept the car clean. That was about it.

So comes February, 2011, and the car now showing an indicated 198K. genuine, with the ATF fluid showing distinct signs and smelling of old oil. Now that needed attending to as I know enough about Automatic boxes, and neglect can cause you no end of trouble in due course. That really spurred me into action. The car has travelled about 35K.'s in our ownership and has been almost totally reliable in that time. Thus I booked in the car for an Auto service, which I had been quoted $135.00 by one of Parks' clients. That was an acceptable quote, and I suggested that at the same time engine oil and filter should also be replaced, and I would provide fresh oil that I had already bought - for the engine, that is. I also suggested that the leaking reservoir be replaced with a new one, but I finished up doing that myself the day before the service. I also took off the engine protective bottom plate, and I degreased it as well as the underside of the engine and also the gearbox. Just to make a nice clean job of it.

When I got to the repair shop first thing in the morning (as arranged a week earlier), I was told by the 2 - IC that they were busy and the car would not be ready before 12 noon. I wasn't real happy but I had no choice but to go along with that. Before going off on my shopping excursion, I suggested that, with the car on a hoist getting the Auto done, that it would be sensible to change the diff oil as well. Yeah, no problem, "that'll cost $88" ! Wow ! Not bad for releasing a drain plug and whacking in a litre and a half of diff. oil. I was getting worried. "What's the cost of the Auto Service" ? $185.00, says the computer. Hmm...more Wow ! " How much to drain the engine oil and replace the filter" bearing in mind that the car would already be on the hoist. "$88.00" again. There must be something to these high '8' numbers. Anyway, off I went, somewhat peeved, and I decided that I'd ring the owner once he got into his workshop about 8.30 or 9.00. Anyway, we discussed the 'ho ho' prices and he settled on $44.00 for the diff job. $66.00 for the engine job and the quoted price on the Transmission service. Still not bad money, but it was a bit more realistic.

Believe it or not, to just top it all off, the next day the car stopped dead on us and we needed road service to get us home. Reasons for all of that, plus some observations, in the next post. Regards Styria

 

[motec 6.9]

Sounds like you have been having fun Styria i recently got stung to the tune of $840 by the ford stealership here in Perth on my Territory for a service plus coolant change and machining front brake disc and yes i am still around just very busy at work right now its a growing industry

 

[Michel]

Gentlemen,

The cost of servicing any car nowadays, be it at the dealership (sorry, but I don't like the other name used) or at your local garage is not cheap!
I had my E23 serviced close to my office/workshop by a competent and friendly mechanic who changed the oil, the oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, replaced the coolant (the only MB genuine item) and also fitted new NGK plugs.
He checked the transmission, topped the diff oil and went through the car for safety items (shocks, brakes, suspension...)
The bill came up to $390 (parts and labour).
I'm happy.