The most reliable car I've ever owned

Budapeststu

Budapeststu

New Member
Messages
208
Dear All,

I feel I must take the opportunity to inform you all that today I drove my 20,000th mile in my beloved 4200 GT (38,500 in total). Since buying the car it's cost me the following:

1 clutch (£1,000 of that cost was contributed by the dealer as he accepted the clutch should not have failed so soon after purchase. Fair play to him)
1 battery
1 annual/mileage service
1 ignition coil

Of course I've also put the Larini system in and have needed 2 back tyres and I did buy a full set of winter tyres as well but that's not servicing cost in my book.

I've had various 3-series, Boxster S and an M3 in my time and although I may be tempting fate by saying so, this has been the most reliable car I've ever owned and if I'm only counting service costs, one of the cheapest.

Another service is due at 40,000 miles but that doesn't scare me. By the way, what should be due for this 12,000 mile/annual service? Is this one more major than the last?

I hope everyone's well, sorry for not being on the forum more these days.

Stu
 
Parisien

Parisien

Moderator
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34,927
Music to our collective ears Stu.......great to hear.....:)

Annuals are done regardless of miles......mileage are done due to wear.....38.5K takes it near the big 43.5 miles consider doing it early?


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Budapeststu

Budapeststu

New Member
Messages
208
Thanks a lot for the advice, Frank. Hmmm, so the 43.5 service is a big one? What can I expect in terms of parts/labour/cost?

I've just been counting miles since I bought the car at 18.5. I did the first annual/mileage service at 28 and now plan to do the next one at 40. I guess then yes, I'd do the 43.5 service early or is it acceptable then not to do the service after 12K and wait until July, which will be a year and I'll probably be up at 41-42? I don't want to blot my immaculate service copybook.

Stu
 
Parisien

Parisien

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34,927
Stu...am sure its been posted up before...am at work now, can do it again when I get home.

They are supposed to have 2 sets of servicing really......an annual done every uear ...then next for miles......mileage more to do with wear and tear and checks......so if car 5 yrs old.....it needs to have had 5 annual services....plus in 40 miles....another 3/4 or so unless the annuals co-incided with mileage covered!!!!!!


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Budapeststu

Budapeststu

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Messages
208
Thanks a lot, this is clear now. I'll do the annual/mileage at 40K then and ask them to do whatever the big stuff is. If you can point me in the right direction I'll look at the old posts
 
Parisien

Parisien

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Will try to copy up a complete service schedule as recommended by Maserati this evening ok?


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Parisien

Parisien

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...bowing is not required Stu..........but since you are down that low....could you tie my laces.....;)....;)


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Parisien

Parisien

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34,927
Hoping this comes out.....from a main dealer, obtained about 18mths ago....seemed small ...might have to do again......VAT was the old rate of 15%...but given what i was quoted by MDs via Supercarhub, prices pretty similar still!







4200 service.jpg





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Andyk

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,368
Stu, good to hear from you again....Greta that you are still enjoying her and that she has been reliable.
 
Emtee

Emtee

New Member
Messages
8,446
From my experience, approach an oil flush with EXTREME caution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm increasingly convinced flushing my car was a major contributory factor in my oil pressure problem. A problem that caused me much grief and cost me much wonga to remedy. If it's been trapped in some dark corner of your engine without issue, leave it there, don't flush it under pressure through what I now know to be a very finely engineered oil pump.

4200 service.jpg
 
RonnieMack

RonnieMack

New Member
Messages
108
Emtee said:
From my experience, approach an oil flush with EXTREME caution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm increasingly convinced flushing my car was a major contributory factor in my oil pressure problem. A problem that caused me much grief and cost me much wonga to remedy. If it's been trapped in some dark corner of your engine without issue, leave it there, don't flush it under pressure through what I now know to be a very finely engineered oil pump.

View attachment 6954
Click to expand...

Completely agree with above quote from Emtee. I had the 43,500 mile service yesterday and when discussing the subject of a possible oil flushing I was told it was considered unwise for the very reason stated above.
Regards
Ronnie
 
Parisien

Parisien

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34,927
Wasn't there a thread about this somewheres? Anyone know what the feeling/thoughts were from it?

I am sorry Miles if you believe this seemingly innocent type of maintenance led to the demise of your engine.


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Parisien

Parisien

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34,927
Yeah, remember it now.....bumped it Miles......did Shiltech ever say why it failed? Had they seen this problem before?


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Emtee

Emtee

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8,446
Parisien said:
Yeah, remember it now.....bumped it Miles......did Shiltech ever say why it failed? Had they seen this problem before?


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Click to expand...

No-one had seen it before P! Shiltech phoned everyone they could think of for advice and pointers, including Maserati UK technical department, but in the end they had to do all the investigation themselves. It was a case of take everything apart one element at a time and try to see what the h£ll is going on. It would have been great to have opened something or other up, peer inside and see atrocious damage, as this would have confirmed an obvious failure that could be corrected, but sadly this wasn't the case. What did become evident is that the oil pump is a very finely (and rather elegantly) engineered component that relies completely on the seal between the steel pump 'rotors' and their aluminum chambers, particularly in the high pressure 'oil in' chamber. ANY scoring (and I mean ANY..... less than a hair's breadth) will allow an internal bleed within the pump itself either from high pressure back to low pressure in the pump chamber, or from the pump chamber into the scavenge pump chambers.

This, we concluded, was the main, but not sole cause of my low pressure, the other being worn shells (no failure, just 70K+ miles of wear). I myself have surmised that I should take myself outside and shoot myself for having the oil flush done. I will never do it again and would NEVER advise anyone else to do it, well not on an engine such as the 4200 engine. Might be okay on older engines with larger oil clearances and different pump designs, but even then I'd want cast iron evidence that no damage can be caused from dislodged metallic particles.

When I get an hour or two I'll gather my thoughts and conclude my thread on the subject so it's all together in the one thread.
 
Parisien

Parisien

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34,927
Sorry for raking this over Miles.......am sure it was no fun in many ways.

will allow an internal bleed within the pump itself either from high pressure back to low pressure in the pump chamber, or from the pump chamber into the scavenge pump chambers.....result of this happening?


BUT...if the flush had anything to do with it.....if MDs and others flush as per the above schedule, then we would have defo heard of other failures by now......4200 is 9 yrs old now....!!!!!!!



A Maseratisti {HUG} for your pain Miles!!!


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