The Definitive Carlton Mk3 Buying Guide. **STRICTLY ON TOPIC**

[Pedro]

VERY STRICTLY ON TOPIC, please guys.

Trying to keep it relatively short and sweet, but basically, common problems dependant on whether saloon, estate, 4 pot or six pot.
The Colonel will colate the info and make up a proper Buying Guide.

EG.

6 Cylinder Saloon/Estate bodywork: RUST
Rear arches
Spare wheel well
Chassis dog-leg over axle
Sills
Front chassis legs
Inner wing/bulkhead join
Strut turrets

All Carltons: ELECTRICAL
Fuel Pump Relay
Window motors/microswitches


Feel free to C&P and add your own "Common Problems".

STRICTLY ON TOPIC

[Neil]

Mechanical
Steering idler
Drop links
Wishbone bushes
Prop shaft center bearing

Electrical
Engine Temperature sensor
Other sensors

also....
Coolant leaks (radiator, expansion tank, hoses and heater matrix).
(estate only) rust around where support struts attach to body.
Fuel tank leaks (probably saloons and estates)

[Whippit]

ICV
Blocked breathers

[melinx]

Faulty door locking motors
Faulty cruise control
Inoperative dual ram (split vacuum pipes or faulty reservoir/non return valve)
Intermittent FM operation ( Grundig 4870 )
Fuel tank leaks (particularly noticeable with full tank due to corrosion around filler pipe)
No pressure in rear pneumatically adjustable shocks due to gaiter air leaks

[doz]

Wet front carpets due blocked scuttle or heater matrix leaks.
Broken hinges on the cntre consul (I have yet to have a Carlie which isn't broken) not major but niggerling
Seat hieght adjusters siezed
Rust on door bottoms
Donut bushes

[Whippit]

Rattly Drop Links

[bootie3367]

Estate, rear window wiper. Make sure the shaft is lubricated. If not used for while these can seize up.

[white hot GSi]

lumpy idle - the control valve clogges up
neglected auto boxes slip
digi dashes go blank (GSi)
cruise control can play up
sunroof drains block up at rear causing rot in boot floor

[Gazza36]

This thread on VXON might be of help: http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?t=159145

[carlton_mad]

most of the info on there is from our members!!!!!

[Gazza36]

Yes, but it contains a lot of info in one place and it was very helpful to me when I became interested in these cars.

[Jimmy]

Ashtray light......
1 or 2 coils not working on the heated rear window....

[supercub]

*Rust in bulkhead around ecu wiring hole and inside scuttle/raintray

*rust behind rear wheels and around filler neck area on bodywork.

[g4rth]

even with all these "faults"....theyre still a fantastic car to drive...
good points : RWD, 3.0 24v , power slides,

[nightmare]

Large, comphy, lots of leg room, easy to work on, loads of space in engine bay,great towing car.

Lets have some more possitive comments, after all we bought them

[kevinfourlegs]

Cons: anything can fail/go wrong, just like any other car, even newer ones. Tinworm we all know is an issue, but that can happen on any twenty year old car, not just Carltons.

Pros: head turner cos they're a rare sight, excellent motorway cruiser, decent mpg from a 2.0 litre auto (I got one), decent sized boot on saloons, estates on a par with a van!, I've found spares cheap any easy enough to obtain, good interior equipment levels.

Anybody thinking about buying a Carlton, then BUY it!! You won't regret it.

[turbojo]

Like to add o/s engine mount on 3.0 manual, ever one I have bought has been in two pieces. Probably too much clutch dropping lifting the engine?

[man of kent]

Front crossmember rust under the rad.
Blocked sunroof drains.

[djbthatsme]

Just adding my two pennorth to be hopefully useful. My current car is the 2.0l manual CDX saloon bought on the back of owning a 2.0l manual CDI saloon. I,ve only had these two carltons for the last 21 years which clearly speaks for itself. I LIKE CARLTONS. Anyway the negatives I found with the car are mostly from rust eg.
- Rear wheel arches (both) right thru to the front sills (repaired).
- O\S chassis leg (repaired).
- O\S turret (repaired).
- N\S behind splash guard in front wheel housing (repaired).
- beneath and alongside battery tray (repaired).
- around petrol filler neck (repaired).
- N\S rear door (bottom)- (to do).
Then there is:
Paint peeling across bonnet, over roof and across boot (to do).
leaking petrol tank (exchanged with new fuel pipes).   
Drivers electric window only works intermittently (to do).
Interior lights inop when the doors are opened (to do).
Water has leaked into the car but may have been resolved by some of the welding already done (under review).
There is also:
Rear discs and drums to change with discs and pads.
Rear wheel housing splash guard been rubbing on tyre (to do).
Sticking aerial.
CD player inop.
Top end overhaul needed (mileage K160 +), no wonder. 

This is quite a list but there are some good positives, which are:
- Comfortable armchair drive.
- good consumption for a large car (2.0l manual both cars).
- most parts still pretty easy to get.
- most parts reasonably priced.
- fairly easy to work on.
- insurance reasonably priced.
- still a head turner.
- generally very reliable if well maintained.
- good, sizeable luggage carrier.
- plenty of room for the driver, passengers, luggage  and the dog. 
- Good support structure from a fervent group of enthusiasts. This can be very important for both current and future users.
I'm sure i've missed something out but hopefully this will prove useful.   







 












 

[man of kent]

Wet front floor? Maybe more to it than you think. can be a number of things but the hidden one:-

Mud gets trapped behind the inner edge of the front wheelhouse plastic liners and rusts through to the inside. You cannot see the holes until you remove the wheelhouse liner. The nearside is usually worse.