Is it worth the repair costs?

Well a new cutch cable would be worth trying before a new clutch. Did the ABS light ever illuminate?

In the 3 years I have had it its never come on. I have MOT'd it too obviously and nobody has ever mentioned it before. How much is a new clutch cable please? thanks for the reply

================================== Quite cheap - £15-00 + vat from GSF:

Look for other items here also but don't be fooled by the low cost of spares. It's the labour that costs a fortune.

Cic.

Seatbelts are part of the test. If a child seat is fitted they can't be tested. The MOT tester is covering himself in case the belts holding the child seats in are faulty.

John

An Espace (of that age) only has a "lap belt" on the centre seat. Child seats are design for a "lap and diagonal" belt. You didn't have a child seat secured only by the lap belt on one of the seats, did you?

As regards the clutch. We had an Espace for 13 years. I must have adjusted the cluch cable every couple of years, in fact at the first few times I thought the cable must be stretching and half expected to to fail. However, it never did. When we sold the car, it was still on its original clutch and cable and nothing seemed amiss.

Brian

Several solid frame car seats are OK with 'just' a lap belt.

For instance, from the Britax FAQ ( I know it's about aircrafty, but it's also specifically about 'lap belts only':

USING A CHILD SEAT ON AN AIRCRAFT

Q.Which child seat can I use on an aircraft?

A. The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) accept child seats that are approved to the European Standard ECE R44 and can be fitted with a lap belt only. The following models from our range meet this criteria:

Britax Freeway (Fisher Price forward facing seat) Britax Eclipse (including Si & Ultra models) Britax Renaissance (including Si models)

So the CAA now specify MOT standards? If not, the reference is irrelevant.

Brian

I'll answer that if you can show me why MOT standards are relevant to child car seats?

My comment was purely in answer to the 'so you had car seats fitted only with a lap belt' comment.

I've shown that some car seats can be legitimately fitted with only a lap belt according to the manufacturers.

Please feel free to tell me why you feel you know better than they do.

To aircraft. Aircraft seats have a much lower crash test requirement than car seats .

We had an Espace. We also, in the early years of owning it had young children. I enquired of the car seat manufacturer if it was safer to use the lapbelt only. The answer was "no". They indicated doing so may be illegal.

You don't wish to believe it, fine.

Brian

If it never came on when the ignition was turned on then either the bulbs dead, somebodies pulled the fuse or your abs is truly dead.

its never been on Duncan. Will check the fuses tomorrow. Will it be in the fise box in the passenger glove box or is there another fuse place. How easy is it to get to the bulb?

My child's car seat can be fitted with a lap belt only if required.

That may (or may not) have been the case with the manufacturer of your seat. Sounds like arse covering to me.

If you try matrasports website he's got the entire manual

Yes, because generally if the clutch is worn out you can get it in gear easily but the clutch will slip. If you can't get it in gear then it sounds like the clutch isn't releasing fully.

I can't find espace wishbone listed so they might be a renault only part which will jack the price up somewhat.

It's up to you - good money after bad or better the devil you know?

The washers could be the pump or just dirt in the system.

Perhaps it would be illegal to use a seat not approved to be used in such a way.

Using your experience to disprove a statement by a different manufacturer, that (some of) their range of seats can be used with only a lap belt, seems a bit of a stretch.

Why would anyone want to believe your statement overrules the actual manufacturer of the seats?

Deciding factor for me would be the ABS. It may be something simple, but it may also be something expensive.

Suspension bushes aren't that big a deal, and neither are the washers (probably a blocked filter on the pump, or the pump itself). Clutch just sounds like it needs adjusted.

I have a Britax car seat which, according to the owner's manual, may be fitted with a lap belt.

Ian