Opinions on selling/prepping a car for sale
Discussion
I've recently taken delivery of my new 116d M Sport - so will be selling my Audi A3 1.8T Sport. Overall, my A3 is in very good condition (I spent ages trying to find the right one and travelled all the way to Burnley for it) - anyway - it has the more desirable AUM engine with KO3S turbo, 74k on the clock, FSH (mostly Audi main dealers with last 2 stamps being independent specialists), original stereo with 6cd changer, full black heated leather interior, climate control, 4 almost new bridgestone A001 all weather tyres, new battery with 4 year warranty and is completely stock (apart from HID bulbs which were in it when I got it), it also had the coils replaced under Audi warranty when I got it. Has all of the keys (2 flip keys and valet key) and all books/paperwork are present. It's in great nick considering it's age and has been well looked after.
My question is that it currently has a check engine light on (just came on) - I checked the code with VCDS and it has something to do with emissions iirc and it's quite common (leak on one of the pipes or something), the brakes could also do with an overhaul (disks and pads) and although it's not due a service for 9k or so - it would probably benefit from one (fresh fluids etc). It's MOT is also due in September - although I don't foresee any issues *touches wood* with it passing as I've only done around 3k in it over the last year.
In my position - would you get the check engine issue sorted, change the brakes, service it and put it through another MOT (which is what I'm thinking would be the best move) - or try to sell it as is? If selling it 'as is' - roughly how much do you think the value would be affected by?
My question is that it currently has a check engine light on (just came on) - I checked the code with VCDS and it has something to do with emissions iirc and it's quite common (leak on one of the pipes or something), the brakes could also do with an overhaul (disks and pads) and although it's not due a service for 9k or so - it would probably benefit from one (fresh fluids etc). It's MOT is also due in September - although I don't foresee any issues *touches wood* with it passing as I've only done around 3k in it over the last year.
In my position - would you get the check engine issue sorted, change the brakes, service it and put it through another MOT (which is what I'm thinking would be the best move) - or try to sell it as is? If selling it 'as is' - roughly how much do you think the value would be affected by?
I assume you mean selling it privately but even if it was to a dealer I would definately get the check engine sorted... as that will knock the price.
A fresh MOT is always a good sign if trying to sell privately... if you're confident it will go through then its £50 well spent.
The other stuff - well it probably won't add value but may make it easier to sell quickly - so personally I would not bother.
A fresh MOT is always a good sign if trying to sell privately... if you're confident it will go through then its £50 well spent.
The other stuff - well it probably won't add value but may make it easier to sell quickly - so personally I would not bother.
IMO, you need to get rid of obvious issues that will ring alarm bells with the non-petrolhead. You need to get rid of problems that would affect you selling it, not so much things that add/remove value.
So, your engine check light for example:
Petrolhead - "Oh, that'll be that common emissions fault that means a new pipe. I can sort that fairly cheaply so will just knock a few quid off"
Non-Petrolhead - "Christ, the engine check light's on. That means the engine will blow imminently. RUN!!!"
Or the MOT:
Petrolhead - "MOT September, looks OK, previous MOTs are fine, service history good - should pass"
Non-Petrolhead - "Only 3 months MOT? That means in 3 months I'll have to pay out ££££ on getting it through. RUN!!!"
If it were mine, I'd get the engine check light sorted, give it a fresh MOT and clean it to within an inch of it's life. Service due in 9k miles means 9 months of motoring to the buyer (based on average mileage) before that cost comes in so leave that.
So, your engine check light for example:
Petrolhead - "Oh, that'll be that common emissions fault that means a new pipe. I can sort that fairly cheaply so will just knock a few quid off"
Non-Petrolhead - "Christ, the engine check light's on. That means the engine will blow imminently. RUN!!!"
Or the MOT:
Petrolhead - "MOT September, looks OK, previous MOTs are fine, service history good - should pass"
Non-Petrolhead - "Only 3 months MOT? That means in 3 months I'll have to pay out ££££ on getting it through. RUN!!!"
If it were mine, I'd get the engine check light sorted, give it a fresh MOT and clean it to within an inch of it's life. Service due in 9k miles means 9 months of motoring to the buyer (based on average mileage) before that cost comes in so leave that.
great!! - thanks for the input/replies and opinions..
kind of what I was thinking really.. I've never sold a car with a known issue (partly be cause it would niggle me more than anything!!) - so will get the issue sorted. I'll get my mechanic to check the brakes as well (as they didn't feel as sharp as they should) - it won't be too much to get those done either (if required) and I'll get a years MOT on it (plus give it a good clean - which goes without saying!
)
thanks again!!
kind of what I was thinking really.. I've never sold a car with a known issue (partly be cause it would niggle me more than anything!!) - so will get the issue sorted. I'll get my mechanic to check the brakes as well (as they didn't feel as sharp as they should) - it won't be too much to get those done either (if required) and I'll get a years MOT on it (plus give it a good clean - which goes without saying!
)thanks again!!
Anything that is quick/cheap/easy I would do. I hate adverts when it says 'got this problem £30 part needed' and then the price is several thousand pounds. Just get it done ?!
Stuff from that list you do might not increase value, but will definitely increase interest/ease of sale. If you did all of your list, what can they argue to knock the price down on... not much I'd wager.
If you did fresh MOT, new service, discs and pads (irrespective of brand, you can get pattern parts so cheap now), fix the check engine light, and give it a good clean I'd imagine it will sell a lot easier, and saves '£200 off because it needs xyz done'.
Stuff from that list you do might not increase value, but will definitely increase interest/ease of sale. If you did all of your list, what can they argue to knock the price down on... not much I'd wager.
If you did fresh MOT, new service, discs and pads (irrespective of brand, you can get pattern parts so cheap now), fix the check engine light, and give it a good clean I'd imagine it will sell a lot easier, and saves '£200 off because it needs xyz done'.
moebiusuk said:
There are similair ones around worth about £2000 at the moment. I would sort the CEL and leave the rest for the buyer to judge.
think those are at the other end of the scale to be fair.. mine is a MY2002 on a 51 plate and if I get everything done on it - then I'll probably advertise it for around £2800 and see where we go from there. There is one similar/comparable example on Autotrader just now (except it is black with yellow interior) which is up for £2,990 (although it also looks as though it has the worn climate control buttons) which was one of my pet hates when looking for one!
Car prices seem to be slightly stronger in Scotland as well for some reason... I've noticed that on the last 3 cars I've bought - I've travelled to England for each one of them and saved quite a bit each time.
conanius said:
Anything that is quick/cheap/easy I would do. I hate adverts when it says 'got this problem £30 part needed' and then the price is several thousand pounds. Just get it done ?!
Stuff from that list you do might not increase value, but will definitely increase interest/ease of sale. If you did all of your list, what can they argue to knock the price down on... not much I'd wager.
If you did fresh MOT, new service, discs and pads (irrespective of brand, you can get pattern parts so cheap now), fix the check engine light, and give it a good clean I'd imagine it will sell a lot easier, and saves '£200 off because it needs xyz done'.
yep - I think that's what I was thinking. I agree that most petrol heads would easily quantify/evaluate the things that need done - but in this current market, it's probably best just to get the jobs done. I guess it's all about return on investment.Stuff from that list you do might not increase value, but will definitely increase interest/ease of sale. If you did all of your list, what can they argue to knock the price down on... not much I'd wager.
If you did fresh MOT, new service, discs and pads (irrespective of brand, you can get pattern parts so cheap now), fix the check engine light, and give it a good clean I'd imagine it will sell a lot easier, and saves '£200 off because it needs xyz done'.
Muzzer79 said:
IMO, you need to get rid of obvious issues that will ring alarm bells with the non-petrolhead. You need to get rid of problems that would affect you selling it, not so much things that add/remove value.
So, your engine check light for example:
Petrolhead - "Oh, that'll be that common emissions fault that means a new pipe. I can sort that fairly cheaply so will just knock a few quid off"
Non-Petrolhead - "Christ, the engine check light's on. That means the engine will blow imminently. RUN!!!"
Or the MOT:
Petrolhead - "MOT September, looks OK, previous MOTs are fine, service history good - should pass"
Non-Petrolhead - "Only 3 months MOT? That means in 3 months I'll have to pay out ££££ on getting it through. RUN!!!"
If it were mine, I'd get the engine check light sorted, give it a fresh MOT and clean it to within an inch of it's life. Service due in 9k miles means 9 months of motoring to the buyer (based on average mileage) before that cost comes in so leave that.
that's what I was thinking - by not fixing the issues - then you're probably restricting a large percentage of the potential market. I think i'll get everything done and then stick it up for sale! So, your engine check light for example:
Petrolhead - "Oh, that'll be that common emissions fault that means a new pipe. I can sort that fairly cheaply so will just knock a few quid off"
Non-Petrolhead - "Christ, the engine check light's on. That means the engine will blow imminently. RUN!!!"
Or the MOT:
Petrolhead - "MOT September, looks OK, previous MOTs are fine, service history good - should pass"
Non-Petrolhead - "Only 3 months MOT? That means in 3 months I'll have to pay out ££££ on getting it through. RUN!!!"
If it were mine, I'd get the engine check light sorted, give it a fresh MOT and clean it to within an inch of it's life. Service due in 9k miles means 9 months of motoring to the buyer (based on average mileage) before that cost comes in so leave that.
pangster79 said:
I agree that most petrol heads would easily quantify/evaluate the things that need done - but in this current market, it's probably best just to get the jobs done. I guess it's all about return on investment.
Is spending £400 to avoidconanius said:
If you did fresh MOT, new service, discs and pads (irrespective of brand, you can get pattern parts so cheap now), fix the check engine light, and give it a good clean I'd imagine it will sell a lot easier, and saves '£200 off because it needs xyz done'.
financial sense?Just checked the log of the error code for my A3 and it is:
Mode 03: Emission related fault codes
Address 10 (Engine): 1 Fault Found:
P0411 - Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect Flow Detected
Done a quick Google and it could be a number of things - most common seems to be related to vacuum leaks or split hoses.. so fingers crossed should be a quick and easy fix *touches wood*
Will get my mechanic to give it the once over, change the brakes and service it - I'll stick it through an MOT and sell it with a full years ticket on it! - least hassle for me and least amount of hassle for new owner.
Hopefully will attract a decent buyer and not some of these test pilots or dreamers that others seem to encounter.
Mode 03: Emission related fault codes
Address 10 (Engine): 1 Fault Found:
P0411 - Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect Flow Detected
Done a quick Google and it could be a number of things - most common seems to be related to vacuum leaks or split hoses.. so fingers crossed should be a quick and easy fix *touches wood*
Will get my mechanic to give it the once over, change the brakes and service it - I'll stick it through an MOT and sell it with a full years ticket on it! - least hassle for me and least amount of hassle for new owner.
Hopefully will attract a decent buyer and not some of these test pilots or dreamers that others seem to encounter.
pangster79 said:
Just checked the log of the error code for my A3 and it is:
Mode 03: Emission related fault codes
Address 10 (Engine): 1 Fault Found:
P0411 - Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect Flow Detected
Done a quick Google and it could be a number of things - most common seems to be related to vacuum leaks or split hoses.. so fingers crossed should be a quick and easy fix *touches wood*
Will get my mechanic to give it the once over, change the brakes and service it - I'll stick it through an MOT and sell it with a full years ticket on it! - least hassle for me and least amount of hassle for new owner.
Hopefully will attract a decent buyer and not some of these test pilots or dreamers that others seem to encounter.
service and check engine light sorted today!! - the check engine light was down to a split hose coming from the secondary air pump (as expected nothing major). Will put it in for the discs and pads next week (£220 supplied and fitted all round) and then get a new MOT on it and put it up for sale.. can see a big portion of this weekend giving it a detail (weather permitting!).Mode 03: Emission related fault codes
Address 10 (Engine): 1 Fault Found:
P0411 - Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect Flow Detected
Done a quick Google and it could be a number of things - most common seems to be related to vacuum leaks or split hoses.. so fingers crossed should be a quick and easy fix *touches wood*
Will get my mechanic to give it the once over, change the brakes and service it - I'll stick it through an MOT and sell it with a full years ticket on it! - least hassle for me and least amount of hassle for new owner.
Hopefully will attract a decent buyer and not some of these test pilots or dreamers that others seem to encounter.
Krikkit said:
Sounds like a well-sorted car then. That always looks good when you've got fresh work been done on it - as a buyer you know the seller has given it a good look over and rectified the easy bits.
thanks!! - that's kind of what I was thinking! - i'd certainly appreciate any money spent on a car I was going to buy as it saves me doing it!! LOL! andymc said:
whats the reg and i'll book it?
thanks for this Andy.. to be fair it's kind of what I thought would come back - they always seem to be fairly optimistic as far as the buyer is concerned.. I'll advertise it and price it appropriate to market conditions and see where we go from there.. 
not really had a chance to update this thread or come back to it as I've been pretty busy.
I decided in the end to put the car through it's MOT with the view of getting any other niggles or issues sorted out prior to selling it. In the end though it flew through without any issues!! - the brakes were fine (although they're not far off the limit) - so glad I didn't change them unnecessarily.
The car's now had a quick detail and is now up for sale in the classifieds on here and Gumtree. It now has a shiny new 12 month MOT and 6 months tax - so it should be a good car for someone - as stock, unabused, well specced and well looked after 1.8T's are relatively rare these days! It also has the more desirable and easier to tune AUM engine and KO3S turbo combination - so should either appeal to someone looking for a good clean stock example or someone wanting a good base to tune from.
I decided in the end to put the car through it's MOT with the view of getting any other niggles or issues sorted out prior to selling it. In the end though it flew through without any issues!! - the brakes were fine (although they're not far off the limit) - so glad I didn't change them unnecessarily.
The car's now had a quick detail and is now up for sale in the classifieds on here and Gumtree. It now has a shiny new 12 month MOT and 6 months tax - so it should be a good car for someone - as stock, unabused, well specced and well looked after 1.8T's are relatively rare these days! It also has the more desirable and easier to tune AUM engine and KO3S turbo combination - so should either appeal to someone looking for a good clean stock example or someone wanting a good base to tune from.
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