decision time. another bill on my E46. keep or scrap?

[Vvroom]

Evening chaps.

I bought a 2003 E46 318 touring about a year ago as a car to get me to work and to take the dog to the park. 109k miles. £1500.

In the past 3 months I've fitted new brakes, tyres, handbrake shoes and have just done an inspection 2.

It's losing coolant and taking an age to get started in the morning. Water vapour from the exhaust- coolant light always on. Diagnosis this morning was a blown head gasket.

£800 to fix reduced to £650 as I said that they shouldnt have let me service it with a blown HG.

Don't know whether to fix it, run it for a while and sell, or whether to scrap it.

Impossible question but can any of you let me know what you'd do?

A very grumpy Vvroom.

Edited by Vvroom on Thursday 16th April 21:35

[Smuler]

Brake really heavily in front of a SUV and then claim on the insurance, for personal injury, courtesy car, mental trauma.....no seriously I would not spend anymore but do wonder whether WBAC who do but even old wrecks would give you more than scrap value and it might mean less paperwork?

[helix402]

Scrap, because the timing chain, valvetronic motor, eccentric shaft will fail too.

[ftypical]

But, unless you actually scrap it, it will either be fixed and resold, or broken for parts. In both cases the buyer will make a profit.

The biggest expense in motoring is depreciation - which you are never going to suffer on this car unless you sell it for scrap.

So...

[Sardonicus]

helix402 said:

Scrap, because the timing chain, valvetronic motor, eccentric shaft will fail too.

Not one of Beemers better engines to be honest if the car isn't in really great shape I would let it go

[helix402]

Here's one I fixed : (before!)

[Vvroom]

Thanks guys. I'm genuinely torn. If I chip another £650 in to get it sorted, I could run it for another few months and then sell to recoup what I can. The car is straight and in great condition inside and out - obviously ignoring the chuffing head gasket!

Half thought of chucking some K Weld stuff in... There's a can of worms.

[to3m]

ftypical said:

But, unless you actually scrap it, it will either be fixed and resold, or broken for parts. In both cases the buyer will make a profit.

The biggest expense in motoring is depreciation - which you are never going to suffer on this car unless you sell it for scrap.

So...

Well, hang on - if he never suffers depreciation, the cost of that is going to be £0. So it's not going to be the biggest expense, is it?

[wiggycerb]

For the sake of a few quid shove in some k-seal, i know i would if it kept my shed on the road a little longer ...

[iSore]

You'll get bugger all as scrap. If the car is decent (no rust on arches etc) then it may be worth getting it done. If the car idles smoothly the eccentric shaft is probably okay. But with the head off, you'll need to do a few other things - replace the crank position sensor because it's impossible with the inlet manifold on. Replace the vacuum pump seals/gasket and most importantly, replace the timing chain and tensioners. Then it should* be a good engine. Well, as good an an N42 ever will be.

But, that's a lot of money. K Seal is okay but there is something even better whose name escapes me. Chuck some of that in but not in the expansion tank - pull the coolant hose from the top of the rad and tip it down there. Don't bother with anti freeze, tap water will do at that stage. Run it around and see if it 'cures' it. If it does either keep using it or chop it in.

[Ciff]

this might be better than kseal money back if it does not work

http://www.steelseal.co.uk/

[Patrick Bateman]

For a 318? I'd get rid.

[Mr Tidy]

I'd be tempted to try K-seal and failing that maybe offload onto WBAC or one of their competitors.
Failing that do you have any matches (and to avoid any doubt that is meant in jest, not a suggestion)!
Shame to scrap it if it is otherwise clean, but when the numbers don't work.
Surely you could get a running engine for less than the cost of the head gasket if you can spanner a bit, hire a hoist and call in some favours?
Good luck anyway.

[Vvroom]

Right- I've booked it in for HG repair a week on Monday. It is only a 318 but it's a lovely example. The black paintwork is almost mint and it's really useful when carting the dog around. Not my only car and although a packet, £650 won't break me.

Having made that decision I have nothing to lose by sticking some steel seal in tomorrow. At the very least (if it works) it'll buy me a week or so until I'm booked in for the HG repair. Hopefully she'll start first time- not on the 10th try like at the moment.

[helix402]

Hope it all goes well. I would advise that you ask for a new timing chain tensioner to be fitted during the repair.