Uneconomical to Repair......

[MonzaEvo]

We have a 2004 Nissan 1.2s K12 Micra with little over 50,000 miles on the clock...... It has always been serviced on schedule, an has been a brilliant run-around for my GF..... It has now developed a Power Steering fault, in which the repair is to replace the entire electric power steering column and ECU... This will cost £978+Vat for the new part from Nissan .... so in total with fitment, £1462

At what point does a repair become uneconimical? It will cost more than this to replace the car, but it seems an obscene amount to spend on a 2004 Nissan Micra

I'm currently trying to get quotes for a re-conditioned unit

Rgds
Jonathan

[Tyre Tread]

I'm not familiar with the set of the PS on a Micra but sounds like a visist to a Scrapyard with some tools or if you are not handy with spanners then talk to a local Indy.

Main Stealers will always 'price up' a job and don't want to repair anything as it reduces their margins.

[balders118]

IMO a repair is uneconomical when the repair, plus price of what you could sell the car for in it's current state would get you a car which you would consider a worthy replacement.

[dtmpower]

Why not just remove the power steering altogether - cost = free.

[HellDiver]

dtmpower said:

Why not just remove the power steering altogether - cost = free.

Clueless.

[dtmpower]

HellDiver said:

Clueless.

A small car - if it's a hydraulic system then just drain it down and run it as a manual rack.

If it's electric them you must be able to decouple it.

[Ozzie Osmond]

balders118 said:

........plus price of what you could sell the car for in it's current state.......

Hmmm. I'm sure an old Micra without any steering system will command a good price!

[balders118]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Hmmm. I'm sure an old Micra without any steering system will command a good price!

Scrap's worth a bit. I scrapped a stilo last year and got £250.

[CampDavid]

dtmpower said:

HellDiver said:

Clueless.

A small car - if it's a hydraulic system then just drain it down and run it as a manual rack.

If it's electric them you must be able to decouple it.

It's an MOT fail, you'll need to replace it with a non-PAS rack, which I doubt exists.

[RobCrezz]

The Crack Fox said:

Visit a few scrappies.

This.

[5678]

I've got my mother in laws 2004 1.2 micra to sell, approx 38k miles from new, fsh etc etc. I'd sell you that for £2k.

[CampDavid]

To me uneconomical to repair doesn't equate to market value, it's the value I have for the car.

For example - you know this Micra, you know the car and if it was stolen tomorrow youd probably buy the same car again. Therefor, what price do you put on keeping the devil you know?

[muley]

..go to the findapart website and get the parts there.

[MonzaEvo]

Many thanks for thoughts so far.... i've popped an enquiry on to findapart website, and also managed to find BBA refurbished units for £425

Rgds
Jonathan

[Liquid Knight]

muley said:

..go to the findapart website and get the parts there.

...and get emails, tests and phone call from all sorts of people offing you crap you don't want or will ever need and all hours for the next six months.

If find a part do actually find the part you want it will be at least 20% more than a main dealer price would be.

[j44esd]

Hello, I genuinely don't know the K12 Micra well enough to say if the car needs a new ECU for a PAS fault, maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can clarify? (Does it need synching up or some-such?)

However, eBay may be your friend (Or enemy if you believe some of the topics on here):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-NISSAN-MICRA-SX-1-2...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Micra-ECU-Lock-se...

and don't forget:

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&amp...

It should come in at considerably less than the main dealer quote, albeit with a little 'running around' YMMV - good luck!

Edited to add, actually, maybe this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-MICRA-K12-ELECTRI...

[TankRS]

Liquid Knight said:

muley said:

..go to the findapart website and get the parts there.

...and get emails, tests and phone call from all sorts of people offing you crap you don't want or will ever need and all hours for the next six months.

you made the mistake of using it too? lol. i've learnt my lesson from it now!



as others have said, once the car cost more to repair than what you could get for it either as a part ex deal, or through a private sale is my limit of deciding on repairing my current motor.

Although that said when i 1st bough my motor i swore when it got to the point that i had spent as much fixing the car as i did for the initial purchase it would be time to sell up and get a newer one . . . you think i’d listen to myself wouldn’t you!


I just hide the invoice slips so i don’t get the painful reminder of how much I’ve spent!

[SuperHangOn]

CampDavid said:

To me uneconomical to repair doesn't equate to market value, it's the value I have for the car.

This. I would rather spend repairing than chasing another and risk buying a lemon.

It would have to be a kaput gearbox, engine internal or major rot for me to bin an otherwise straight car.

[MonzaEvo]

j44esd said:

Hello, I genuinely don't know the K12 Micra well enough to say if the car needs a new ECU for a PAS fault, maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can clarify? (Does it need synching up or some-such?)

However, eBay may be your friend (Or enemy if you believe some of the topics on here):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-NISSAN-MICRA-SX-1-2...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Micra-ECU-Lock-se...

and don't forget:

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&amp...

It should come in at considerably less than the main dealer quote, albeit with a little 'running around' YMMV - good luck!

It's this part unfortunately

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-MICRA-K12-ELECTRI...

Rgds
Jonathan

[j44esd]

MonzaEvo said:

It's this part unfortunately

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-MICRA-K12-ELECTRI...

Rgds
Jonathan

I must have been editing my post as you were writing this (See above! ) Still less than £978 though - so if you can find a good local garage to fit it, your bill should come in less than the price of the part at Nissan?

Unless this is uber-man maths, and you are trying to obtain a new V8 for your other half, then I applaud your logic!