What size bills makes you consider a cars future
Discussion
I have been driving cars for plenty of years, and seen a number of breakdowns.
I've seen clutches go, engines blow, and gearboxes die. (Clutch was due to my foot slipping off the pedal on a 'bump', Engine was due to a sticking throttle cable, caused by a mechanic laying it on the manifold. Mother started it with foot flat on accelerator. Gearbox - never knew why, it was a warranty item).
Modern cars seem to have become ever more so complex. I've run french cars, German cars and swede cars.
Current 'modern' steed is a C320 cdi Merc. Never has one car presented me with so many big bills. The servicing and tyres I can accept - it's the unexpected ones...
A few (four)months ago, this car presented itself with a failed 'Port Inlet Shutoff Motor'. Not an expensive part, but a b
h to get to. £450.
Latest leak, is an Oil Cooler. Unusually this lives in the 'V' of the engine. I've picked an MB replacement for £50. It's been a cow to trace the leak, and I've just had an update on labour, likely to top out at 20 hours, + £50 in gaskets, and oil + Filter change (1,000 miles after the last!).
Don't get me wrong, when this car comes back it is toast. How many unexpected bills does it take others? Am I overreacting and should I hold on to get my money back...
I've seen clutches go, engines blow, and gearboxes die. (Clutch was due to my foot slipping off the pedal on a 'bump', Engine was due to a sticking throttle cable, caused by a mechanic laying it on the manifold. Mother started it with foot flat on accelerator. Gearbox - never knew why, it was a warranty item).
Modern cars seem to have become ever more so complex. I've run french cars, German cars and swede cars.
Current 'modern' steed is a C320 cdi Merc. Never has one car presented me with so many big bills. The servicing and tyres I can accept - it's the unexpected ones...
A few (four)months ago, this car presented itself with a failed 'Port Inlet Shutoff Motor'. Not an expensive part, but a b
h to get to. £450.Latest leak, is an Oil Cooler. Unusually this lives in the 'V' of the engine. I've picked an MB replacement for £50. It's been a cow to trace the leak, and I've just had an update on labour, likely to top out at 20 hours, + £50 in gaskets, and oil + Filter change (1,000 miles after the last!).
Don't get me wrong, when this car comes back it is toast. How many unexpected bills does it take others? Am I overreacting and should I hold on to get my money back...
Try running an RS4 or RS6 and you will know what big bills are.
Some for a starter
New clutch and flywheel - 1800 notes at a specialist
New Discs and Pads all rounf - 1100 notes
Cam replacement after common problem found on hardening material on exhaust cams - 2500 notes.
MAF and Lambda replacement - 400 notes
But despite the huge bills, I still loved every minute of the car.
Some for a starter
New clutch and flywheel - 1800 notes at a specialist
New Discs and Pads all rounf - 1100 notes
Cam replacement after common problem found on hardening material on exhaust cams - 2500 notes.
MAF and Lambda replacement - 400 notes
But despite the huge bills, I still loved every minute of the car.
That's nothing ...
In the space of a month, my Elise S2 111S needed:
New suspension all round, new brake pads all around, new discs all around, front tyres, new radiator, C service with cambelt, and a full head rebuild! Two months later, it now needs a new clutch and there seems to be a squeaking from the front anti-roll bar!
I'm not going to add it all up, but the above is several thousand pounds worth of parts and labour. It's a little disheartening and yes, I have been tempted by other cars in the PH classifieds. On the other hand, I'd also be selling a fully sorted Elise for normal Elise money. I also know what has been replaced and the quality of components used, whereas the next car could need a new clutch, new suspension (more money!) etc.
In the space of a month, my Elise S2 111S needed:
New suspension all round, new brake pads all around, new discs all around, front tyres, new radiator, C service with cambelt, and a full head rebuild! Two months later, it now needs a new clutch and there seems to be a squeaking from the front anti-roll bar!
I'm not going to add it all up, but the above is several thousand pounds worth of parts and labour. It's a little disheartening and yes, I have been tempted by other cars in the PH classifieds. On the other hand, I'd also be selling a fully sorted Elise for normal Elise money. I also know what has been replaced and the quality of components used, whereas the next car could need a new clutch, new suspension (more money!) etc.
dabofoppo said:
I wont keep a car if it regularly gives me bills over £200 by regulary i mean around every 2 months. Or if the cars cheap enough ( sub £500) and i cant fix it myself the car will find itself either scrapped or on gumtree.
Then I'm sorry to say you will probably never own a nice motor!Horses for courses.
A snotter, such as my BMW.... Anything over the value of the car (£800) will se it gone, on one single repair. So far I've spent £1200 on it since Feb, making it drive how I want it to
The 200SX I had, as a toy, spent £15,000 on it in 12months.
The SAAB I plan to keep years, will get maintained regardless. I won't be able to find another that is in such good condition.
A snotter, such as my BMW.... Anything over the value of the car (£800) will se it gone, on one single repair. So far I've spent £1200 on it since Feb, making it drive how I want it to
The 200SX I had, as a toy, spent £15,000 on it in 12months.
The SAAB I plan to keep years, will get maintained regardless. I won't be able to find another that is in such good condition.
Contigo said:
I've had an Elise S1 and got rid of it after about 8 months as it needed new suspension and I simply didn't want to spend the money on that car.
I'd say you've got a Lemon there mate, a Friday afternoon car!
If that's aimed at me, it's no lemon ... Just unlucky timing! In all fairness, I decided to go ahead with the engine rebuild, as the car has ticked over to 70K miles. So the head gasket has been replaced and all other internal components have been sorted in preparation for another 70K miles I'd say you've got a Lemon there mate, a Friday afternoon car!
It shows though ... The owner of a TVR specialist thought the car had done less than 20K miles!
Ikemi said:
If that's aimed at me, it's no lemon ... Just unlucky timing! In all fairness, I decided to go ahead with the engine rebuild, as the car has ticked over to 70K miles. So the head gasket has been replaced and all other internal components have been sorted in preparation for another 70K miles
It shows though ... The owner of a TVR specialist thought the car had done less than 20K miles!
Yes aimed at you, well you may class it as unlucky but things like engine rebuilds on a car as new as an S2 Elise would put me right off and I guess I would have traded it all in a long time ago. It shows though ... The owner of a TVR specialist thought the car had done less than 20K miles!
These people are proper specialists. I'd question it, if they had not kept me up to date.
Symptoms presented themselves as a 'big' oil leak, but only when hot. Source was out of sight.
They originally stripped off the AC pump, and tracked the leak through to the inside of the 'V'. Have to remove the turbo to get in there. Diagnosis was gaskets around Turbo. Replaced those, put it back together still leaked.
Stripped Turbo back off, and made blanking plates so that they could run engine without it, and see what was occurring.
This is when they got to the bottom of it. 20 hours includes estimate to put it back together again. As I understand it Turbo off, Manifold off, Rocker cover off...
So a fair amount of diagnostic. It is a lot of labour, but I can see where the time went, and I can see why my 'normal' mechanic did not want to touch it.
Symptoms presented themselves as a 'big' oil leak, but only when hot. Source was out of sight.
They originally stripped off the AC pump, and tracked the leak through to the inside of the 'V'. Have to remove the turbo to get in there. Diagnosis was gaskets around Turbo. Replaced those, put it back together still leaked.
Stripped Turbo back off, and made blanking plates so that they could run engine without it, and see what was occurring.
This is when they got to the bottom of it. 20 hours includes estimate to put it back together again. As I understand it Turbo off, Manifold off, Rocker cover off...
So a fair amount of diagnostic. It is a lot of labour, but I can see where the time went, and I can see why my 'normal' mechanic did not want to touch it.
Contigo said:
Ikemi said:
If that's aimed at me, it's no lemon ... Just unlucky timing! In all fairness, I decided to go ahead with the engine rebuild, as the car has ticked over to 70K miles. So the head gasket has been replaced and all other internal components have been sorted in preparation for another 70K miles
It shows though ... The owner of a TVR specialist thought the car had done less than 20K miles!
Yes aimed at you, well you may class it as unlucky but things like engine rebuilds on a car as new as an S2 Elise would put me right off and I guess I would have traded it all in a long time ago. It shows though ... The owner of a TVR specialist thought the car had done less than 20K miles!
The engine rebuild was not a necessity, but good practice if I want it to continue to run faultlessly over the next several thousand miles - New bolts, valves, lifters, and gaskets all in place ETA: Rads go on them as well; A common Elise fault. It now has an Elise Parts high pressure ali rad, which should last more than a year ... unlike my last rad!
Edited by Ikemi on Friday 16th September 14:21
Highway Star said:
hornetrider said:
What the man here said. 20 hours of diagnosis/labour for a small oil leak? Puhlease!
Get it to a proper MB indy specialist for a realistic quote.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff