Ph Assistance. Keep my work banger or Replace??
Poll: Ph Assistance. Keep my work banger or Replace??
Total Members Polled: 34
Discussion
Evening all.
I am stuck. I am self employed and do 40-60k miles a year. I supply my own car. At this point my audi A4 1.9 tdi. It has recently clocked over to 407000miles.
It is largely original only mech issues have been a new alternator 2 clutches and a dm flywheel (Flywheel is less than a year old).
It has broken down only twice in 7 years. On both occasions she ran but could not be driven. Once for alternator and last night alternator belt.
So the issue I have right now is that since bought her I quite literally have never had to turn the key twice to start. Always been clutch in turn key release key perfect idle. However last Oct it went into limp mode. I reset and continued but discovered two days later that there was pretty much no oil. Oil low level light didn't come on and shouldn't have needed oil yet.
Ever since she has been running rougher and rougher. In the cold recently esp last two weeks has been rough as a dog on two occasions starting and struggling to get idle then dying. (No accelerator)
Took it to mechanics on Sat who had a brief look and plugged into vagcom and found no fault codes stored or anything at all in fact. Mechanics take is that it could be the EGR valve or plugs but however it could also be a piston failure but without further expensive checks cant be sure.
Had to top up coolant for first time ever the other day. Also checked for cream under oil cap and none present and no oil leaks visible.
Problems I know of and some of which were due to be done tomorrow (cancelled)
EGR valve is leaking (has been for a year or two or three).1-150quid fix
Exhaust downpipe is broken and needs replacing. 300 quid
Now due cambelt 300 quid
Needs oil and filter change aka a service. 100 pounds roughly
Front left lower suspension arm 100 quid.
For mot IIRC may need rear section of exhaust as well.
Lights are pretty poor aircon compressor doesnt work so no aircon in summer.
Last night alternator belt snapped so another 200 quid or so I expect to replace.
What do I do here? Replace? Repair partially and bit by bit to establish if engine is suffering terminal? or repair all at a cost of 12-1300 quid a car that "May" have a serious (costly) engine issue?
Bear in mind if I replace it I will be buying a new "ish" car for 7 or so grand that will then proceed to do 40-60k miles a year and the depreciation that will bring.
Suggestions and advice appreciated.
I am stuck. I am self employed and do 40-60k miles a year. I supply my own car. At this point my audi A4 1.9 tdi. It has recently clocked over to 407000miles.
It is largely original only mech issues have been a new alternator 2 clutches and a dm flywheel (Flywheel is less than a year old).
It has broken down only twice in 7 years. On both occasions she ran but could not be driven. Once for alternator and last night alternator belt.
So the issue I have right now is that since bought her I quite literally have never had to turn the key twice to start. Always been clutch in turn key release key perfect idle. However last Oct it went into limp mode. I reset and continued but discovered two days later that there was pretty much no oil. Oil low level light didn't come on and shouldn't have needed oil yet.
Ever since she has been running rougher and rougher. In the cold recently esp last two weeks has been rough as a dog on two occasions starting and struggling to get idle then dying. (No accelerator)
Took it to mechanics on Sat who had a brief look and plugged into vagcom and found no fault codes stored or anything at all in fact. Mechanics take is that it could be the EGR valve or plugs but however it could also be a piston failure but without further expensive checks cant be sure.
Had to top up coolant for first time ever the other day. Also checked for cream under oil cap and none present and no oil leaks visible.
Problems I know of and some of which were due to be done tomorrow (cancelled)
EGR valve is leaking (has been for a year or two or three).1-150quid fix
Exhaust downpipe is broken and needs replacing. 300 quid
Now due cambelt 300 quid
Needs oil and filter change aka a service. 100 pounds roughly
Front left lower suspension arm 100 quid.
For mot IIRC may need rear section of exhaust as well.
Lights are pretty poor aircon compressor doesnt work so no aircon in summer.
Last night alternator belt snapped so another 200 quid or so I expect to replace.
What do I do here? Replace? Repair partially and bit by bit to establish if engine is suffering terminal? or repair all at a cost of 12-1300 quid a car that "May" have a serious (costly) engine issue?
Bear in mind if I replace it I will be buying a new "ish" car for 7 or so grand that will then proceed to do 40-60k miles a year and the depreciation that will bring.
Suggestions and advice appreciated.
I am pretty sure that you can do better than those prices.
At a car on that mileage it is going to be worth about a batman mask and a bloon. So pay a mechanic in cash without the stamp to get the minor problems fixed. At the mileage you are doing you are going to only make a car next to worthless in a short amount of time, so why through a chunk of capital at this until you need to.
I'd like to think I could get all the jobs you mentioned sorted for the right side of £500.
Like you said, it's not really let you down has it.
At a car on that mileage it is going to be worth about a batman mask and a bloon. So pay a mechanic in cash without the stamp to get the minor problems fixed. At the mileage you are doing you are going to only make a car next to worthless in a short amount of time, so why through a chunk of capital at this until you need to.
I'd like to think I could get all the jobs you mentioned sorted for the right side of £500.
Like you said, it's not really let you down has it.
sammym said:
I am pretty sure that you can do better than those prices.
At a car on that mileage it is going to be worth about a batman mask and a bloon. So pay a mechanic in cash without the stamp to get the minor problems fixed. At the mileage you are doing you are going to only make a car next to worthless in a short amount of time, so why through a chunk of capital at this until you need to.
I'd like to think I could get all the jobs you mentioned sorted for the right side of £500.
Like you said, it's not really let you down has it.
Pretty sure I can't.At a car on that mileage it is going to be worth about a batman mask and a bloon. So pay a mechanic in cash without the stamp to get the minor problems fixed. At the mileage you are doing you are going to only make a car next to worthless in a short amount of time, so why through a chunk of capital at this until you need to.
I'd like to think I could get all the jobs you mentioned sorted for the right side of £500.
Like you said, it's not really let you down has it.
I have had a price for cambelt oil service egr and exhaust downpipe and it came in at 850 fitted by a bunch of guys I use who are dirt cheap. IIRC their labour works out at around 30-40quid an hr all in.
Bear in mind the exhaust downpipe is I think near on 300 quid due to having a cat.
I wouldn't trust it to anyone else.I already tried steptoe and son and charming as they were they were not inspiring and quite frankly I would worry they would hurt themselves further if not kill themselves and blame me.
I'd do the bare minimum fault finding. If it is a piston/block issue then the car's toast, especially with everything else, but most of the other issues do seem to be either consumables or minor.
However I can't believe that the mechanic can't tell you if it's the bottom end until the EGR and glow plugs have been replaced... I'd probably be going elsewhere on that basis.
Of course, if you really can't afford to have the car off the road while that's done, it's new car time, because it does sound as though the car might be at the stage where it will start to become problematic.
However I can't believe that the mechanic can't tell you if it's the bottom end until the EGR and glow plugs have been replaced... I'd probably be going elsewhere on that basis.
Of course, if you really can't afford to have the car off the road while that's done, it's new car time, because it does sound as though the car might be at the stage where it will start to become problematic.
Tallbutbuxomly said:
Pretty sure I can't.
I have had a price for cambelt oil service egr and exhaust downpipe and it came in at 850 fitted by a bunch of guys I use who are dirt cheap. IIRC their labour works out at around 30-40quid an hr all in.
Bear in mind the exhaust downpipe is I think near on 300 quid due to having a cat.
I wouldn't trust it to anyone else.I already tried steptoe and son and charming as they were they were not inspiring and quite frankly I would worry they would hurt themselves further if not kill themselves and blame me.
Each to their own. And you have to do what is right for you. But if you are paying £400 for a service and a cambelt on a car of this value/mileage then you are paying too much as far as I'm concerned. They are not specialist jobs, and are bread and butter for anyone with a socket set. Why do you have to have a new exhaust? And why do you need to have a new cat? I am sure there is a cheap way of sorting this out, which is what I personally would do. I have had a price for cambelt oil service egr and exhaust downpipe and it came in at 850 fitted by a bunch of guys I use who are dirt cheap. IIRC their labour works out at around 30-40quid an hr all in.
Bear in mind the exhaust downpipe is I think near on 300 quid due to having a cat.
I wouldn't trust it to anyone else.I already tried steptoe and son and charming as they were they were not inspiring and quite frankly I would worry they would hurt themselves further if not kill themselves and blame me.
Anyway I'm new, so will pipe down.
Good luck with getting it sorted whatever you decide to do.
Debaser said:
In your position I'd get an approved used (for a bit of peace of mind) VAG box on wheels and run it until expensive things start to go wrong. Then throw it away and start again.
This.I can understand people wanting newer cars for whatever reason. However the 2 options you're considering seem chalk and cheese with no middle ground.
CHALK - Repair 12y/o 400k mile car
MIDDLE GROUND. - Oodles of choice. This or even This. Either way I'd at least consider something like you've got just with much lower miles
CHEESE - Buy 7k much newer, much lower mileage car and suffer depreciation
samdale said:
MIDDLE GROUND. - Oodles of choice. This or even This. Either way I'd at least consider something like you've got just with much lower miles
This. It sounds shagged. I personally wouldn't bother trying to find the fault. Just chuck it on the 'bay and see what you get for it.
Then get something a little newer, for a couple of £k, and drive till shagged. Rinse and Repeat.
Dominicc01 said:
samdale said:
MIDDLE GROUND. - Oodles of choice. This or even This. Either way I'd at least consider something like you've got just with much lower miles
This. It sounds shagged. I personally wouldn't bother trying to find the fault. Just chuck it on the 'bay and see what you get for it.
Then get something a little newer, for a couple of £k, and drive till shagged. Rinse and Repeat.
As soon as you are in a position of it not being reliable and income starts to suffer as a result, then you simply don't have a tool that's up to the job any more.
If reliability is important, I'd bail out now for something fresher.
sammym said:
Tallbutbuxomly said:
Pretty sure I can't.
I have had a price for cambelt oil service egr and exhaust downpipe and it came in at 850 fitted by a bunch of guys I use who are dirt cheap. IIRC their labour works out at around 30-40quid an hr all in.
Bear in mind the exhaust downpipe is I think near on 300 quid due to having a cat.
I wouldn't trust it to anyone else.I already tried steptoe and son and charming as they were they were not inspiring and quite frankly I would worry they would hurt themselves further if not kill themselves and blame me.
Each to their own. And you have to do what is right for you. But if you are paying £400 for a service and a cambelt on a car of this value/mileage then you are paying too much as far as I'm concerned. They are not specialist jobs, and are bread and butter for anyone with a socket set. Why do you have to have a new exhaust? And why do you need to have a new cat? I am sure there is a cheap way of sorting this out, which is what I personally would do. I have had a price for cambelt oil service egr and exhaust downpipe and it came in at 850 fitted by a bunch of guys I use who are dirt cheap. IIRC their labour works out at around 30-40quid an hr all in.
Bear in mind the exhaust downpipe is I think near on 300 quid due to having a cat.
I wouldn't trust it to anyone else.I already tried steptoe and son and charming as they were they were not inspiring and quite frankly I would worry they would hurt themselves further if not kill themselves and blame me.
Anyway I'm new, so will pipe down.
Good luck with getting it sorted whatever you decide to do.
Cambelt kit roughly 100-120.
Interesting seems you were right on costs. Had always thought a cambelt cost was around 150 for the kit.
However thats a fair bit of work to be done all round. Easily a days work I would say since as said bumper needs to come off for belts and exhaust will be a pig to remove as the bolts are probably well seized after 12 years of disuse.
Tallbutbuxomly said:
Need a new exhaust as downpipe from manifold is blowing. Technically should not pass MOT apparently but did last time as wasn't as obvious as it is now. Hmmm looking at parts they are not as expensive as I thought. Exhaust looks like being a 100 quid part, alt belt 12 quid, egr 120 quid.
Cambelt kit roughly 100-120.
Interesting seems you were right on costs. Had always thought a cambelt cost was around 150 for the kit.
However thats a fair bit of work to be done all round. Easily a days work I would say since as said bumper needs to come off for belts and exhaust will be a pig to remove as the bolts are probably well seized after 12 years of disuse.
None of my business - but removing a bumper isn't a massively difficult job. See what the local grease monkeys want for the job. The service and the egr will be very very easy. And it it's only leaking it might be something as simple as a washer being perished. Cambelt kit roughly 100-120.
Interesting seems you were right on costs. Had always thought a cambelt cost was around 150 for the kit.
However thats a fair bit of work to be done all round. Easily a days work I would say since as said bumper needs to come off for belts and exhaust will be a pig to remove as the bolts are probably well seized after 12 years of disuse.
Let's be honest though, this car doesn't owe you a penny. Why not do the bare minimum (ignore service and cambelt), and just run it until it dies. Alternator belt to me (havn't seen the car) seems like a £50 cash job, and why not bodge the exhaust with a weld?
I'm not trying to be obstructive - just want to put the idea out there that this car could work for a bit longer without pouring over a grand into it.
samdale said:
Debaser said:
In your position I'd get an approved used (for a bit of peace of mind) VAG box on wheels and run it until expensive things start to go wrong. Then throw it away and start again.
This.I can understand people wanting newer cars for whatever reason. However the 2 options you're considering seem chalk and cheese with no middle ground.
CHALK - Repair 12y/o 400k mile car
MIDDLE GROUND. - Oodles of choice. This or even This. Either way I'd at least consider something like you've got just with much lower miles
CHEESE - Buy 7k much newer, much lower mileage car and suffer depreciation
If the engine is not at risk then i see no reason not to rectify all the stuff i should have fixed as it went wrong and move forward with using it.
The other issue for me here if honest is i am kinda bored and would like a change of car something more interesting hence the 7k window. I have 1 parking bay and dont really like driving my car on the weekend as its like going to the office to read a book kinda weird if you see what I mean.
I think done sensibly depreciation wont be too big of an issue as I will use the audi from time to time on dull or cold days and the bmw other days???
Hence have been toying with getting an e46 320 or 330 cd m sport convertible as I have always been a fan of their looks and bmw's as a whole. It would fit work and play (yes diesel i know but still more interesting than the audi to drive)
But then did give a bit of thought to maybe a 147 or gt jtdm at around 5k.
I just dont bloody know what to do here. It seems wrong to give up on the audi and kinda nuts to buy a new car and then take a hit depreciation wise but...
The idea of going for another A4 1.9 TDI with much less miles and much fresher is something id find appealing in your situation - if youve been happy with how the current A4 drives etc.
Bear in mind though that if your looking at a late 1.9 TDI - there is one engine code - i think its BX or BXE that have given issues with conrods or something - leading to a wrecked engine. Worth investigating further - but from what i recall - they were 105 bhps and were very late in the 1.9 TDi run (say 07/08 cars but may have been fitted earlier then that).
Other then that - the 1.9 TDIs are a good engine overall - and to be honest - if you go the modern diesel route then you will have to accept that the next car will not be doing 400 k miles.
Might as well change the faithful servent
.
Sir Fergie
Bear in mind though that if your looking at a late 1.9 TDI - there is one engine code - i think its BX or BXE that have given issues with conrods or something - leading to a wrecked engine. Worth investigating further - but from what i recall - they were 105 bhps and were very late in the 1.9 TDi run (say 07/08 cars but may have been fitted earlier then that).
Other then that - the 1.9 TDIs are a good engine overall - and to be honest - if you go the modern diesel route then you will have to accept that the next car will not be doing 400 k miles.
Might as well change the faithful servent
.Sir Fergie
I don't see why you'd have to spend 7k to get a replacement, surely a Passat, A4 diesel with 100k could be had for 3-5k.
I don't see t as you giving up on the old girl but if you do spend 1300 fixing it again, with 400,000 miles how much longer before some big fails that costs xxxx to fix.
I say it's time to replace.
I don't see t as you giving up on the old girl but if you do spend 1300 fixing it again, with 400,000 miles how much longer before some big fails that costs xxxx to fix.
I say it's time to replace.
Evo said:
I don't see why you'd have to spend 7k to get a replacement, surely a Passat, A4 diesel with 100k could be had for 3-5k.
I don't see t as you giving up on the old girl but if you do spend 1300 fixing it again, with 400,000 miles how much longer before some big fails that costs xxxx to fix.
I say it's time to replace.
Don't "Have To" spend 7k but it would be handy to have something I could enjoy driving at the weekend as opposed to my audi which is sadly true to most audis quite boring.I don't see t as you giving up on the old girl but if you do spend 1300 fixing it again, with 400,000 miles how much longer before some big fails that costs xxxx to fix.
I say it's time to replace.
I doubt I will have anything big go providing there isnt an engine fault although I suppose the turbo"could" go and that would be a big fix cost wise. I had to do the intercooler a few months ago as it was holed by a meteor and also had to have a new dm flywheel and clutch so two of the biggest bills have been sorted for at least another 200k miles at a guess.
At this point she wont be sold. I have decided that much now. Decision is made.
Will get new car to run alongside spreading mileage and limiting depreciation on new car and also keeping it more "special" for weekends. Just have to figure out where to keep the audi now.
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