Aargh, car knackered. Had enough of it.

[Nevin]

Took my car into an Audi dealership last year to get various faults fixed and got a jolly large bill from them. One of the problems was an oil leak and they replaced the rocker gaskets which were the cause of the problem.

Now I have some major problems with the car (A4 2.8 Avant Quattro 99). Basically, the rocker gaskets are totally shot (according to my friendly independent) and the resulting oil leak has destroyed the alternator, which is also knackered. Sever hundred quids worth of work there straightaway.

The exhaust was also replaced at the time of the service last year and it is needing replaced at a cost of a couple of hundred quid. Basically the flexible coupling has failed on one side so it needs a new section from the catalyst down.

The steering rack is also on the way out and the boot lock needs replacing too. Basically, I'm going to have to chalk it up to experience and scarp the car I think, as I'd be mad to spend any more money on it.

When I took the car into my Audi dealer last year, I said I wanted it fully checked over. They came back with a list of faults and I said provided that the car was in good condition apart from that, I would go ahead and get the work done. It cost a lot.

Now it turns out they have let me spend all of this money on the car and it is even more knackered now, a large proportion of it due to things they were supposed to have fixed.

I'm not really looking for any advice, just wanted to get it off my chest a bit and I'll be speaking to them today.

Actually, any thoughts on a reasonably reliable runabout for less than a grand?

[Dr G]

Anything massive and simple that depreciated like a stone when it was new.

Omega with cloth in a boring colour? Fat Nissan or Toyota?

Your A4 seems to have decided it fancies having all the common faults at the same time

[Nevin]

Dr G said:

Anything massive and simple that depreciated like a stone when it was new.

Omega with cloth in a boring colour? Fat Nissan or Toyota?

Your A4 seems to have decided it fancies having all the common faults at the same time

I suspect it will have to be something like that for the time being. Oh dear, have my car buying choices really got that bad? Can't afford to buy something which is going to need a lot of work doing really.

Yup, lots of good old common faults and then some. Still, not going to worry or fret about it, other than trying to punish my Audi dealer, just going to move on.

[Dr G]

Or spend the same grand at a cheap Independent - better the devil you know? No £1,000 car is perfect. You'd probably even get change if you were thrifty in fixing yours.

Any half competent spanner monkey can do a couple of gaskets, an alternator and a steering rack. Get same monkey to weld the exhaust back together, you can buy generic flexis very cheaply.

[Nevin]

It also needs a new steering rack, couple of new tyres, new boot lock etc. Its not the work so much as the parts in most of these instances that are expensive. But given how much I spent on it last year I don't really have the will to throw any more money on it, just for something else to go wrong, then something else and so on.

[Dr G]

Stretch to 1.5-2k for an MX5? Service it yourself and almost completely depreciation proof.

Almost nothing to go wrong, drive it like you stole it.

[K12beano]

Nevin said:

Took my car into an Audi dealership last year ...

I can already see where this is going wrong!

[K12beano]

Dr G said:

... MX5...

... drive it like you stole it.

I stole one off a mate the other day.... no, not actually true it was with consent... and it was an early automatic. Even that was way too much fun to be had with your trousers on! Seriously makes you wonder why people would pay more money for transport!

[Nevin]

K12beano said:

Nevin said:

Took my car into an Audi dealership last year ...

I can already see where this is going wrong!

Yes, I know. Wouldn't do it again but it had some interesting electrical problems which needed looking at properly. And to be fair to them that side of things has been fine since.

I've got a Mitsubishi Galant lying around with a dodgy wheelbearing or steering rack which I will try and fix.

Unfortunately an MX5 is way too small for me to drive comfortably. I can barely get my knees under the steering wheel

Edited by Nevin on Thursday 15th April 15:43

[Dr G]

I can't think of anything else interesting and reliable for that money

[Nevin]

Dr G said:

I can't think of anything else interesting and reliable for that money

Not to worry. Got a mate who's a mechanic and we've decided we can probably fix the Audi and Mitsubishi between us given time and I can tootle around in his spare Peugot until then.

We're going to rake around breaker's yards and look for recon parts where we need them, some stuff we'll buy new though. The exhaust fix should be easy enough admittedly, just some flex coupling and a welder. I didn't really want to do any of it before because of time without a car issues, but given I'm now able to borrow one we'll give it a punt.

[heightswitch]

so some basic consumables have gone on a car which is patently obvious that you haven't lifted the bonnet on in a 12 month period and you feel the need to scrap it?

The world is becoming a bizarre place!!

What about a mountain bike and a bus pass as a greener alternative

N

[Ahonen]

Buy an A4 TDi instead. My S-reg has chalked up 230,000 miles now. It's needed a couple of wheel bearings in the last year and, er, that's all. I was already an Audiphile thanks to my Quattro, but the old A4 never ceases to impress me - damn thing just keeps going and everything still works. Of course the seat is a bit flat now and the suspension is a touch worn, but it barrels along at 100mph all day long without complaint and doesn't squeak or rattle. Lovely.

Part of me wants to buy a much newer one because mine looks very scuffed and tired now, but the other part of me is quite happy to have a daily driver that costs 2/10ths of bugger all to run, can be parked anywhere and continues to return 50mpg irrespective of how I drive it.

[Nevin]

heightswitch said:

so some basic consumables have gone on a car which is patently obvious that you haven't lifted the bonnet on in a 12 month period and you feel the need to scrap it?

The world is becoming a bizarre place!!

What about a mountain bike and a bus pass as a greener alternative

N

Well, of course, you'd know best.