Are you thinking when is it not worth repairing a car? It’s important to know when is it not worth repairing a car. Here’s a helpful guide for you.
At some point, there will come a time for every driver to wonder whether the good old used car is still good enough or whether it would be better to get a new or a good used car. The question arises especially when repairs are increasing and he does not know whether the repair is really worthwhile. The decisive factor here is whether the residual value of the vehicle is still sufficient or is it already an economic total loss? In any case, you should get a cost estimate from your workshop. If the residual value of the car is less than € 2,000, you should definitely think carefully about whether or not to part with major repairs.
We listed 10 Signs To Find Out when is it not worth repairing a car, for which you should carefully consider whether you should part with your vehicle.
1. After an accident
Nowadays, a small bump in the parking lot is sometimes enough to drive the damage amount to over € 2,000. The reason is, on the one hand, the painted bumpers and, on the other hand, the modern headlight and sensor technology installed in the front. The cooler is also quickly affected.
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2. Engine failure
The mechanics of modern engines are very good, the mileage is well over 300,000 km. Nevertheless, engine damage can always occur, for example in the event of a material or operating errors, unusual wear and tear, or maintenance that has not been carried out. If, for example, the necessary timing belt change is not carried out, the timing belt may tear with major consequences. Further engine damage can result, for example, from incorrect fueling, insufficient lubrication, engine overheating, too high speeds, or incorrect chip tuning.
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3. The cylinder head gasket
The head gasket between the cylinder head and the crankcase is inseparable from the engine and actually never causes problems. But unfortunately, there are always problems with the head seal when overheating comes into play. This is often the result of a leaking cooling system. This can be recognized, for example, by the fact that there is some cooling water in the engine oil, CO2 gas bubbles in the cooling system, or a loss of performance associated with smoking. The repair costs climb here quickly from € 1,000 to € 2,000. If the head is twisted and can no longer be planned, the invoice price increases further. That’s why professional car dealers buy their cars from ADESA because they can get cheap bargains here and still receive good, tested cars.
4. The turbocharger
The exhaust gas turbocharger – or turbo for short – is a must in diesel engines and is now also widely used in gasoline engines. It is a motor unit that provides strong torque and excellent performance. The high speeds of the turbocharger (approx. 300,000 rpm) require good lubrication. If the oil supply is inadequate, the turbo eats up and an expensive replacement is required. Other sources of error are heavy soot build-up due to clogged particle filters or oil that has been sucked in in the system, which can block the turbo.
5. The clutch
The clutch connects and separates the flow of power between the engine and transmission in automobiles with manual transmissions. The service life is around 150,000 to 200,000 km, then it is worn out. The older the car you drive, the more likely it is that the coupon will be due. You usually only notice it yourself shortly before the end of the worn path: The clutch begins to slip.
The costs for the clutch, pressure plate, and releaser, which are available as an exchange group, are not that high. But since the gearbox has to be separated from the engine for the replacement, extensive work is required, which brings the costs to the € 1,000 mark.
6. Change and automatic transmission
Damage to transmissions in cars is generally rare, as the torque converters usually do their job very reliably. However, operating errors and insufficient maintenance can definitely lead to increased wear and tear or damage to the gearbox. The type of damage and the amount of the costs vary greatly with transmissions, especially with automatic transmissions. Obtaining several cost estimates for repairs or replacements could be helpful here.
7. Changing the timing belt
In order to prevent a toothed belt tear (see point 2), regular toothed belt changes are provided for in a car. With older models, the change was due to every 60,000 km, modern types only require the change every 90,000 or even at 120,000 km. The timing belt change that is due should be taken seriously in order not to provoke engine damage. Unfortunately, the work is quite time-consuming and therefore also costs money. In addition to the drive belt, the tension pulleys and deflection pulleys are also changed. The water pump is then swapped with caution at the same time.
8. The air conditioner
The air conditioning system serves both comfort and safety. If it fails, you can get along without it if necessary. But one thing should be clear to you. If you want to resell the car, a defective air conditioning system reduces the resale value.
And maybe the cause of the failure is just a lack of refrigerant. An air conditioning system always loses a small amount of it over the years, which at some point reduces its performance. And the air conditioning service is not expensive. What the air conditioning system doesn’t like at all is when it’s not running, as this often leads to damage. Regular operation and maintenance of the climate would therefore be an important thing. A defective air conditioning compressor costs just under € 1,000 in exchange; one should consider that.
9. Modern headlights
Many cars today have an absolutely modern headlight technology with bi-xenon, cornering light, or LED headlights, which can sometimes also be found in the compact segment. A complete change of these expensive headlights is seldom, but may be necessary for small accidents. A single xenon headlamp easily costs between € 500 and € 600.
But sometimes a normal lamp change is very time-consuming, as the battery, cooler, or bumper have to be removed from some models. This costs expensive working time. In the case of xenon lamps, it makes sense to change them in pairs, because otherwise, the headlights may shine with different levels of brightness. In the opinion of kfztech.de, xenon and LED are a case for the workshop anyway. For example, the headlights also have to be readjusted for cornering lights. And as a rule, individual LED lamps cannot be replaced anyway. The entire headlight then has to be replaced.
10. The dear electronics
According to ADAC breakdown statistics, the three most common causes of failure in cars are the battery (52%), defects in the engine and engine management (19 percent), and the third most common cause of breakdowns is the steering, body, brakes, chassis or drive (14%). Engine management mainly includes problems with injection, sensors, or ignition. Electronic components are mainly used here. But steering, brakes, and chassis are also controlled electronically today. If one sensor fails, this often has consequences for several systems. The costs for diagnosis and repair vary considerably here, but they can easily reach the thousand mark. A cost estimate is definitely the top priority here.
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