It looks like SWMBO’s Astra has finally reached the end of its useful life. It started cutting out whilst being driven a little while ago. She took it to a well recommended garage by her work and they cleaned out the throttle body which was apparently very gunked up. This seemed to solve things for a few weeks but it’s started happening a again.

From reading the Vauxhall forums I was thinking EGR or possibly a throttle relay or switch of some type but the garage has advised today that the throttle body gunked up again, and that the engine is on the way out. It’s getting through a lot of oil, the piston rings are worn and residue is collecting in said throttle body causing the problems. It’s not economical to replace the engine at this point. By happy coincidence SWMBO has just collected her brothers old Arosa so we were always going to get rid of the Astra at this time anyway. My question is what’s the best way to get rid?

Morally, whilst it will drive fine today I can’t sell it as is as though there was nothing wrong knowing that by the end of the month the issue will probably be back. My thoughts were to call the local scrap places and get some prices and then try a well know auction site for a better offer on a sold as seen/parts/non-runner basis. I don’t have the time or the ability to break the car for parts myself.

Is there a better way to do this? Is there anything I should look for when scraping a car? Certificate of destruction (sounds cool!) rings a bell.

It’s a 2000 Astra with 128k on it, 1.6 8v automatic if that changes anything. Annoyingly it has 4 decent tyres on it and I only put a new battery in a few months ago! And it also have a full dealer history Inc. the cam belt at 120k!!!!! Doh!!!

Whats the rest of the car and gearbox like?? An engine would cost peanuts for one of them might be worth it??

Whats the rest of the car and gearbox like?? An engine would cost peanuts for one of them might be worth it??

I don't think there's a pannel that doesn't have a car park ding, dent or scrape somewhere on it. There's a little rust above the rear arches. Gear box is fine as far as I know.

As we now have her brother's car we defo want rid one way or anther and whilst it may be worth putting a new engine in to sell I don't want to take the risk on parts + labour when I may then not get my money back........

Edited 12 June, 201214 yr by Hannibal

You can find out what you are getting in the way of Cash Money from the Breakers to weigh in,

then advertise it as cheaply as you can, (free paper or whatever)

Ask a bit more money than the scrapy is offering and say 'Spares or Repair', just an honest advert if you can be bothered.

Amazing how many buyers come for stuff you would think there would be no interest in.

Word of Warning is get them to Show ID and you send off the V5 even tho you should be giving it to them to send.

Still get straight on to the DVLA and make sure you are no longer the Registered keeper once it leaves you.

george

Edited 12 June, 201214 yr by sk4gw

Word of Warning is get them to Show ID and you send off the V5 even tho you should be giving it to them to send

No you shouldn't, new keeper gets the green new keeper slip YOU send off the the V5 for the car you've just sold.

Matt

In your position I would choose one of the following from above

- Honest very cheap sale

- Spares or repairs for around 4 -6 week then get rid of what left as scrap ( you dont want car bits hanging round for too long)

spunjedd,

Sorry, my bad,

i have had to many parking and speeding tickets from vehicles i put away for 'Spares'.

You are totally correct for a private sale to a private individual if its for 'Repair',

and i should have been clear that i meant when Parting with the vehicle at your door to someone that claims to be a Trader and wants it for parts.

If they arrive with a Lorry or recovery truck & ID,

i let them leave with the V5 as a Trader & i keep section 9.

If they look like they are a Tin Home dweller,but have cash,

i give them the vehicle to break and let them know i will forward the V5 to them after i have notified the DVLA with section 9.

They can take it or leave it, (the car and the deal if they are not happy or do not trust me.)

Section 9, * 'selling or transferring your vehicle to a motor trader, insurer or dismantler'

i get them to sign and fill in and i keep this, and the rest untill i post on the V5 to them at the ID address)

Trader, motor dealer, motor vehicle auctioneer, vehicle insurer, motor vehicle dismantler/salvage dealer.

george

try your luck on we buy any car?

CAP values it at £300-350.

The EGR is easy to clean out and I found a car that gunked up time and time was easily solved, by replacing the engine breather hose.

This was blocked, causing a pressure build up and pushing oil past the piston rings (which were a little worn but not massively).

I'd clean out the breather hose, give it a go and see where it gets.

If it keeps working sell it on

You could always have a days fun with it and go banger racing,then sell it as scrap.

try your luck on we buy any car?

CAP values it at £300-350.

That's a good shout. They came back with £350, reduced to £285 when I added information about the cracked rear bumper. It's based upon the assumption of "average mechnical condition". It'll certainly make it to their depot but I'd worry about come back if it started cutting out again once they have it.............? Will they scrap it or sell it on?

Having checked a few more details, seeing as the insurance on it runs out on the 28th this month, I think I'm going to go for the quickest route we can find. Any delay past the 28th in search of a few extra £££ will cost more insurance and mean one less month of tax we can reclaim.

Thanks for all the pointers RE: Certificate of Destriuction/V5. I'll make sure I take good notice of this.

The EGR is easy to clean out and I found a car that gunked up time and time was easily solved, by replacing the engine breather hose.

This was blocked, causing a pressure build up and pushing oil past the piston rings (which were a little worn but not massively).

I'd clean out the breather hose, give it a go and see where it gets.

If it keeps working sell it on

Cheers, but I simply won't know where to start with this!

You could always have a days fun with it and go banger racing,then sell it as scrap.

You're not the first person to suggest this!

That's a good shout. They came back with £350, reduced to £285 when I added information about the cracked rear bumper. It's based upon the assumption of "average mechnical condition". It'll certainly make it to their depot but I'd worry about come back if it started cutting out again once they have it.............? Will they scrap it or sell it on?

Having checked a few more details, seeing as the insurance on it runs out on the 28th this month, I think I'm going to go for the quickest route we can find. Any delay past the 28th in search of a few extra £££ will cost more insurance and mean one less month of tax we can reclaim.

Thanks for all the pointers RE: Certificate of Destriuction/V5. I'll make sure I take good notice of this.

It will get driven to depot and then auctioned!

You should get around £300 for it from a breakers?

Cheers, but I simply won't know where to start with this!

There is a hose that will come off the head of the engine or oil filler cap and into an intake pipe, so that the engine cna burn it's own oil vapour.

If you can find it on an astra, then undo it at both ends and clean it through using solvent and let the solvent all evaporate or clean the pipe and replace the metal "filter" at the end of it.

Put the hose back and that should relieve pressure if it's that causing it.

If you can see oil wheeping out of the rocker cover gasket, then there's a good chance it's the breather pipe.

Otherwise, if you want to sell it to a kid who wants a first banger, then use oil designed for older engines, eg 15w40.

If you just want to get rid to WBAC, then stick in a tube of the stop smoke oil additive, then drive it over and get rid.

I admit it's not worth much effort bearing in mind the price vs scrap value, which is pretty similar, but for about 15 minutes effort, the breather's probably still worth a shot.

Edited 14 June, 201214 yr by cheezemonkhai