Sell a car with problems VS doing it up VS run it into the ground

[student91]

HI all, would appreciate your thoughts as never sold a car before.

 

Summary:

• 1.6 tdi Fabia SE CR 90, 2010, 175k miles. This is my first car, bought 5 years ago at about 90k miles.
• Was about to book in for cambelt/water pump (£300 with indie) when noticed warning lights + intermittent limp.
• Diagnostics - turbocharger boost sensor implausible signal. You can see more detail here.
• 2 garages reckon it's most likely sooty vanes. Recommend replacing entire turbo (£500 remanufactured part + £200 labour).

 

The idea of £1000 (including cambelt which still needs doing) going into a car that I'd probably not get £2k for at its best is not a pleasant one. It still drives, but EML is always there, glow plugs flash after a bit, and going into limp is 50/50, resetting sorts it out.

 

My options?

1- Sell now for for whatever I can get acknowledging problems and put that to a new car.

2- Carry on driving until "something" happens. (Don't know what that "something" may be, but I'll keep chucking turbo cleaner in the fuel tank.)

3- Fix it up for £1k and keep it going for another x-thousand miles OR sell then at a higher price.

 

Option 2 is the one that allows me to put off the decision and avoid the stress of it lol so the one I like at the moment!

[ronniebarker]

I think there is only one obvious answer. 

Do the maths and check a site like "we buy any car", as I think your £2K valuation is way off the mark.

An 8 yr old Fabia with 175K on the clock would never make £2K.

[m8t]

I think a EML light is now an MOT failure.

[student91]

21 minutes ago, m8t said:

I think a EML light is now an MOT failure.

Luckily got the MOT done just recently - valid till 31 August 2019!!

 

29 minutes ago, ronniebarker said:

I think there is only one obvious answer. 

Do the maths and check a site like "we buy any car", as I think your £2K valuation is way off the mark.

An 8 yr old Fabia with 175K on the clock would never make £2K.

 

If the value in good form is less than that then, certainly, spending £1k doesn't make sense to me.

 

In terms of selling at this point - what are the usual options? Put on Autotrader with details of faults, visit a garage that sells 2nd hand cars, do Webyanycar buy cars that have faults?

I'll get the Autotrader ball rolling at least, but will hold on to the car for the immediate future while the wheels still roll. 

[student91]

Does £1000 seem more accurate or is it even less at this point? 

[rum4mo]

My only comments are, how many miles are left on that car if it gets the £1000 spent on it?

 

What sort of money do you intend on spending on your next car?

 

I have always taken the view that spending money on keeping a car running is always going to need to happen, and spending £1000 on a car that could keep you going for another maybe 3 years is only £333 a year, your next car might lose that just in depreciation and a lot more.

 

So really I would think that you need to  try to work out what else that car would need over maybe the next 3 years, and if it is not “too much” then while you are a student, stick with keeping this one going - your next car might just need as much money stuffed into it after a shortish time, maybe better the devil you know etc.

 

Edit:- a lot of people consider that spending £100 on a car worth £1000 when it will still only be worth £1000 is madness,  okay, maybe in one or two cases they are correct, by most of the time I would not agree with that logic. If that logic was correct then buying a car would never make any sense ever.

Edited 24 September, 2018 by rum4mo

[spartacus68]

At 175k miles, then I'd be inclined to call it a day. If the cam-belt needs done, then you really need to change the water-pump too. Skoda will do it for £500, but I know you've quoted an independent. One thing to point out is that Skoda parts are guaranteed for 2 years with unlimited mileage if you intend to keep it. http://www.skoda.co.uk/finance-and-offers/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed

 

I've got a 2010 Fabia 1.6 TDI (105PS). I've had glow plug wiring issues, DPF issues, the exhaust has a hole just before the cat (patched at the weekend) on 90k miles, so half your mileage, and this is with me doing the work and VCDS to read and clear codes. It was back in the garage a couple of months back for a faulty air intake temperature sensor, that was another £300.

 

Search Mr Muscle straight into the turbo. A can of Forte diesel conditioner into the fuel filter then drive hard in 2nd and 3rd gears will give it a new lease if life, but fundamentally you're just buying time, not actually sorting it.