Seeking non-VW advice

[Scottish Scrutineer]

Just had the local breakdown guy round to look at the car - job was handed-off by AA (presumably due to location).

Injector 1 was "weepy" and when it was disconnected (whilst the engine was running [like a bag of spanners]), it had no discernible impact Also tried disconnecting injector 2 and there was a noticeable deterioration with that one. Given the repair cost is probably not that bad, it's possible that the old girl will live on.

Anyway, now arranging to get recovered to a garage local to home and looking forward to 5+ hours of chit-chat with recovery guy.

View attachment 210609

Could be as simple as a fuel filter (near the tank) blocked, or the LP fuel pump failed

 

[Bav]

Back home now after Wednesday's tortuous 8-hour tour of A1 service areas (Washington, Scotch Corner and Wetherby) via a series of different flatbed trucks (now I realise why the AA's National Recovery service used to be called Relay!).

Local mechanic has confirmed AA's diagnosis of fooked injector on cylinder 1, which is good news in terms of the cost of the fix. However, given that I'll never be able to trust the car on a long journey again, it deffo needs to go and the search for sensible replacement begins in earnest.

 

[Stay Frosty]

They'll move that Bristol car to the Wakefield branch now you're on the hook.

 

[Bav]

Car is now back from repair. It actually needed 2 new injectors, but I got them to replace 3 (the fourth one was replaced at the end of last year, so all 4 are now new). It also needed an oil change as it was badly diluted with fuel - this pic shows just how much unburnt fuel was passing through.



I now have a car that's been regularly serviced and runs as sweet as it ever did, but that has 100k on the clock and has lost my trust. So, do I get rid and definitely have to spend money on a replacement or keep it and risk spending more money on repairs? (For info, it'll need a new timing belt in the next 20k and I have MOT advisories for the front brake discs and for both rear trailing arm bushes).

Thoughts/opinions welcome.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

Car is now back from repair. It actually needed 2 new injectors, but I got them to replace 3 (the fourth one was replaced at the end of last year, so all 4 are now new). It also needed an oil change as it was badly diluted with fuel - this pic shows just how much unburnt fuel was passing through.


I now have a car that's been regularly serviced and runs as sweet as it ever did, but that has 100k on the clock and has lost my trust. So, do I get rid and definitely have to spend money on a replacement or keep it and risk spending more money on repairs? (For info, it'll need a new timing belt in the next 20k and I have MOT advisories for the front brake discs and for both rear trailing arm bushes).

Thoughts/opinions welcome.

To be fair, at least you know what you've got. Cam belts are routine these days and brake discs are simply consumables. Trailing arm bushes are also quite straight forwards wear and tear.

 

[Bav]

To be fair, at least you know what you've got. Cam belts are routine these days and brake discs are simply consumables. Trailing arm bushes are also quite straight forwards wear and tear.

I'm probably overthinking things, but this is the first vehicle I've had with 100+k on the clock. Also, it's developed a couple of electrical gremlins (drivers window has a mind of its own and occasionally the entertainment unit likes to pretend it doesn't have Bluetooth fitted - the Bluetooth option disappears from the menu ). I can (do) live with these, but I'm wary they're a foretaste of more serious problems that are less easily ignored and that will be expensive to resolve.

 

[DXX]

100K is nothing.
As @Scottish Scrutineer pointed out the items you mention are consumables, part of running a vehicle.
These costs will be applicable to any car you replace it with and if the car is newer probably more complicated and expensive.
I run a 22 year old A4, my maintenance costs are probably less than £150 a year inc’ wear and tear as it’s bulletproof and I do the work myself.

 

[Bav]

I wish I had the skills and knowledge (and tools) to maintain it myself. Outside of painting & decorating, the zenith of my handiwork was when I was 13 and I made a fruit bowl in woodwork (and that turned out a bit shit).

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

100K is nothing.
As @Scottish Scrutineer pointed out the items you mention are consumables, part of running a vehicle.
These costs will be applicable to any car you replace it with and if the car is newer probably more complicated and expensive.
I run a 22 year old A4, my maintenance costs are probably less than £150 a year inc’ wear and tear as it’s bulletproof and I do the work myself.

My previous Caravelle had 275K miles on it, so 100K is nothing these days.

Better the Devil you know......

 

[roadtripper]

Current XC70 is just rolling over 243k and we've had it since 67k. This year's MOT might be a bit of nightmare (if you see me sobbing next week) but I've stuck with the "I know what's happened to this one" and kept fixing it.

I usually try and have a service plan running - so that "expected" annual costs are covered and makes those "unexpected" items a little less of a sting. Now it's so old I can't get one, instead I have one of those regular saver accounts running and put something by each month; if the car has a good year we put the extra in the holiday budget.

My uncle always had a principle that the value of a car was the cost of change to you. So if it needs £500 of brake discs, but replacing it would cost £8000 - then you car is worth £7500 to you at that point. I find it an interesting way of thinking and a useful though experiment of "is this good money after bad" moments.

Mind you I then went and bought a £60k van, so maybe ignore my advice

 

[Stay Frosty]

@Bav I'll be the devil on your other shoulder and point out that you're retired, you've worked hard for what you've got and scrimping and saving now will only help towards your care home bills or alienate your kids when they realise there are death duties on the @Bav family estate.
I hope I don't sound harsh but I'm just over a year off my state pension, I jacked in work three years and each of our two lads earn double what I was getting then so while I'm not going to blow the Frosty fortune I'm blowed if I'll make do and mend until I'm in my box... get that Merc or other motorised confection if you and your missus are on the same page, pass the present "perfectish" car on to the kids, that will be a test of how much they love you.
There you go problem solved and at a fraction of the cost of that ID Buzz I want.

 

[roadtripper]

Current XC70 is just rolling over 243k and we've had it since 67k. This year's MOT might be a bit of nightmare (if you see me sobbing next week) but I've stuck with the "I know what's happened to this one" and kept fixing it.

Much to everyone's amazement the flickering ABS had a day off and we got through on a few advisories - I thought the massive clanking noise might be the economic end but turns out to be just a worn exhaust mount. Oddly they are no longer warning me about the worn suspension bushes that they've advised need £££ spending on for the last 4 years - maybe they've just accepted at this age I'm never going to fix them...

I suspect the endgame is now going to be the rear diff which is reported as weeping oil, though not enough to mark the drive so maybe we will get away with that a bit longer