Sometimes car faults can be fixed. Sometimes you just book your car into the garage and, a couple of days later, it’s fit to drive. Other times you won’t be so lucky.
Problems that lead to damage or complete failure in the engine are usually the most expensive problems to fix. They’re bad news. Investing in a new engine sometimes just isn’t worth your while, and if you’re not careful you could be left severely out of pocket.
Here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar we come across a whole host of car faults so expensive to fix that they outweigh the value of the car itself, so we’ve put together a list of some of the worst, most expensive problems to watch out for.
Fuel injector problems
The fuel injector is integral to all modern car engines. It’s designed to deliver a precise amount of fuel into the engine for the combustion process to work.
Regulating the flow of fuel and allowing for more fuel-economical driving, modern digital fuel injectors are much better than they used to be – but problems still remain, and since they’re hard to get to, you could be faced with a pretty hefty garage bill if they fail.
If the pressure becomes too low, the injectors don’t provide enough fuel to the engine to keep it running. Your car could fail to start or, more dangerously, cut out completely while you’re driving. If the fuel injectors provide the engine with too much or too little fuel, power problems and overheating issues can occur.
Fuel injector problems can be a nightmare for those with modern diesel cars, and if they seize in the cylinder head are almost impossible to remove from certain engines. This is especially true of Honda’s 2.2 CTDI engine in the CRV and Accord and in VW Passat diesel engines.
What to look out for:
- If your engine misfires this could indicate the presence of a faulty fuel injector. This happens when the injector becomes clogged over time with foreign particles that work their way into the engine.
- Lack of engine smoothness. Because the fuel flow is effected, power to the engine may come in stops and starts – even when the car is running in idle.
Gearbox problems
Transmission are complicated pieces of machinery, so there’s a surprising amount of things that could potentially go wrong. Even if you do find the root cause of the problem, since they’re so difficult to access, transmission problems are extremely expensive – you’re probably looking at paying around £1000 for a replacement.
One of the most common faults with modern automatic and semi-automatic transmissions are electrical ECU faults.
Many Audi cars fitted with automatic gearboxes are prone to these electrical issues – and motorists also complain of problems with solenoid valves, which work to regulate the transmission fluids.
Citroën vehicle models which use the Sensodrive semi-automatic gearbox often experience transmission problems, as do those Mercedes cars with the Tiptronic gearbox.
What to look out for:
- Are you struggling to change gear? When the car won’t go into gear it’s possible that there’s a problem with the clutch disc or pressure plate.
- Grinding or ‘clashing’ gears is another one to watch out for. The clutch could be poorly adjusted or there might be a problem with the shift linkage binding.
The turbocharger
Another faulty component that we often come across here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar is the turbocharger. Designed to increase the power output of your engine, the turbocharger works to provide a more powerful fuel combustion. It does this by compressing the air that flows into the engine so that more air will fit into the cylinders.
Unfortunately, they’re also prone to failure. Since they operate at incredibly fast speeds it’s important to make sure that you have sufficient oil to ensure the correct pressure and flow rate.
The bearings inside the turbo shaft can also overheat and cause the engine oil to bypass the turbo intercooler and contaminate the entire induction system.
As for getting a replacement, you need to watch out for the hidden costs. Many Fords often suffer from turbocharger issues, as do a number of Nissan models.
What to look out for:
- Check for ‘blueing’ of the bearings or the shaft. This will normally indicates that they’ve been exposed to high operational temperatures and points to a lubrication problem.
If you’ve suffered any of these car problems, just get in touch. We’ll pay cash for your damaged or broken car and save you the cost and hassle of trying to repair it.
Contact us today for a free quotation or give us a call on 01366 387967.