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The gearbox is one of the most complicated pieces of machinery inside your car. It also happens to be one of the most expensive to repair and replace. Gearbox issues can be fatal, so knowing what to look out for is vital for keeping those repair bills down and keeping your car on the road.

If you’re experiencing engine troubles and looking to get to the root of the problem, or looking for ways to spot transmission problems in a used car you’re thinking of buying, here at Sell Your Problem Car ® we’ve put together a list of the 4 most common signs of gearbox failure to help you identify major gearbox malfunctions before it’s too late.

1. Is the engine light lit up?

The engine light is situated directly in front of you on the dashboard for a reason. Don’t ignore it.

When a transmission fails, you may notice various shudders or vibrations while driving. In the early stages of transmission failure these vibrations may be imperceptible to you, but your car’s inbuilt sensors will pick them up and cause the engine light to come on.

The engine light could have been triggered for a number of reasons, so it might not be a transmission fault at all, but it’s an important indicator that something’s wrong with the engine.

Book your car into a garage and have it checked out. They’ll be able to get to the root of the problem and tell you what’s wrong.

2. Smell burning? Check your transmission fluid

Transmission fluid leaks and low levels of transmission fluid are perhaps the most obvious signs that a gearbox isn’t doing so well. They also happen to be the most common cause of gearbox failure.

Without adequate or clean transmission fluid an engine may overheat, seize up or stop working entirely, so it’s important to check the fluid. The whiteness of a paper towel will help you notice colour changes more easily.

Fluid now comes in a variety of colours, but if it’s clear, free from contaminants and smells clean, it should be fine. If the fluid is old or dirty you’ll need to replace it, since this can destroy a transmission entirely. Be warned, however, that if the fluid is dark and smells as though it might be burnt, it may be too late to save your transmission.

3. Strange noises and sensations

Pay attention to the sounds of the engine. It’s your car’s way of letting you know there’s a problem, and if you pick up on these signals early enough, you might just save yourself a whole lot of time and a whole load money.

If you hear banging or clanking noises when you’re in neutral, there could be issues with loose gears and loose parts in the clutch. The looser these pieces become, the greater the chance of additional (and costly) damage being done to your transmission.

If you have an automatic transmission and you feel the engine vibrating, or if you notice humming or whining sounds, it’s possible that there is a problem with the transmission’s torque converter.

4. Difficulty selecting gear and issues with the clutch

Stiff and stubborn gears that refuse to select are another common sign of transmission failure.

Depress the clutch and try to change gears. If the clutch performs fine, the clutch linkage may be disconnected or in need of adjustment. If the gears only change when the engine is turned off, then the clutch plate may have become worn and will need replacing.

If you’re driving an automatic and you notice that the RPM has jumped straight into the red, this could be a sign that the gearbox is slipping. When a gearbox slips it fails to connect with the crankshaft, which causes the gear to ‘pop out’ while you’re driving.

Remember that a lot of engine issues can be avoided entirely with proper care and maintenance. If you notice any of the above problems, be sure to book your car in for a service to prevent costly repairs.

With darker and shorter days, and all that ice and snow on the roads, you’d be forgiven for thinking that winter was the most hazardous driving season. But as it turns out, it isn’t the case.

When the weather it at its worst – over January and February – there are actually fewer road fatalities. Oddly, the colder the weather is, the safer it is on the roads – and over the summer months, when the temperatures are at their highest, there are many more fatalities.

With this in mind, and with summer (almost) round the corner, we thought we’d put together a list of things to help reduce your chances of being caught up in an accident; a list six things to think about when you’re out and about this summer.

1. Keep your speed down

In the colder months, when it’s wet and rainy, motorists are more cautious on the roads. They drive slower to compensate for the hazards, and they also make fewer journeys.

The opposite is true in the summer. When the roads are dry and the sun is out, people tend to speed, and they do so much more often because they make more journeys. This greatly increases the chance of a road fatality.

What’s more, most aren’t aware that they’re exceeding the speed limit. So keep a close watch on your speed, since even being a little above the limit can make a big difference.

2. Stay cool

If you’re driving home after a long day at the office, gripping a burning hot steering wheel as you perspire, immobile in a traffic jam, it’s easy to get a little irritated. But don’t let the heat get to you.

Stay hydrated and stay sane behind the wheel. If you know there’s a chance you could get caught up in traffic, keep a bottle of water in the fridge at work and take it with you when you leave. There’s nothing worse than being dehydrated in a hot car with nothing to drink but a warm bottle of water.

And don’t underestimate the power of air conditioning either. If you’ve got it, use it. You won’t get the best MPG on your journey, but at least you’ll be a cool, even tempered driver, and a more agreeable person generally.

3. and keep your car cool too…

[Image credit, Fir0002/flagstaffotos.com.aui ]

It’s not only you who has the potential to overheat on the homeward journey, hot weather conditions also take their toll on your car as well.

If your car does overheat, it’s an idea to turn off the air conditioning and open your windows. This will give the engine a chance to cool down.

If worse does come to worst, and you find yourself at the side of the road with your bonnet open waiting for the engine’s temperature to drop, don’t refill the radiator with straight away. Opening the radiator cap before the engine has had a chance to cool down could cause steam to spurt out, which could cause you a nasty injury.

4. Plan your route

Going away on holiday? So is everyone else.

June is by far the most popular month for loading up the car and setting off to that sunny holiday destination. It should be a time of high spirits and relaxation, but on the roads it’s anything but.

The roads will be busy with cars filled with near-bursting suitcases, screaming kids and hot tempered drivers. So be extra vigilant during this month. And if you happen to be one of these irritable drivers, make sure that you know where you’re going.

Don’t rely on road signs, map-reading passengers or irritating Sat Nav voices to tell you which way to go. Use them as guides only, and look your route up online or in the map book well before you set off.

Also remember that nicer weather conditions bring with them more road construction projects. Stay one step ahead. Check your Local Government website for details of current and planned road works, and make a note of them in your calendar so you know when to change your driving routes.

5. Take a break

Driving fatigue caused by long journeys in high temperatures can be particularly dangerous, so play it safe and take a break.

If you’re driving for a more than 2 hours, it’s a good idea to pull over safely and take a break for 20 minutes. And if you’re driving for a long stretch, take frequent breaks. They’re much better than long breaks at keeping you alert and focussed on the roads, and give you an nice opportunity to stretch your legs and stay hydrated.

6. Watch where you’re driving

Since the school children will be out enjoying their summer holidays, there are more children playing on the streets, and more people who will be out running, cycling and walking.

Summer cyclists are a real cause for concern, so make a point of checking your mirrors more often. If you’re driving behind one, always be sure of their intentions. If you’re not, then it’s best to hold back and wait.

If you’re driving round built up areas, or an area close to a park, keep your speed low. You never know when a stray football (and the child whose job it is to retrieve it) will come bouncing into the middle of your path.

Be extra cautious of children crossing between parked cars, and if you see an ice cream truck, rather than navigate the queue of children, it’s probably safer to get out of the car and enjoy an ice cream yourself – it’ll at least keep you cool…

 

Very few people get good at selling cars. Unless you’re a car salesperson, chances are you’ll only sell a handful of cars over the course of your driving lifetime – but that’s no excuse for not going about things the right way.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few mistakes which private car sellers tend to make. These mistakes can mean that they don’t get the price they want, that they fail to sell quickly and waste money on advertising expenses or, the worst case scenario, they never sell their car at all.

Thinking about selling your car? We’ve put together five of the most common selling mistakes to help make your selling experience as quick and as painless as possible.

1. Not including good quality photos

Failing to include good quality photos should occur so infrequently that it shouldn’t even warrant mention – but you’d be surprised at how common a mistake it is.

While photos allow you to show your car’s condition and highlight any blemishes or issues that require mention, it’s not their only purpose – they provide you an excellent opportunity for you to communicate your honesty as a seller.

Think about presentation. Showing your car sat parked inside a dark and gloomy garage is no way to go about securing a sale. Nor is having your car parked next to another, more desirable car.

You don’t need an expensive camera. Just choose a clean, tidy location with a nice amount of light. Try to include as many pictures as you can in your ad and show you car from all angles, with both interior and exterior shots.

2. Confusing or vague listings

When creating an advert for your car, there should be one rule of thumb: include as much information as possible, be honest and try to be as descriptive as you can.

You should mention in detail any additional extras or modifications the car has had. So if you’ve had a new CD player fitted, include it in your listing. The same goes for new paint jobs, new wheels and any changes to the upholstery.

List the price, remember to mention whether or not the figure is open to negotiation, and make sure that you’re easy to get hold by stating your contact details clearly at the bottom.

3. Pricing too high

If you’re trying to sell, it’s important to compare your car against those already on the market. You should get as much information as you can before you set a price. Blogs are extremely useful for picking up additional information, and online listings and car magazines are a good place to start for reliable price comparisons.

Of course, once you’ve determined the right price, you should always push it up a little to accommodate negotiation – but don’t scare away potential buyers with a ridiculous high asking price.

4. Trying to sell a Cat C or Cat D write off

While it’s tempting to try and sell a Cat C or Cat D write off, you’ll soon realise is that there’s really no market for damaged or broken cars.

Write off categories are confusing for potential buyers to understand, and this is enough to put most of them off. What’s worse, those who do decide to find out more often come across strong advice which leans in both directions, which only further adds to their confusion. Remember: the more research a potential buyer has to do to understand your listing descriptions, the less likely you’ll be to make a sale.

If you find yourself stuck with a broken or damaged car, you can get money instantly by scrapping it. You can avoid the hassle and expense of advertising your car entirely and the whole process will be completed within a few days, leaving you free to start looking at the car listings yourself.

5. Listing ineffectively, or in the wrong places

You should feel confident that the right buyer is out there somewhere. But you won’t get anywhere waiting for them to come to you, it’s you who has to make an effort to reach them.

Don’t waste your money paying for advertising space in local papers. Widen your field. It’s usually worth paying a little more to secure a listing in a trusted and reputable national car magazine.

If you’re running an add online it might be worth uploading photos of your car to an image hosting site like imgur.com. Simply including the link to your photo gallery in the advert will allow you to provide more pictures than most advertising space allows for, and you’ll gain an edge over your competition.

BMW goes electric

This year is set to be a big one for BMW as they look to crack the electric car market with the new i3, their first electric car.

Showcasing their electric ‘supermini’ with a world tour last year, BMW have already managed to generate a huge amount of interest – and it looks as though people are expecting some pretty big things from the German car giant.

The i3 will be offered in two versions – a fully electric model with a range of 80 miles, and one with a 650cc two-cylinder BMW motorbike engine, capable of extending the car’s range to around 250 miles.

The BMW i3 will get its launch later this year in November, with initial sources putting the sales figure at a surprisingly pricey £35,000.

Schumacher as Mercedes brand ambassador

It hasn’t taken Michael Schumacher long to find new work after leaving the Mercedes F1 team last season. With his near-unrivalled racing experience, the seven-times F1 champion is set to help Mercedes develop their road cars, working on the calibration and implementation of their latest technology.

Mercedes have described Schumacher’s new ambassadorial role as ‘extending far beyond motorsport and Formula One’ into the development of their safety and comfort systems.

The announcement comes just a two weeks after the F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, who races for Red Bull Racing, was announced as ‘Director of Performance’ for Infiniti.

Vettel, who Infiniti say has been vital in the development of their Q5 (the manufacturer’s luxury new sports sedan) is set to take on a bigger role, assisting in the development of future Infiniti vehicles though feedback on performance and handling.

A change in advertising standards

So how does one unhappy Audi A3 driver manage to change motoring advertising standards? It’s simple. He complains.

Feeling misled, the disgruntled A3 owner contacted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) earlier this month after his new A3 failed to match the average fuel consumption of 68.9mpg – a figure claimed in Audi’s latest A3 TDI advert.

The result? The ASA has ruled that car manufacturers must now add a disclaimer to all new adverts that explain how they arrive at the fuel economy figures.

When manufacturers are testing their cars for MPG figures, they don’t use real-world conditions. Their stated fuel economy figures aren’t actually representative of what you might expect to achieve on the roads. Instead they’re derived from laboratory-controlled testing equipment.

While Volkswagen (Audi’s biggest shareholder) claimed that all manufacturers arrived at their figures this way, the ASA upheld the A3 owner’s claim that the numbers were misleading, and added that it was unlikely to be clear to the average consumer that the derived MPG figure was not representative of real-world car performance.

The ASA’s ruling should be seen as a step in the right direction for advertising honesty – especially in an age where fuel economy reigns supreme over almost all other car buying considerations.

 

This year’s Shanghai Motor Show takes place later in April. With not long to go before the international exhibition opens its doors, we’ve seen a number of big name, high-profile debuts and some interesting teasers images being released. So let’s have a closer look…

New Citroën DS Wild Rubis concept

They’ve not given much away, but Citroën have released a few hints as to what they’ve got in store for us with their new concept, the DS Wild Rubis.

So what can we expect? Well, with its angular grill, sleek look and futuristic headlight detailing, it seems as though the design team over at Citroën have relied heavily on the Numero 9’s style – which got its unveiling last year at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show.

It should come as no surprise that the latest DS concept is getting its debut in Shanghai. Citroën’s DS range has so far been very popular over in China, where they’re actually marketed as a band in their own right.

Check out the full 23 second teaser clip for the DS Wild Rubis over on YouTube.

BMW’s latest sport coupe

Focusing on their ‘X’ models, BMW are all set to unveil their most recent concept car, the X4 Sport Activity Coupé.

With its sloping roof, the new BMW X4 Sport Activity looks much like the X6, the company’s boldly styled, mid-size luxury coupé released in 2008, and features the new look front end, with updated LED headlights.

But with no further details as yet released from BMW, what the new X4 has under its bonnet remains unknown. It seem likely though that the X4 will be powered by one of their turbocharged 2 litre four-cylinder engines, as used in X3.

The X4 looks likely for production in 2014, with estimates putting the starting prices at around £30,000.

Maserati’s new Ghibli saloon

Maserati have certainly come a long way since they produced their first Ghibli model way back in the late sixties. The newly unveiled Ghibli is set to compete against high-end BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class models.

Expected to be priced at around £50,000, and with production set for 2014, the new saloon will be available with either a 3 litre V6 turbo petrol engine or a turbodiesel engine – which marks a first for the Italian manufacturers.

Maserati are hoping for big things over the next few years. They’re hoping to increase their production and boost their annual sales – and with the new Quattroporte sedan also expected in 2014, it’ll be interesting to see how the new generation Ghibli falls into this grand plan.

The Shanghai Motor Show will run from the 20th to the 29th of April.

So you’ve been involved in an accident. Your car’s been damaged, your insurance has declared it a Cat D write off and you’ve been left with a long list of expensive repairs. What do you do?
A lot of Cat D vehicle owners decide that, in the long run, the expenses will be worth it – after all, they need a car and, unable to afford the cost of a new one, making the repairs seems like the only available option. But once the repairs have been made, and you’ve gone through the vehicle identify verification to get your car back on the road, what happens when you then want to sell your Cat D car?

Cat D – a whole lot of confusion

Insurers give damaged cars the Cat D classification all the time. It’s extremely common for cars to be damaged where the cost of repair doesn’t exceed the value of the car (which is the definition of ‘a Cat D car’). Just search on eBay or Autotrader and you’ll uncover hundreds of sellers trying to get rid of their Cat D damaged car – and most of them without any luck.

Insurance write off categories can be tricky to understand, and most motorists aren’t prepared to deal with the consequences of having a Cat D vehicle. Similarly, those in the market for a new vehicle are often confused about the Cat C and Cat D labels, but they’re tempted by the too-good-to-be-true prices. Car blogs are full of buyers asking for advice on whether or not to buy accident damaged cars and, in most cases, the passionate and conflicting replies are enough to scare these potential buyers away.

Documentation, documentation, documentation

If you do decided to repair your damaged car for sale (despite the reduced market), it’s worth going to some length to document the repair process as much as you can, and be prepared to provide any buyer with detailed information about exactly who undertook the repairs. Sometimes sales can be made when professional and reputable body shops are used, while vehicles repaired by a DIY repairer will sit gathering dust for years.

Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are – even if you take all the correct steps in repairing, documenting and arranging for all necessary vehicle checks – either you (if you choose to keep the car) or the buyer of your car may still find themselves at a loss, with some motorists unable to get insurance after their insurance providers fail to cover repaired Cat D damaged cars.

Even if they can obtain the insurance they need to drive their new cars, those that buy Cat D vehicles may realise they’ve made a big mistake when they try to sell the car a few year down the line and find that there’s no market. Most savvy car buyers know this, that’s why the majority stay well clear of accident damaged cars that have been repaired, and tell others to do the same.

Repairs the only option?

But don’t feel obligated to make the repairs the insurance company deems necessary if you find yourself the owner of a Cat D car. If you’re dependent on your vehicle then you can save yourself a lot of time and a lot of hassle by selling your car for salvage. Unlike the fluctuating and difficult market for damaged cars, scrapping remains a simple and sensible choice.

Contact us at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar for further details of how to quickly get rid of that damaged or broken car. We’ll help you get the money you need to get back on the roads as quickly as possible.

Before we’re old enough to think about taking our driving test, most of us long to drive and own the cars made popular in the films and television shows we grew up watching.

Here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar we’ve put together a list of some of the most iconic cars (along with a few of our favourites) from the past 50 years of film and television that have famously sold at auction. We deal with damaged and broken cars all the time, so it’s nice to see that the following famous cars have survived this long!

Aston Martin DB5 – James Bond

James Bond’s DB5 was the first ever ‘poster car’, and it’s where iconic cars in film really began. The silver Aston Martin, as driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965), went up for auction in 2010 selling for £2.6 million – which was actually a lower figure than expected!

The car even came complete with all full range of Bond gadgets, including a red ejector seat button in the gearstick, machine guns, a tracking device and …a telephone – deadly in the right hands.

DeLorean – Back to the Future

Released in 1981 the DeLorean DMC-12, with its iconic gull-wing doors, had people queuing to get their hands on it – some even offering $10,000 more than the $12,000 asking price. When DeLorean went bust in 1983, interest in the car subsided. But all that changed in 1985 when Back to The Future hit the screens.

Only three of the seven cars made for the franchise have survived, but one DeLorean time machine which appeared in Back to the Future III was sold in 2011 – complete with flux capacitor – for an impressive $541,000.

Reliant Regal – Only Fools and Horses

The massively successful Only Fools and Horses ran for an impressive ten years, from 1981 to 1991. What’s more impressive is that, back in 2007, one of the three yellow three-wheelers used on the show was sold at auction for £44,227 – to Ricky Hatton, of all people.

The Batmobile – Original Batman Series

In January this year, the classic Batmobile from the original 60s Batman television series went up for auction, selling for £2.6 million.

Driven erratically each week by Adam West, The Batmobile – which was actually based on the 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura concept car – was arguably the best thing about the series. Much like the Bond car, it came with its own set of gadgets, including the ‘Emergency Bat Turn Lever’ (which deployed parachutes), the ‘Automatic Tire Inflation Device’ and the… ‘Bat-tering Ram’.

Ecto-1 – Ghostbusters

What better car to transport four ghost hunters, four proton packs, ecto-goggles and ghost traps around New York City than a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Hearse.

‘Ecto-1’ sold at auction for $80,000 in 2010. Not a bad price considering the $4,800 Dr. Ray Stantz (played by Dan Aykroyd) paid it for.

1949 Buick Roadmaster – Rain Man

Unlike the other cars in our list, this old car didn’t travel through time, feature an ejector seat or deploy parachutes.

The 1949 Buick Roadmaster, as driven by Charlie (Tom Cruise) and Raymond ‘I’m a good driver’ Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) in 1988’s Oscar-winning film Rain Man, went up for auction recently in December 2012, selling for an unexpected €175,500 – more than doubling its auction estimate of €80,000,

1975 Ford Gran Torino – Starsky & Hutch

With its outrageous car chase scenes, Starsky & Hutch was a huge success when it landed in 1975. But what is the popular American cop drama most remembered for? The car.

The custom-painted Gran Torino spawned thousands of replicas here in the UK, with thousnds of enthusiasts painting the white arrow stripe on their own vehicles.

When the show ended in 1979 all the cars were all sold at auction, but in 2008 a Torino featured in both the TV series and the 2004 remake appeared on ebay. The reserve wasn’t met, but the bidding managed to reach €85,100.

The ‘Armchair Mini’ – Mr. Bean

The Mini that went up for auction in 2010 wasn’t actually the original paint can, broom and rope controlled Mini 1000 from the Mr. Bean television series (as pictured above). The car was a replica, built for a one-off ‘all-classic Mini parade’ performance at Goodwood’s Revival.

While details of the sale don’t appear to have been released, the Mini was expected to auction for £12,000-20,000. In lieu of an actual sale figure, we couldn’t help but include the original clip from the show…