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 Future War Cultist wrote:
I forgot to mention something important. Actually when I say forgot, I think it's more a case of dreading the answer too much to ask about it in the first place.

When I start her up it flashes a warning. It says that the engine control monitor has failed and I need to go to the dealer. This used to happen only sometimes but now it's every time. The car still starts up fine, and everything else seems to be working ok at least. But I think this could be a serious problem down the line.

It all depends on weither or not it's actually broken or if it just has loose connections, but it's the difference between it costing 300-400 to fix and 700-800 to fix. Also, getting a new ECU is like getting a new kidney/liver/other organ. There's always a chance it could be rejected.

Apparently this is a common problem with this model. It's supposedly down to bad wiring and faulty connections. So it all comes down to this...is it actually broken, or does it just think it's broken.

Definitely get that looked at first - you should be able to find a grubby backstreet car electrician to fix it / give you a quote. It may not be a big deal, or it may make the rest of the repairs pointless.

Also never rely on Quick Fit for information; they have terrible form for making up issues to get trade.

I went to one of those chain auto repair shops when I was in the states (not that one, but I think they're all much the same ). Took the car there for a service (which they were offering reasonably cheap) and they came back to me with a quote for $1400 worth of work that apparently needed to be done. After almost having a fething heart attack, going home and reading over the quote I realised they were lying bastards, a couple of things did need fixing but it was like half an hours work and most of the stuff didn't need to be fixed at all.

Repaired a few of the obvious things myself for under $100 then took it to a reputable mechanic to look over it and their bill came to a much more reasonable amount (I think about $200).

Half the crap on the list of the chain auto repair shop was fine and lasted me the 2 more years I owned the car.

Maybe they heard my accent and assumed I had never seen a car in my life and would just hand over the $1400 for them to work their bs? Or maybe they actually do that to everyone?

Oh they definitely do it to everyone believe me.

I'm going to take the repairs in stages; first I'll get it up to code so it can pass it's MOT in December. Once I'm clear of that, I'll get the window and timing belt sorted out. It's all cheaper than buying a new car. And I can guarantee I won't like any 'new' car within this price range half as much as this one.

To conclude this thread, it's going to cost £540 to fix the car. That's a fair amount but still a hell of a lot less than buying a decent new one. I'm going to go for it.

Good luck!

I hope it works out well.

 Future War Cultist wrote:
To conclude this thread, it's going to cost £540 to fix the car. That's a fair amount but still a hell of a lot less than buying a decent new one. I'm going to go for it.

Good luck boyo.

Thank you!

Now, I've got a bit of a confession to make. That price doesn't include the cost of a timing belt replacement, which can range from £180 to £400 on top of this, depending on the extent of the replacement. However, although my mechanic has recommended that I change it sooner rather than later, he says that I could leave it for another few months if I want to take the risk. I'm in line for a bonus very soon, so again, I'm just going to get the car through its M.O.T (which is this week) and then come back in the new year to have the whole system replaced. My mechanic says that besides the belt and the other items, the car is in very good condition and definitely has at least another 70000 miles in it if I'm willing to pay for the work. And I still think that £700 to £950 spent on this car is going to be a hell of a lot better than spending it on another used one. This would mean that the car has cost me about £1400-£1700 spread out over a year. I don't think that's too bad. Especially considering how good it is!

I remember replacing timing belts with Dad. Man that sucked balls. Changing an alternator in the rain was worse though. No wonder I won't touch a car now.

I just wish I had the equipment to do these things myself.

Also, is it possible here in the UK to keep a car that's been written off? See, my lawyer wants me to get estimates for the damage caused by an accident earlier in the year, but with the age of my car, I'm worried that it might be written off. This is why I've been reluctant to follow this up.

Do I have a say in the matter? Because if the choice is between getting no money and keeping the car and getting some money and losing it, I'm going with the former. I'm not losing this car over a minor dent and scratches. Especially now that I'm committed to repair bills.

I probably should have checked this out first before taking it in for repairs.

 Future War Cultist wrote:


Do I have a say in the matter? Because if the choice is between getting no money and keeping the car and getting some money and losing it, I'm going with that latter. I'm not losing this car over a minor dent and scratches. Especially now that I'm committed to repair bills.

That would greatly depend on just how "minor" the damage actually is... a seemingly small dent could potentially have bent the frame, which obviously increases the costs of repairs.

I don't know how it works in the UK, but a totaled car would/should get you an amount of money to suitably replace it, yeah, you'd have payments on a "new" car, but it'd be much more safer than the alternative.

One estimate I got was for £613. It involves replacing the rear bumper and respraying the damage. A big chunk of the cost was labour. The car is only worth about £900 tops so that would almost certainly be a write off. Which I don't want to do if it means giving it up.

I have a choice in the matter though right? The option to not ask for any money and to just keep the car is on the table right?

 Future War Cultist wrote:

I have a choice in the matter though right? The option to not ask for any money and to just keep the car is on the table right?

I never worked auto insurance, but I seem to recall from conversations after my last accident that, if a vehicle is declared a total loss, but I opt to keep it, liability can become a major issue. As in, by opting to continue using an "unsafe" vehicle could prevent insurance from covering certain things, even if such an accident/event was not your fault.

I would imagine that something similar would exist in the UK as well, but I wouldn't take my word for it.

I don't want to lose my car.

 Future War Cultist wrote:
I don't want to lose my car.

I would imagine that in such an event, the insurance would make some sort of payout, and you'd then be able to at minimum, place a down payment on a "new" one, right?


Unless of course, you are in fact, Richard Hammond and this "Fiat" you speak of is really just Oliver

...it's an Alfa Romeo...and her name is Bella.