There are occasions when perhaps it’s best to part with your old buddy. Sure, a great mechanic can repair just about anything, however, sometimes it’s not worth the expense because either it will cost too much or you might be left with a “poor investment.” Here are some examples:
1 Bent frames
If your vehicle gets hit hard enough by another car or you plow into something at speed, chances are that the car’s frame is going to get bent. Sure, you could take it to a body specialist and get it fixed, but it has been compromised and weakened by the strain that was placed on it throughout the accident.
2 Tons of rust
There’s “surface rust” and then there’s “rust perforation.” If your old vehicle has some surface rust beginning to show, a body repairman can sand off the rust and paint it like new. Rust perforation is a different situation. When there are holes in your vehicle’s body, they need to be filled, usually with a patch panel. This kind of repair when done right can last a while but not usually a long while. Cars with rusty holes in them are good candidates to sell or trade.
3 Electrical issues
Some vehicles as they age simply start to develop electrical problems. The bottom line is that a few manufacturers just simply do wiring better than others. The issue is that when wiring begins to go, it can be devilishly hard to diagnose and repair. Be careful if you find yourself dealing with multiple electrical problems in a car. The money can add up quickly and, in many cases, the problems reappear!
4 Blown head gaskets
The gasket that separates the “head” of an engine from the engine block is the “head” gasket. Kayser Chrysler Center of Watertown, a full-service Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM car dealership in Watertown, WI tells us that for a variety of reasons, head gaskets may leak and while this sometimes isn’t a major problem, sometimes it may be. Sometimes when a head gasket leaks, your engine overheats. Unfortunately, when this occurs it may “warp” the head (an aluminum unit that can warp easily) and this is an expensive repair. In fact, some mechanics just junk the old engine and find a fresh, low mileage one to replace it.
5 Noisy engines
Today’s engines run quiet. It is not like the old days when you could hear valve trains clicking away and making general rattling noises. We suggest that if your old car has a noisy engine, it may be time for a trade. OK, sometimes engine noise is just a valve train adjustment, which is not a terribly expensive affair but other times its rod knock, piston slap and other stuff that means a complete overhaul is necessary.
We realize that it may be easier to just bring the car to get “band-aids” for the problems, but you may only be able to go so far. At some point everyone needs to get a new vehicle!
Tags: 5 Noisy engines RAM car dealership
