colino

Depends which oil you use. While all engine oils lubricate and cool, they are now emphasising the detergent qualities (that diesels have always majored on) to break down deposits and hold them in suspension (making the oil change colour so fast after a service). For start up protection, every oil leaves a residue, but some, say Mobil, claim better protection because the, "thin" Mobil 1 gets round the engine so fast on start-up, while Castrol alternatively say they have improved film bond, so the oil is already doing its job on start-up with Magnatec, because it has, "bonded" better to the metal. You pays your money and takes your chances, but if the oil is like water, its stopped doing any good, likewise if its like treacle, its past its best. One other point you'll remember that when synths and semi-synths came out older cars reportedly started leaking like sieves. True! Their original formulation was far from friendly to gaskets and seals and often shrank them so much, their sealing days were over. Nowadays that problem is fixed, but some of them are so advanced and effective that the scouring detergents are actually making the gaskets and seals appear to break down, because that thick layer of carbon and gunk was the only thing hiding a worn out seal. I'd be tempted to leave well alone and play servicing roulette.

Take the £900 +car and ebay it. Your going to get a whole lot more than £57 for those remains, with very little trouble on your part.

The offer is probably quite a realistic one. I've no idea why people think carting away the scrap will be a chore for the insurance company. It has become an important and lucrative income stream with none-claiming parties actually paying for the residual. The categories have been a mess for a long time, and being a long-term buyer from salvage auctions (currently retired) what was genuine salvage that needed considerable fixing, now is a jokeathon with examples carrying a C cat only needing a mirror and an indicator to put right and cat Ds often being mangled wrecks looking at bean tin oblivion. On a hopefully objective level, I wish everyone would put claims through their own insurance, not onwardly referred to a, "claims agency/specialist" and get them to do what they were paid upfront in premiums to do and get rid of the extra tier of parasites that have evolved.

May I respectfully get you to have a look at the link in #182. That is what the insurance company is going to abide by, even if you nag them to do it. They aren't going to do anything other than a full and final settlement, "they" the insurance company, would still be holding the bag so they aren't going to take a half acceptance with you crossing your fingers behind your back.

I'm sure this area isn't unique, but guys retire on what they get for their plate when they sell up. Is this just one of the unlimited number that they issue for private hires?

With the abolition in a couple of months time of the VI Check, things like this, which are already happening and are entirely legal, are going to get more confusing. "THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DAMAGED OR IN A ACCIDENT, THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS SHOT IN THE VEHICLE SO DUE TO BLOOD CONTAMINATION IT WAS RECORDED CAT B." The industry classifications have no basis in law, it is a voluntary, industry system. Even now, while As and Bs should be sold at auction to licenced members, and the AA & RAC etc., would have you believe they can never be returned to the road, some do actually get returned to their owners as salvage. Some can and do apply for a VIC, and if it hasn't been given a Certificate of Destruction, they should get a slot and if they are wise enough to bring the car up to scratch, put it in and pass an MOT and then present it successfully for a VIC, they will get a V5C. If the insurance industry didn't make so much income from the salvage auctions, don't you think they would demand a CoD for every A and B that they declare?

There isn't any point while you could get your car, banged up as it is, plus £850 at the moment. Even if you chose not to repair yourself, it will sell as is or break, for a whole lot more than £54. Leave it a couple of days, see if they up the offer to clear their books and settle and move on.

Argy bargy about insurance offers for cars has been around for years, I used the adverts angle about 15 years ago when I was offered £4000 for a Porsche that was stolen and ended up with £8000 after a long and stressful fight. Never accept the first offer (they are a business after all), but the advert example isn't the one followed anymore because, in its simplest, an advert is an asking price, not a selling one. Have a look at the very good and clear info. from the ombudsman. http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/motor-valuation.html ​

If you take cash in lieu of settlement you shouldn't have a marker on it at all. It isn't being administratively written off, compensation is being paid for the damage.

Not to over egg it, but it has become crucial now with ridiculous court cases, that as soon as you hand over a car, you take your insurance off it. No more leaving it until you find something different and do a swap onto it, you and your insurance are a very highly prized asset to the chancers.

Lots of driveway dealers around (a real trader wouldn't be operating at that level, there is no genuine retail profit) and they pretend to be bona fide trade and the car disappears into the ether. Make sure DVLA are aware and you take any insurance off it and let him bimble on.

Would VMS Autos in Clydebank, who appear to sell old Skoda Taxis and their bits constantly on ebay, be any good to you?

I used to recommend buying a cheap toolkit and replacing the heavily worked items with individual, "good" pieces as they were required. Frankly with the lifetime guarantee Halfords stuff, don't waste your time, get the best kit you can stretch to (they always appear to be on sale, but Trade Card does even better) and you wont go wrong. Only criticism is that there isn't a proper breaker bar in the sets now, but they don't appear to flinch at a scaffold pipe.

Personally I'd be focusing on the engine problem. Your autobox isn't causing a fluctuating idle or lack of throttle response.

Without using dealer spec diagnostics, you would check when the car was last serviced (spark-plugs seem fit and forget items now), check all connections and vacuum lines, check the ecu is getting a consistent earth, and then on experience, check the MAF (if no dramatic, consistent difference when it is on default settings, it's not it) and then change the coil pack and plugs.

Bear in mind that few MAFs fire up the warning light other than for the electrical disconnection (when you disconnect it to see if the car improves!) and their failure is often only pointed to by other, seemingly unrelated, P codes coming up. A £25 ebay MAF might just cure your ills.

I don't think the guy is doing anything other than be honest. The insurance company isn't going to authorise a repair, so would you prefer he started stripping the car (none too delicately) to expose the level of damage and have it sitting for months until someone agrees that the parts aren't available? Best to negotiate a settlement and have the cash to get it fixed under your control.

If you need to do a check, there is only one worth doing. HPI it or keep your fingers crossed that one of the many resellers of their information is using this years data and/or paid their bill.

Showing my age, but 7mm was chosen not because of mechanical needs, but simply because 7 was not commonly included in sets at the time. In fact the factors/Halfords etc. made a few bob (and apparently still do) by selling "special 7mm brake tools".

I remember being at a trade day years ago and the nice man from Brembo, when asked about the use of 7mm allen keys, did a stage shiver and asked if we wanted owners changing their own brakes. No good technical reason, just trying to keep one-step in front of DIY.

Traders have to be upfront with mileages, they are expected to use their professional skills to pass on that they have checked and know what they are selling. Private sellers are not obliged to volunteer anything, it is very much caveat emptor. However, if they are asked a direct question and lie, they will most certainly lose in a small claims court down the line. Better to be upfront, if brief, in the description and don't fill any blanks for the prospective purchaser. Unless you know that it has been clocked and how, simply point out the potential mileage discrepancy and the car sells or it doesn't.

If you check (and you have to!) that all of the suspension is in good order and you have a decent matched pair of front tyres, the tolerances are so wide (especially on fwd) that a decent measuring tape/stick is a perfectly sound way of doing your own wheel alignment. You will have the benefit too of rolling your car backwards and forwards to double check the alignment to load up the suspension, that a garage will never do.

Fully loaded e39 estates (ideally 530D auto but any flavour will be good) make great waftobarges. Like highly specced Mercs, they were expensive new and so unlikely to have been a reps hack, more likely a managers vanity company car with early, tender care.

That reminds me, in 1979 I bought a four year old Simca 1100 that failed the MOT because it needed new sills for the grand sum of £25. New sills, araldite (at 16 I couldn't afford a welder) and several tins of Re-Paint led to too much profit for a boy to ignore.

They don't usually switch themselves on, they sometimes have a faulty park mechanism so keep on wiping until you notice them and pull the fuse.