There are many different mechanical breakdowns which can be ‘the final straw’ with your car. That is, they will cost more to fix than your car might be worth. At this point you should decide whether to sell the car for scrap metal, or better yet, give a car removal service such as ourselves a call.

Broken Timing Belt

Timing belts on cars eventually wear out. This is why they should be replaced every 100,000kms. If your timing belt has broken, then your engine will no longer run, as the engine needs the timing belt to operate the valves which let fuel into the engine and exhaust out. If your belt broke as you were trying to start your engine, then there may be no permanent damage done. However, if your belt broke while your engine was running then the piston may have slapped the valves, causing permanent damage. If this is the case the engine may need to be replaced completely.

Broken Water Pump

Mechanics always recommend that water pumps should be replaced when you replace your timing belt, as the work done to get to the timing belt also makes the water pump accessible. Much like a timing belt, when your water pump fails it can be disastrous. Without a working water pump, your car will not be able to get hot water from the engine to the radiator, or cool water from the radiator back to the engine. This means your engine will quickly overheat, and this can cause a variety of problems, from cracked head gaskets to completely destroying your engine. You should never drive your car when the water pump is broken, as it will only be a matter of time before it overheats.

Broken Alternator

Your alternator is a small generator which charges the battery in your car. However, the alternator also directly powers many of your car’s electrics. This means that even if you keep charging your battery with a plug in charger, if your alternator is broken many things in your car won’t work properly. One of the most common and potentially dangerous problems is that your power brake boosters will stop working. This will make the brake pedals very hard to push in, almost to the point where it seems like they are jammed. They will still work, however they need a lot of force to push the pedals in. In a petrol engine you may also stall frequently because your spark plugs aren’t working properly. It is possible to replace an alternator on your own, however it is quite a difficult job as it has to be tucked into a high tension belt.

Running gear problems

Every moving part in your car can eventually fail, but there are certain parts which are constantly taking a beating, and may wear out several times over throughout the life of a car. These are most commonly wheel bearings, shock absorbers and steering tie rod ends. Each of these components will usually cost between $50-200 each, as well as labour costs to replace.