What would you do?

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Col5632

Guru
Location
Cowdenbeath
To cut a longish story short I bought a 2003 206 1.4 back in September, I only use the car at the weekends for my 2nd job which is delivering chinese food, bought the car for £700, got it serviced and it came back with hundreds of pounds worth of problems including head gasket problems, paid the £750 to get it all fixed, its back in the garage today with multiple oil leaks and a dead battery, garage has said not to bother fixing the leaks as its going to be another 5-600 quid.

Should I just get rid or scrap it and accept it was a bad purchase in the first place?
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
Where is it leaking oil from and how badly?
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Should I just get rid or scrap it and accept it was a bad purchase in the first place?

That is a decision that only you can make aided by the advice from the garage dealing with the car. You could of course take it to another garage for a second opinon. Diagnostics via CC is as trustworthy as learning to tightrope walk by correspondence course.
 
OP
OP
Col5632

Col5632

Guru
Location
Cowdenbeath
Buying any car for #700 in the first place may have been a bad decision and pouring more money in may only compound that decision !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was bought as a run around as its only used for loads of very short journeys, had a 1.8 turbo golf before it and i loved the car but wasnt great for what it was being used for
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
A good few small leaks, oil pressure is leaking and the sump and from the crank side?

If they're only small leaks and you're not finding an oil slick underneath the car every morning, just keep an eye on the oil level and drive away would be my advice. Saying that, the crankshaft seal should only cost a few quid although a fair amount of dismantling may be required on more modern cars.

Is it leaking around the oil pressure switch?
 
OP
OP
Col5632

Col5632

Guru
Location
Cowdenbeath
If they're only small leaks and you're not finding an oil slick underneath the car every morning, just keep an eye on the oil level and drive away would be my advice. Saying that, the crankshaft seal should only cost a few quid although a fair amount of dismantling may be required on more modern cars.

Is it leaking around the oil pressure switch?

That's what the garage said, keep putting oil in it basically
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Buying any car for #700 in the first place may have been a bad decision and pouring more money in may only compound that decision !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've had lots of cheap cars, never had any mechanical failure beyond a leaky coolant hose, but with £700 I'd have bought a 1/2owner small Suzuki/Nissan for delivering stuff. I think most old Micra's end up in Bradford delivering food..........

OP, as has been suggested, get a second garage opinion, but if £500/600 is indeed the cost, get rid.
 
OP
OP
Col5632

Col5632

Guru
Location
Cowdenbeath
I've had lots of cheap cars, never had any mechanical failure beyond a leaky coolant hose, but with £700 I'd have bought a 1/2owner small Suzuki/Nissan for delivering stuff. I think most old Micra's end up in Bradford delivering food..........

OP, as has been suggested, get a second garage opinion, but if £500/600 is indeed the cost, get rid.

I've seen a 97 civic for £595 but would really need to sell mine first to put the money towards that, the 206 has only done 85k so its hardly a huge amount of mileage, the golf (obv much better car) had done 150k and was still going strong
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
Definitely get a second opinion from another garage. 85,000 (if genuine) is nothing. The XU/Tu engine range do tend to seep oil but it shouldn't have run up the bills you appear to have. Despite the reputation, old pugs run forever with basic maintenance if you don't mind rattly suspension and self-destructing interiors fittings (the 206 was a huge improvement over the 205 in the interior department in fairness).
 
OP
OP
Col5632

Col5632

Guru
Location
Cowdenbeath
Definitely get a second opinion from another garage. 85,000 (if genuine) is nothing. The XU/Tu engine range do tend to seep oil but it shouldn't have run up the bills you appear to have. Despite the reputation, old pugs run forever with basic maintenance if you don't mind rattly suspension and self-destructing interiors fittings (the 206 was a huge improvement over the 205 in the interior department in fairness).

It was serviced in September, done about 2k since and all the oil that was in it is gone, its got a power steering leak too but thats not a big problem, my first car was a 205 and i'd have another one in a heartbeat
 
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