Engine fecked! Is it worth buying a second-hand one?

Skill · 01-03-2022 9:52pm #1

the engine in my 2009 Hyundai i30 Diesel is kaput! Is it worth looking for one second hand and seeing about getting it fitted, or should i bite the bullet and look for a replacement car?

Advice gratefully received, thanks

Danzy · 01-03-2022 9:57pm

I feel like you would be better off trying your look elsewhere, lot of work in replacing an engine for a mechanic.

I've seen them advise scraping for less.

Toyotafanboi · 01-03-2022 10:33pm

The way the used car market is, if the rest of the car is in good shape and you aren't pushed on changing you could do worse things than fit an engine if you get a good price on doing the job and get another year or two out of the car.

If the rest of the car is short on NCT or high mileage or the likes, it might be a good opportunity to cut ties.

Skill · 01-03-2022 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118716531#Comment_118716531

Thanks. The rest of the car is grand, and the NCT has a year to go. Mileage is high (from memory - it's in the garage now). It's diesel, which is also grand for now but if i were getting a replacement i've no idea how much sense or not it would make to buy another diesel at this stage. So yes, you're making sense. Thanks

goochy · 01-03-2022 11:21pm

Would imagine hard enough to find secondhand engine/ crashed car . Would look into engine overhaul might not need everything replaced

Toyotafanboi · 01-03-2022 11:30pm

Biggest thing condemning Mk1 i30's is rust so should be plenty in scrappers. They are a straightforward yoke and those early diesels weren't too bad. I's say you'd find an engine handy enough.

Skill · 01-03-2022 11:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118716881#Comment_118716881

the mechanic - local guy, excellent and i trust him - reckons it's not worth fixing. Am also a bit daunted by finding a decent second-hand engine, but will have a look at prices and so on. Would far rather it could be fixed, or else a cheap replacement, but neither of them seem possible

Toyotafanboi · 01-03-2022 11:50pm

That's every mechanics respose to a job they dont want to do. But in saying that it's very unlikely the engine is beyond repair too but obviously they also dont want to do that. Particularly if they are getting you to source the engine. Would you consider shopping around for someone else to do the work?

kindalen · 02-03-2022 12:38am

http://www.iviengines.ie/index.php?page=home

Would the above be worth a ring? Have never used them myself.

Skill · 02-03-2022 1:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717077#Comment_118717077

Honestly, he really is a great mechanic, very reasonable and honest, and I do trust him. He's sorted lots of things very well and cheaply over the years.

I'll give him a shout tomorrow, see if there are engines about

Skill · 02-03-2022 1:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717331#Comment_118717331

definitely worth a ring - thanks!

Dakota Dan · 02-03-2022 1:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118716287#Comment_118716287

Depends on the mechanic, my mechanic swapped an engine in a Yaris for €100.

Gant21 · 02-03-2022 1:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717484#Comment_118717484

Cash no doubt, to be honest a garage that has to pay rates, insurance can never compete with a mechanic like yours.

Dakota Dan · 02-03-2022 1:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717495#Comment_118717495

Cheque, he has his own garage and has all of the above.

Gant21 · 02-03-2022 1:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717501#Comment_118717501

He made no money on that job anyway. That is a fact.

colm_mcm · 02-03-2022 7:07am

I’d do the work unless it’s gonna cost a huge amount.

wotzgoingon · 02-03-2022 9:24pm

That €100 engine swap is totally unrealistic you are either related to him or a really good friend. I honestly doubt he goes around swapping engines for €100. Or else you mistyped €1000.

Danzy · 02-03-2022 9:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717484#Comment_118717484

Ok. That's my posts head gasket blown.

🙂

AMKC · 03-03-2022 12:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717484#Comment_118717484

I'd say he made a mistake there and meant to quote you €1000. It can happen and happens in lots of industries especially in businesses just starting out and under pressure. He might not be in business for much longer if he keeps giving quotes like you say and losing money.

Dakota Dan · 03-03-2022 1:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723299#Comment_118723299

He’s near retirement age and has been a self employed mechanic all his life so your assumptions are way off. €1000 to change over an engine in an old Yaris? Come out the fog, I got the engine off the breaker for €100 and he had to remove it from the scrap car for that.

Widdensushi · 03-03-2022 1:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723612#Comment_118723612

😂 Did he change the oil as well?

Danzy · 03-03-2022 1:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723612#Comment_118723612

Stretching thin.

Dakota Dan · 03-03-2022 1:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723654#Comment_118723654

oil and filter.

Toyotafanboi · 03-03-2022 8:15am

Dont feed the troll springs to mind.

AMKC · 03-03-2022 8:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723612#Comment_118723612

Fair play to him. Why did the Toyota yaris engine fail anyway? I thought Toyotas were indestructible would go forever lol.

Dakota Dan · 03-03-2022 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118724023#Comment_118724023

Timing chain it was going for a while and everyone said it wasn’t worth changing because a new chain was 250 at the time, I managed to get a new chain for 150 and the day before I had the mechanic booked to change it I was at the shop and when I came out and turned the key it snapped and bent the valves.

Dakota Dan · 03-03-2022 9:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723932#Comment_118723932

A troll? Definitely not.

horse7 · 03-03-2022 10:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118724197#Comment_118724197

You won't know the damage to the cylinders till you get the head off, valves/ piston's etc.

elperello · 03-03-2022 10:06am

Whatever about Dan's experience I think we can all agree that it is very unlikely the op will get an engine changed for €100.

AMKC · 03-03-2022 10:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118724197#Comment_118724197

That's terrible unlucky.

User1998 · 03-03-2022 10:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118723299#Comment_118723299

I paid €300 labour to have a VW Polo engine replaced and he replaced the timing chain and oil and filters as well.

OP definitely won’t get it done for €100 but its not going to cost €1000 either. The engine is the expensive part, at least for me anyway.

03-03-2022 10:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717474#Comment_118717474

I broke down years ago on a Sunday afternoon on a rural road in Northern Ireland which was lovely. 😅 The recovery guy was dead on and happened to be near a mechanic I heard good things about and a relative did some work for them. Engine replacement, ended up costing twice what they initially said and it didn't last. With a second-hand engine you don't know what you're getting and even if they do everything properly (and I'm not saying the fuckers in my case did) there's a lot of different parts, some will be worn out, some will be fine, some will seem ok but after a bit of running it turns out that oh, another little thing is worn/gone.

If you're going to go ahead with it you need an itemised bill upfront and not pay a cent more because when an engine is coming out you'll often find that you "might as well" do some more bits and pieces. It's a pity but in the same position I'd get the car scrapped and move on.

Dakota Dan · 03-03-2022 11:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118724227#Comment_118724227

The mechanic checked it to see if it could be saved. The mechanic that towed it put it in gear and tried to roll it and the engine was stuck solid.

CreadanLady · 03-03-2022 11:41am

2009 . Scrap it. Cars of that age are hardly worth their scrap weight value because of the rigormorole involved in disposing of them legally.

cpoh1 · 03-03-2022 12:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118724702#Comment_118724702

Even more reason to repair - jesus some awful advise on this forum at times.

Im not close to the cost of an engine replacement these days but itll be nowhere near the asking price of a healthy running car.

Patrick2010 · 03-03-2022 1:08pm

colleague recently paid 2900 for a refurbished engine including labour with a 12 month guarantee

Del2005 · 03-03-2022 1:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118724702#Comment_118724702

Contact an ELVES to scrap a car. If it's driving you'll get some money, if it's not driving they collect for free. There's no rigormorole in getting rid of a car legally.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/buying_or_selling_a_vehicle/how_to_dispose_of_an_end_of_life_vehicle.html

Skill · 03-03-2022 9:05pm

thanks so much for all the advice. My story turns out to have a good ending - the engine on examination wasn't as fecked as they thought. It looked like a piston had gone, but turned out to be some damage to the alternator.

Local guy brought the alternator to get it refurbished, put it back in, and the total cost was €180. Seems to be going fine now.

Very relieved, and thanks again for all the advice.

Toyotafanboi · 03-03-2022 9:41pm

Good grief.

horse7 · 04-03-2022 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118727883#Comment_118727883

Great news for you,glad my advice worked out.

Patrick2010 · 04-03-2022 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118716970#Comment_118716970

Given the outcome I'd be looking for a new mechanic.

Toyotafanboi · 04-03-2022 2:23pm

Agreed. You'd nearly be embarrased to tell that to a customer.

Engine fecked! Is it worth buying a second-hand one?

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