Owning a car is one of the most exciting experiences. They grant a degree of freedom and control to your life. Buying a car is a joyous moment, and many people consider it to be a milestone in their adult life. Most car owners value their vehicles to a great degree, which makes sense, as it’s something you paid a lot of money for. However, the effects of wear and tear will eventually find a way to cause something to break and necessitate car repairs. There are some repairs, like windshield repairs, that are easily solved by hiring experts like the ones at Van Isle Glass, while there are some repairs that may cost much more than what they’re worth. Here are some car repairs that might make you consider replacing your car.
A Damaged Frame
A damage frame is similar to a broken backbone in that it compromises the structural integrity of your car. A damaged car frame is almost impossible to restore to its factory condition, and many other problems stem from damaged frames such as driveline problems, misalignment of tires, and inconsistent tire wear. A car with a damaged frame can literally fall apart while on the road.
Broken Transmission
Transmissions are incredibly expensive not just because of the parts that need to be replaced, but also because of the complexity of the system. This requires a lot of work and expertise to properly dismantle and assemble, and this repair will easily cost thousands of dollars without a guarantee that the problem will be completely solved.
Faulty PCM
While a faulty PCM in itself is not a serious problem (as it can simply be reprogrammed), there are a good number of problems that it can create. When a PCM fails, other components of your car such as your transmission, engine, and emission are significantly affected, and it’s very likely that these components will develop problems. If you have a faulty PCM, it’s important that you’re able to perform a thorough inspection on your car.
Blown Head Gasket
The head gasket is designed to maintain pressure in the engine as the fuel combusts. The pressure is what translates into the power needed to move your car. If your engine’s head gasket is blown, pressure will escape during combustion, which will not only cause a significant decrease in engine power output, but will also cause oil and coolant to mix creating far more severe engine problems. Head gasket repairs are very expensive, and you might want to consider buying a new engine instead.
Drained Hybrid Battery
While hybrid cars are much more fuel-efficient than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts, the technology that powers them is far more complex. A dead hybrid battery is extremely costly to repair and replace. A new battery pack will cost anywhere between $3,000 to $8,000, almost as much as a car replacement would cost. Fortunately, you’d have to be extremely negligent to destroy a hybrid battery. As long as you observe good usage habits, this shouldn’t be a problem.
It’s understandable while you might want to attempt to perform these car repairs yourself to avoid the high cost of repairs. However, unless you’re a mechanic with several years of experience, you might be creating more problems than you’re solving by doing so. Always leave these repairs to the experts. There are ways to spend less on your repairs.