Expensive repairs and how to avoid them

Living with cars, an expensive necessity for some and hobby for others. You have purchased a car according to your needs or the car of your dreams, but now comes the downside; the upkeep. First, there is the need for insurance and road tax – the annual annoyance that creates a black hole in your finances. On top of these costs, comes fuel and consumables, such as oil, washer fluid, coolant etc, which adds up over time.

The most unsettling expense of owning a car, however, is when you get unexpected repair bills. The garage rings up to tell you the bad news that a repair is necessary or that you will need to replace something expensive soon. You can, of course, be unlucky and the car breaks down and lets you down just when you need it most.

Worn or failing parts, clogged or poorly maintained systems can cause failures and breakdowns. A breakdown can often spell disaster unless you have a sizeable chunk of money to get the car repaired quickly.

The best way to avoid these unpleasant surprises is keeping the car well maintained. You can either take the car in for regular servicing, monitor the condition of the vehicle yourself or, ideally, both. Sometimes, however, despite all of the affection and money you shower on a car, it simply stops working.

What are the most expensive repairs and what can you do to avoid them?

Clutch failure

Clutch failure can be caused by any number of factors. Replacement in kit form is a normal service procedure, but can still get very expensive.

• Slip/wear

Symptoms: the clutch has done its job and reached the end of its service life
How to avoid it?

All parts have a predefined service life and when it is exceeded, failure is just a question of time. Avoid submitting the clutch to undue stress, for example, by riding the clutch e.g., by keeping the clutch depressed at traffic lights. Minimise wear as much as you can, but one day the clutch will need replacing.

• Premature failure

Symptoms: the pressure plate fails or the friction plate disintegrates
How to avoid it?

• avoid towing heavy loads, as this places undue stress on the clutch
  • minimise wear as much as you can
  • do not ride the clutch
  • avoid hill starts where possible

Premature failure of is often due to poor clutch control.

• Slip/leak

Symptoms: a leaking rear crankshaft seal can cause a secondary failure, i.e., contaminating and ruining the friction plate. Once the friction material is contaminated with oil it causes clutch slip and the clutch will have to be replaced.

How to avoid it?

• regular oil changes with high-quality oils
  • use an oil treatment additive with seal conditioners
    Seal conditioners will help to keep seals supple and sealing for as long as possible, even sealing minor leaks. Oil seals will leak eventually but the date of failure can be pushed back.
• Operation

Symptoms: clutch operation components fail

How to avoid it?

• observe the clutch operating system for leaks
  • listen for unusual noises e.g., creaking
  • bleed the hydraulic clutch at the same time the brake fluid is changed

Automatic gearbox failure

Failure of any part of the automatic transmission is nearly always very expensive and to be avoided at all costs.

• Torque converter failure

Symptoms: no power is transmitted through the torque converter

How to avoid it:

• replace the transmission fluid at the specified interval
  • flush out the old contaminated fluid
  • replace the transmission filter as designated in the service schedule
• Valve block failure

Symptoms: valve block no longer sends the fluid to the components in the transmission as it is designed to.
How to avoid it:

• replace the transmission fluid at the specified interval
  • flush out the old contaminated fluid
  • replace the filter as designated in the service schedule.
• Powertrain Control Module

Symptoms: no drive or drive in emergency mode only
How to avoid it:

Virtually impossible. The failure of control modules is usually due to electronic component failure, which is heavily dependent on the choice of components used by the module manufacturer.

Engine component failures

Failure of major engine components is often very expensive and must be avoided at all costs.

• Bearing failure

Symptoms: loud knocking or partial seizure

How to avoid it:

• replace the engine oil and filter at the specified interval
  • use an engine flush to wash out any accumulated deposits before oil each change
  • use a wear-reducing additive
• Camshaft failure

Symptoms: metallic tapping sound and low power
How to avoid it:

• replace the engine oil and filter at the specified interval
  • use an engine flush to wash out any accumulated deposits before oil each change
    The build-up of carbon deposits in the engine can restrict the flow of oil to the camshaft and accelerate wear.

Cooling system component failures

Avoidable. Cooling system failures are among the most frequent causes of breakdowns. The cost of recovery alone is prohibitive and can make a sizeable dent in your finances regardless of any secondary damage caused by a failure.

• Cylinder head gasket

Symptoms: failure as a result of overheating OR gasket failure causes overheating. Can result in damage to – or replacement of – the cylinder head.

How to avoid it:

• regular maintenance
  • make sure that the correct coolant level and antifreeze strength is maintained and that the coolant is replaced as advised by the manufacturer.
• Water pump failure

Symptoms: heed the warning signs i.e., noise coming from the pump bearings when engine is running or if the pump has started to leak.

How to avoid it:

• regular maintenance
  • check the cause of leaks promptly and thoroughly
  • listen for unusual sounds
  • flush the cooling system regularly e.g., before replacing the coolant
• Radiator leak

Symptoms: can usually be predicted, radiator springs a minor leak before failing.

How to avoid it:

• regular maintenance
  • keep an eye out for leaks or a repeated need to top up the coolant level
• Auxiliary drive belt failure

Symptoms: drive belt failure often causes loss of drive to water pump. Avoidable breakdown as drive belt cracking can be discovered during a service.

How to avoid it:

• regular maintenance
  • make sure that the drive belts are properly tensioned and do not display signs of cracking.

Maintenance and vigilance are the keys to keeping your vehicle on the road, so spending a little time or money can save major inconvenience or costs associated with a breakdown. The cost of prevention is nearly always much cheaper than the cost of a cure, so invest wisely and reap the rewards.