Differentials

  • These are the most expensive car breakdowns - When the repair costs more than the whole vehicle! These are the most expensive car breakdowns - When the repair costs more than the whole vehicle!

    Usually, car breakdowns can be avoided by regular servicing, but there are also those that the owner cannot influence with his behavior and driving habits! Regardless of which group they belong to, repairs of 30, 50 or 70 thousand kuna will be equally hateful.

    Breakdowns and their repairs are an eternal topic for all car owners, but also for those who are just preparing to become one.

    Even those who drive in new or at least newer vehicles are afraid of the very mention of the debate on the most expensive car parts and the most demanding repairs, and for those whose cars are closer to the Croatian age average (according to the latest available data 12.6 years) or already transferred, such and similar stories almost become a taboo topic.

    And they shouldn't be, just as those who are just getting ready to buy a used car have to think about them in time.

    That’s why it’s never worse to repeat some of the most expensive breakdowns that can befall car owners.

    Electronics, flywheel, injectors, fuel pumps…, all these are parts that can quickly make it easier for you to easily exceed the average Croatian salary.

    But even such situations can look like chamomile compared to the really expensive ones, for which we give only a few examples. Some of them are expected, and some not at all.

    Engine failures

    An engine accident is the ultimate nightmare of every car owner, regardless of whether he was driving an older and cheaper or a newer and more expensive car.

    In the background of this problem in case of improper maintenance is often a timing belt: if it does not change in time, its rupture will cause a familiar horror scenario, with the pistons hitting the valves, and depending on the case and damage to guides and seats the cylinder heads themselves.

    In each of these cases, the unfortunate owner can count on tens of thousands of kunas in damage from the start, which in practice means that it is sometimes more cost-effective and easier to replace the entire engine.

    Of course used, not new, because otherwise the repair could cost more than the value of the whole vehicle. So, with great service, you should never play or postpone it.

    Gearboxes

    Automatic transmissions used to be a rarity, but today they are a daily occurrence for a growing number of car owners.

    We know several types of them, from classic, through those continuously variable gear ratios (CVT), to fast and efficient and sophisticated gearboxes with two clutches (DCT, PDK, EDC…).

    And all of them, in addition to the comfort of use in everyday rides, have one more thing in common: if serious problems occur, repairs are very expensive and in case they remain below ten thousand kuna, the owner can almost be considered lucky.

    Because sometimes repairs are not possible, but the only solution is to replace the entire assembly, which in the case of repaired can be counted in tens of thousands of kunas, and a new gearbox sometimes more than 100,000 kunas!

    The causes of failure, for example, often lie in the insufficient amount of oil in the gearbox, or its untimely change and the entry of metal shavings into the assembly itself.

    So again in irregular servicing.

    Differentials

    The same goes for another vital car assembly, without which driving as we know it and enjoy it every day would not be possible.

    The differential, whose task is to enable the wheels to rotate on the same axle at different speeds, just like the above-mentioned parts, require proper lubrication for their normal functioning.

    This means that the key to a peaceful sleep in most cases and here is regular servicing, or oil change at prescribed intervals.

    The electronic key became a deadly malfunction

    Even more often, especially if it is official vehicles that are often used more and heavier than private ones, but this should not be a problem because this is a really small cost that counts in the hundreds of kunas.

    Otherwise, if the repair is not possible, and the owner has the misfortune that he cannot find anything suitable even on the scrap yard, he will be doomed to buy a new differential.

    This could ultimately cost him dizzying amounts again, because depending on the model, the amounts can be around 30, 40, and even 60 and more thousand kunas.

    Air conditioning compressors

    Unlike engines and transmissions, one can live in a car without air conditioning, at least in theory.

    But such an attitude, if one is willing to defend it, usually begins to melt with the first rays of the sun, and after the temperature approaches the mark of 30 degrees Celsius, all the alarm bells ring.

    If the problem is one of those expected, such as insufficient oil or gas levels in the system, which inevitably happens with time and exploitation, the solution is relatively simple and financially acceptable.

    Checking the pressure, extracting the remnants of old liquids and refilling with new ones, as well as replacing the filter and disinfection are sufficient in most cases, when the air conditioning system is maintained regularly.

    However, if major problems occur, such as a complete blockage of the system, in the worst cases a complete replacement of the compressor will be necessary, and such an operation can cost more than ten thousand kuna.

    Defective airbags

    Unlike the above examples, an airbag in a car does not depend on regular maintenance and will not break down on its own, but the need to replace it is certainly among the most expensive expenses that a car owner can face.

    The pillows, of course, need to be replaced with new ones if the original ones have been activated, ie in the event of a collision, which in itself means that the costs in this case will be considerable.

    But without including in the calculation here all the other parts that were damaged in the accident, but also the airbag itself, if, say, the driver himself caused the accident and there is no hull, it will cause quite a headache.

    Because this part never changes on its own, but the calculation should include parts or the whole armature, belts, sensors and control unit, which also almost never costs less than ten, and can go up to 40 or 50 thousand.

    Cruise control failures

    Sophisticated modern cars are loaded with various assistance systems, such as radar to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

    However, this does not automatically mean that they are immune to all types of traffic situations, so, for example, you can damage them at low speeds in the parking lot.

    And that, of course, means that you have to replace them with new ones, because it is quite clear that repair in such cases is not possible as a rule.

    In addition, just as is the case with airbags, you should know that the replacement of the radar system itself in some cases is not possible, but with it, depending on the make and model, and pulls special holders, masks, control electronics…

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