Replace Engine Or Buy New Car
It is no secret that vehicle troubles are less than ideal. The worst-case scenario for many drivers is finding themselves with a blown engine. So can your engine problems be repaired? Is an engine replacement worth it? Or should you invest in a new vehicle? The mechanics at Chapel Hill Tire are here to answer all of your engine replacement questions.
replace engine or buy new car
Maintenance services are preventative measures meant to protect your engine. At the first signs of vehicle trouble, you may be able to address your engine concerns with maintenance instead of repairs. The key here is to get your engine in the shop before it becomes damaged. Maintenance solutions, like engine fluid flushes, will also depend on the source of your engine problems and how severe the problem has become.
Maintenance can occasionally address early-stage engine concerns before they develop into serious issues. However, it is best to keep up with routine automotive maintenance to avoid any close encounters with engine damage.
Once your engine troubles have progressed into damage, you will begin to explore repair options. If your engine damage is contained to a single part or system, you may be able to achieve a repair by addressing the source of these issues. In a best-case scenario, you may simply need a replacement belt or hose. Larger systems, such as with the transmission or radiator, will be more costly to replace, but they are still less expensive than a new vehicle or an entire engine replacement.
Remanufactured engines are engines that have been previously repaired and restored. They offer an alternative solution to both new engine installations and vehicle replacements. Remanufactured engines are more affordable than new engines while still offering a reliable solution to your vehicle problems.
If you are wary about installing a remanufactured engine, consider partnering with a mechanic that offers a service warranty. Chapel Hill Tire, for example, extends our 3-year/36,000-mile service warranty to remanufactured engines to give drivers peace of mind and protection.
The local mechanics at Chapel Hill Tire install both new and remanufactured engines. We also have FREE loaner vehicles to keep you on the go while we take care of your vehicle. You can find our mechanics in Chapel Hill, Cary, Durham, Raleigh, Carrboro, and Apex. We also serve surrounding communities like Knightdale, Wake Forest, Clayton, Morrisville, Garner, Pittsboro, Hillsborough, and beyond. You can make an appointment here online to get started with your engine service today!
Many people are asking, is replacing an engine like getting a new car? If the question refers to the price comparison, the answer is no. Engine replacement will cost around $2,500 to $6,000, but buying a new car will cost 3 or 4 times more. Then you have to deal with the financing, monthly payments, insurance, registrations, and a lot more. Between the options, to replace the engine or buy a new car, buying a new car might seem to be the easiest way out but it might not be the best financial decision. Although you can choose to buy a used car, it can be risky. You might end up buying a used car that is not reliable and you will have to deal with car repair costs all over again.
If the engine you are replacing already has 150,000 miles on it, it is most likely that the other components of your car like the air conditioner, cooling system, power steering, starting system, charging system, sensors and relays, and the transmission will have to be replaced too. Before doing an engine replacement, these components have to be inspected or replaced. If not, then you will have to deal with more car repair bills soon. If this is the case, then it is better to sell your used car and use the money to fund your next car.
However, if your car has no other issues aside from the damaged engine, it is still better to have its engine replaced. It will add more years to it, given that you will maintain it and avoid the following causes of engine failure:
Driving your car even if it is overheating can result in the expansion and contraction of the metal parts of the engine. This can cause these components not properly fitted together which can cause extreme and premature wear. The best way to handle an overheating engine is to pull over and stop driving to allow your engine to cool down and prevent any other damages that can occur. Have your car checked immediately to know what caused it and have it repaired.
If your car needs an engine replacement, you are expected to pay a huge amount for it. So you wonder if you should replace the engine or buy a new car instead. While buying a new car seems like an easy option, it might not be the best and practical one moneywise. When you buy a new car, you will have to consider a lot of factors such as whether you can afford it or maybe how long you will keep it. You should be ready to deal with the financing, the monthly payments, registrations, or insurance.
If you choose to replace your engine, the mechanic might give you a cost estimate for the engine replacement. It may cost around $2,500 to $6,000. The price can vary depending on your vehicle, the auto repair shop you choose, if there are other problems aside from the engine that needs to be repaired, and the type of engine you buy.
Like a used engine, a rebuilt engine is also pulled out of the car and had its damaged parts replaced. It has been disassembled, cleaned, replaced damaged parts, updated it with new gaskets, and then put back together. If the damaged engine has been rebuilt properly, it can last for maybe hundreds or thousands of miles.
A remanufactured engine is considered the highest quality option for an engine replacement. It is an engine that was returned to its factory condition, making it almost like new. A remanufactured engine had to go through some processes such as machining of the block, crank, heads, and other parts. After the process, it will be restored to its factory specifications and will function like it is new. But it is usually offered with an extended warranty and though it is more costly, it will last longer than the used or rebuilt engines.
Buying a new crate engine is probably the most expensive option. It is a brand new engine that uses all new parts. The new parts include crankshaft, engine block, cylinder heads, camshaft, connecting rods, pistons, and valves.
Deciding whether to replace the engine or buy a new car can be hard. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. But before you decide which one is better, you will have to ask if dealing with the engine replacement cost is worth it. It is not cheap, it might cost even more if the mechanics discover that the other parts of the car will have to be replaced too. So before you have your engine replaced, assess your car first and know its market value. If it does not cost that much and the engine replacement cost is higher, then it is better to move on, sell your car, and buy a new or newer car instead.
Because it is short and good example of anything is possible when it comes to cars and engine swapping, here is a crazy engine swap result of putting a V8 engine into a Honda Civic Hatchback and taking it on a drag strip for a timed quarter-mile run.
The exception to this is a practically new car that for whatever reason the engine exploded and even though under warranty, was not covered because the owner allowed someone to modify it in a way that voided its warranty.
Under both exceptions we are talking about swapping a damaged engine with the same type of a new or rebuilt matching engine (with a guarantee) for that vehicle. Swapping out a damaged engine with a lower mileage used engine (from a wreck for example) is risky and not advisable. Especially since some makes and models have engines that are known to have a high rate of engine rebuild history.
What motivated this topic was a recent The Car Wizard YouTube video where the host and a special guest discuss what happened when the owner of a 2014 Jaguar agreed to an engine swap for his beloved sports car only to discover that even with the new engine, his car still had problems.
Here is the video in its entirety. Although the video breaks away from the engine swap problems after the first 12 minutes, the Car Wizard returns to some good points made toward the end of the video that makes watching (or skipping over the interior inspection) the video end-to-end worthwhile.
From the video, I would surmise that this was a case of a mechanic who was not organized when it came to all the nuts, bolt, screws and clips that come with an engine swap. Plus, there was a failure to ensure that everything was torqued as it should be; and, there was a problem with the wiring reinstallation (most likely one that required starting all over again with some phase of the engine swap) that led to a jerry-rigged repair or readjustment.
(1) You must make sure that the mechanic doing the work has the expertise and experience of swapping your engine type. Ask for references. This is major mechanical work and best done only by a qualified mechanic who does this for a living.
(2) If you do have an engine swap done by a qualified mechanic, just like with buying a used car you should have the work inspected by another mechanic afterward who can catch any problems before they become a major issue. You would hope that the original mechanic has someone to look over the swap as a backup---but you never know.
(3) Engine swaps are never easy---even when it is done with an exact engine replacement or a recommended substitute engine. In the real world you can (and should) expect some problems will develop that will require some repeat visits or work done.
While the above was primarily about same engine-to-engine swapping, less conventional but reasonable (when possible) is to swap with a similar engine, but one with higher performance. On the far side of this spectrum is engine swapping with a totally different engine which may appeal to some car owners. 041b061a72