Selling a lemon to a friend :(

BostonB

+1 it won't be worth the grief, it never is.

cormie

Thanks for the input, at this stage it's definitely caveat emptor, I've given back 200eur so it's up to her now what she does with it. I just went to get some tyres fitted and the chap was also a mechanic and said that you could get a water pump (on its own, not in a kit) for about 60 quid and a gearbox for 180 and it would be maybe 3 hours work to fit them in the cultus. I'll pass on his number to her and I think that will be me covering every option and it's up to her to decide which to go with

Gearbox and water pump issue linked ?? Mechanic sounds a right numpty
If the water pump is timing belt driven on them any mechanic who advises putting on a new pump without a new belt is also a numpty, save a small few euro on parts but none on labour madness.

Just wondering Cormie, did you have this car long before you sold it on ?

cormie

Had it less than a year but probably drove it less than 50 miles myself!

If the timing belt is ok, would it be ok to just replace the waterpump? Is there any possibility of the gearbox in a Suzuki Alto being the same as a Suzuki Cultus I wonder?

I think I may have written something unclearly, the mechanic didn't say the gearbox and waterpump were related, I was just wondering would the clutch pedal feeling strange be related to either a gearbox, or waterpump issue?

johnos1984

Seriously take the car back and weigh it in.

And avoid selling a car to your friends/family unless they understand that when it goes out your gate and takes the first right the warranty expires

Yes all the parts can be bought seperatly but its a false economy for only a few quid more and it reallly isn't worth the hassle.

If the t/belt fails in 12 months you'll have another phone call from her as her mechanic will tell her it should of been replaced when the waterpump was done

Esel

Tough one (explains the advice to never sell to a friend); but my opinion is that by giving a good-will refund of €200 you have done enough. The purchaser is now only down by €250 (€150 if they get €100 scrap value for the car, which they should, from any scrapper). Stop worrying, and move on (having learned your lesson). Unless you bought the car for fcuk all in the first place - in which case, give her another €100!

cormie

Nope, I was down on the original price I paid on the car anyway. Hope she gets sorted, but it's out of my hands now!

Capt'n Midnight

In the IT sector if you have any involvement in the purchase of any technical equipment, software, TV's , digital cameras, electric can openers etc. for friends or family you must, under pain of excommunication, provide free technical support for life. It's not even worth considering money changing hands.

If you've only drive 50 miles in one year I hope you let them know that. The most important thing is to set the expectation, and set it so low that the buyer can't complain.

Fair dues for feeling guilty about it.

Caveat emptor



Water pump never 100% sure when a mechanic says they are gone that they aren't just making a few quid on your fears.

bryaner

cormie wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion. The car itself was sold for 450 so to spend 500 or 600 on a gear box alone would be a tad excessive. It will also need an exhaust for the NCT and a few other little bits.

€450 That's tough sh!t for her she bought a pig in a poke.
Although friend of family does make things awkward.

Joe10000

Never sell a car to someone you know, that's all I know.

cormie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

In the IT sector if you have any involvement in the purchase of any technical equipment, software, TV's , digital cameras, electric can openers etc. for friends or family you must, under pain of excommunication, provide free technical support for life. It's not even worth considering money changing hands.

If you've only drive 50 miles in one year I hope you let them know that. The most important thing is to set the expectation, and set it so low that the buyer can't complain.

Fair dues for feeling guilty about it.

Caveat emptor



Water pump never 100% sure when a mechanic says they are gone that they aren't just making a few quid on your fears.

Hehe, it's not that I even felt guilty, I have no reason to feel guilty about it as I told them absolutely everything I knew about the car, and that I had only driven it about 50 miles in the time I owned it. It's more just a case of having been in the same position before and I know it's not nice so just thought a part refund was the fairest thing

True about the waterpump, hopefully it doesn't need the full kit upon inspection anyway

Thanks again for the replies and if anyone knows if a 97 Suzuki Alto gearbox would fit in a Cultus/Swift, or how I could find out, please let me know

Esel

cormie wrote: »

...if anyone knows if a 97 Suzuki Alto gearbox would fit in a Cultus/Swift, or how I could find out, please let me know

Google knows a lot more than Boards....