2003 1.8 D Connect won't start?

T i m wrote: [snip]

What does she use this van for?

I can't imagine anybody having one unless it was for a business where it has to earn its keep. Unless you can explain otherwise ...

So what is the cost to the business of not having the van?

If the business can't afford the realistic cost of running the van then perhaps it should close ...???

Reply to
Graham J
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when I needed a pump for my sister's vectra I sent it off to diesel bob, ten years on it still runs great.

Reply to
MrCheerful

None. As I said, on a low-value vehicle, if the cost is more than 2/3 of its value, get rid.

[...]

Yebbut it's not worth 2K now, even if it ran.

You would put tyres on any vehicle. I don't think a roof rack qualifies as either repairs or maintenance. (And could be transferred to a replacement FOC of course.)

Assuming you go the route of getting a functional test done, (and you probably should) what will be the total cast to the repair?

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Her startup business.

She actually likes driving it. ;-)

I can't.

No business?

And perhaps it will.

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

What is the long-term viability of the business? If successful, how long before it can pay the proper costs of the transport it requires?

For a viable business it should be possible to borrow funds to start up.

Reply to
Graham J

As is my Meriva from the ECU repair by the same co (well, 2 years so far). ;-)

Part of what stopped me just looking for a warranted second hand pump was talk of needing the pump 'coded' to the van .. but according to what I think I understand so far, that's not quite the case? It is in that one needs to allow time for the EDC and ECU / Immobiliser to get to know each other again but they will do that without having to use any OBD tools?

So, if the (2yr guaranteed) EDC repair doesn't fix it, I might be able to find a good second hand pump that will last 1) long enough for her to find a better van or 2) long enough for her to sell it and her business or 3) last long enough for her to get past the critical mass and the beginnings of her fleet. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Yeahbut, get rid to get what? She can't afford / justify anything newer that *might* be better and what are the offs of anything of equal age / mileage being any better than what she has now?

How much time will we spend looking for something else (worth having) and what will that cost her in lost work?

Quite and we (she / I) have no real interest in any residual value of the van, just it's ability to allow her to run her business.

But unless we can swap them over then that's more cost.

Agreed. More time / effort though, similar with a tow-bar if the replacement van doesn't have one fitted, and the Parrot handsfree kit and steel bulkhead and high security slam locks (the last one we replaced was £75).

Ok (ewe are falling that way now).

Around £200 for the EDC reman, ~£150 for the pump functional test and whatever the lads charge to take the pump out and put it back again, (plus the cambelt kit). Plus any work she has lost over the time the van is off the road (she's no too bothered about that as it happens short term, both because of the temperature and other stuff she needs to sort out).

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Long term, potentially good.

Sorry, I'm not party to such numbers ... I'm just her Dad, helping out when I'm asked. ;-)

That's not a position she wants to be in, had it been she would have gone to Uni. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m
[...]

There are plenty of '03 Connects around for sub 1K. They will all be better than the one she has now because they start.

How much time has she lost with a non-runner?

[...]

What about the tyres on any other vehicle she bought? They could be in the same condition. And swapping over the wheels is hardly rocket science.

If she *needs* those things to make her business viable, she should not be trying to do it with a 14 year-old van. It makes no economic sense.

[...]

So probably sub-£600, which is fine. Still below the 2/3 vehicle value.

The realities of life are that there is no *guaranteed* way to run an old vehicle cheaply and reliably. (That's particularly the case with vans, which in their early life are the most abused and un-loved vehicles!) If that was the case, we would all be driving ancient stuff, which would then cost a fortune because few new vehicles were being bought. It's just the way our world works.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan
[...]

Some pumps have an in-built immobiliser that will not communicate with the ECU without dealer-level programming. I don't know whether that applies the that year of Connect however.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Is this a hobby where she is trying to minimise its costs, or a business which is expected to provide an income?

Does she have professional business advice?

It seems that potentially the success of her business will rely on luck. The luck that spending not very much on her van will keep it going for long enough to be useful. From what others here have said, that's not very likely.

Will another sort of vehicle meet her business requirements? Perhaps something with more predictable maintenance costs?

Can the business contract out the transport requirement to get clearly identified costs, incurred only when actually needed?

Can the business operate in such a way as not to need transport?

Reply to
Graham J

Yes, I understand this one does to some degree in that once re-connecting the pump you have to have the ignition on for 2 minutes to allow them to authenticate and it should work after that. Time will tell etc.

They said when they put the bare pump on their test jig it has to wait for 20 minutes for the pump immobiliser to time out before the tests can start.

They also said something about having to pre-program a bare (virgin) pump but I'm not fully sure of all the details of all of that. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

My nephew tried the 'own your own vans' route for his business, but after the first couple of years he realised it was far better for him to lease brand new vans.

Reply to
MrCheerful

LOL ... yeah, maybe when we go to buy them ... ;-)

And she doesn't just want an 03 Connect ... she wants a clean LWB / High top Connect that is 100% genuine and not from hundreds of miles away from here ...

Had the circumstances been different, so far a few days? As it happens 'not much at all'. Had it been critical she could have hired a van for a week for £35/day.

Same applies, and so far she's kept them on till they wore out.

They could indeed.

Subject to both vehicles having the same wheels, tyres and tyre rating etc.

I'm not sure what any of those things have to do with the age of a vehicle .... and whilst it may not be ideal, it's all she could afford at the time and it's worked out ok so far? Are you suggesting that even if she bought a brand new van it would never go wrong?

And remember there are businesses and Businesses. ;-)

Whilst it may not, it's how she chose to do it.

But isn't the value of the vehicle somewhat arbitrary, something being worth what someone is wiling to pay for it?

Of course not, she knew it would be a gamble at the beginning (as is the whole 'business' etc) but the van she bought matched all her criteria at the time for the least cost.

Sure. ;-)

We all were up until a few years back weren't we?

One of the ladies in the BMW Motorcycle Club decided she wanted to ride round the world (on her own). She didn't buy a brand new bike, she took her old (~15 year) one *because* it was less complicated, known to her and because it was old and simple, it meant she stood a better chance of getting spares if required and assistance to fit them (not that she really needed any assistance). ;-)

FWIW, my Rover was just up to 200,000 when I finally scrapped it and her Corsa is nearly up to 200k as well. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Sort of the former than she hopes will turn into the latter.

Not that I'm aware of.

Don't most these days?

Yup. ;-)

Time will tell. I got given (£100) the Rover 218SD on 150k miles with

2 new tyres and 6 months TAX and MOT (at the time) *because* my mate was 'fed up spending money on it'. In a few days I had sorted out the outstanding bits (for next to nothing other than some of my time) and ran it for next to nothing for the next 7 years and 50k miles (including towing all sorts of things including our folding caravan on several holidays).

As long as it was very similar to a LWB / high top Connect, with a towbar, solid bulkhead and roof rack, potentially yes.

What she wants is something that is as roomy as possible whilst not being much wider than yer average car.

Is there such a thing?

Nope, it's used every day.

Nope.

The bottom line is that whilst she lives with us and has no debts and loans she has the opportunity to trying stuff, stuff that she might like (or not, in time) to see if it could be both a viable business and something she actually wants to do for the foreseeable future. If it's not there is nothing stopping her using those experiences to change direction or sell her soul to the man and do something that may pay well but that she enjoys less.

Personally, I / we think she is capable of much much more (she was the 'Highest Girl Achiever at the last year at school and invited to join NAGTY (which she declined)) but it's not for us to decide what she does in / with her life and we think she has achieved quite a lot (the vast majority under her own steam), considering how shy she was not many years ago. So, all we can do is try to help her within her own preferred constraints. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Quite, 'after the first couple of years' ... not something you necessarily want to commit to is you have no idea if there is a business there or you want to stick with it even if there is. ;-)

At least with her van all hers, even if she doesn't have or want the work it's not costing her £xxx / month (over the running costs etc).

And I think she'd keep the van even if she didn't keep the business as she loves driving it. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m
[...]

My Son is a roofing contractor employing a couple of guys. Leasing is a non- starter because it's in the nature of the work that the vans get trashed, and that would incur huge penalties.

He tried running old vans, but the repair costs and lost days were horrendous. He now buys three year-old Transits from a long established van centre. If there are any major nasties in the first six months, they get sorted for free.

He then reckons to get six years out of them at minimal repair costs, and considers them to be of insignificant value at the end of that time.

It's worked out to be the best way for him, and his type of business.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

The drivers/abusers are the problem, luckily my nephew's workers are electricians and are more careful.

Reply to
MrCheerful

One of the best bits of advice my accountant gave (over 35 years ago) was to have two vehicles always available, just in case one has to be repaired/waits for bits. He practised what he preached and had not one, but two of the Van den Plas 4 litre (the Rolls Royce engined one) AFAIK he still has at least one.

Reply to
MrCheerful
[...]

I adopt a similar approach to computers - always have at least two, so you can tinker without worrying about breaking things.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

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