So the van broke down and got towed home, seems as if its an engine problem, just spent a bit of cash on it at christmas, the diesel van is 2006 and done 176,000 miles, passed its mot in december ok, had 2 new tyres as well as new AGR and other stuff, so repair or replace /scrap.Body work ok no rust and drove ok.

I’d be tempted to fix it up. There seems a real shortage of them at the mo and anything that resembles a van seems to be snapped up to convert. Dont kons the extend of the issues though obvs and I would do any fixing up myself once mechanically ok and if the body work is ok it sounds like it may be salvageable.

Depends, is it a 5 minute sensor replacement or has the camshaft eaten itself?

Engine problem isn’t a diagnosis.

Only once you know the issue can you make that choice….unless by engine problem you mean the crank no longer turns and the pistons are fused to the block

From your description of the problem, it could be anything from a loose battery terminal to a hole in the side of the block.

Get it looked at or try some DIY diagnosis (Google assisted) before making a decision.

What van and what’s the problem?

Rust is the only thing that kills vehicles for me – anything mechanical is fixable but I do my own spannering.

Depends on the cost of repair/value of van vs how much it’ll be to buy a replacement, I’m in the same boat as my 07 Caddy is needing some imminent work doing.

What van is it?
Is it Galvanised? Is the body in good nick, is the interior in good nick?

Second hand Vans are megabucks these days due to Vanker-can conversions.
Worst case, you have to buy a recon engine and swap it over but i dont think that’s as expensive as you might think, and then youre back to 000 miles (sort of)

So the van broke down and got towed home, seems as if its an engine problem

Same here, I think I cooked the head!
I’m going with the scrap option as if I need another head that’ll be getting near to the value of the van.

This is getting exciting, schrodingers van.

Get it properly diagnosed – if its beyond what you’d want to pay to repair its not necessarily beyond what anyone else would consider worth repairing (especially with the current demand for vans)

If you need to replace it with another van to keep working then… good luck finding one that’s good value, if you can find anything good at all. You’ll want to maximise the value you can get from the one you’ve got to offset the current distorted market price for replacements. Get a meaningful diagnosis and advertise it describing exactly whats wrong with it and it will sell. When you look at what you get for your money for second hand vans currently you may decide paying for repair is the more attractive option.

I planned to replace my van at the beginning of last year – still driving the old (14 year old / 250k) one because even swallowing big repair bills to keep it going its still better value than anything I could buy to replace it.

The arse will fall out of the market at some point – a van bought at current prices isn’t going to be an investment. The point will come where they all depreciate significantly so I wouldn’t be buying now unless I had no choice to.

Same here, I think I cooked the head!

What does that even mean? Head gasket failed?

I’m going with the scrap option as if I need another head that’ll be getting near to the value of the van.

But if it needs a simple repair that costs buttons it’d be worth doing, so you proposing scrapping it on what you suspect might be the worst case scenario without any actual diagnosis. Sounds like you are just trying to justify to yourself buying a new van TBH.

I’d be surprised if the heads scrap…

Skim it or get a 2nd hand head?

Agree with the comments above, I have a van in need of an engine rebuild, because my van is in overall good condition it’s worth spending a couple of thousand on it as every van I’ve looked at is either way over priced or looks like it’s been driven through a hedge…a few times. I did manage to find a nice little Corsa van in excellent condition for good money to fill the gap while I wait for mine to be fixed I might even keep it as it does 80mpg and £150 to insure.

What does that even mean? Head gasket failed?

I’ve been running it for ages with a leaky head gasket, it seriously overheated and cut out, and now turns over but won’t start. Gasket has probably blown big time, or the head has warped with the heat.

But if it needs a simple repair that costs buttons it’d be worth doing

I agree with that, and it probably is worth doing, but I’ve got so much on my plate at the moment with work and home stuff that I can’t find the motivation or time to do it. It also needs 2 new tyres, discs and pads, new exhaust, and probably new suspension arms. I’d rather punt it out cheap and let someone with the time put it right. I shouldn’t have said scrap it, I should’ve said sell it.

As stated get it checked over by a competent person, it may well be it is an economical repair. Better the van you know sometimes.

The prices of second hand vans shocked me a couple of Months ago, my old 62 plate Vito LWB that I thought was worth buttons are fetching over 4K. I’d been thinking I’d be lucky to clear 2k…..

@project repair it mate!

I bought a van (2012 Transit Connect) on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning the turbo went. Now fighting with the seller to get him to fix it, I thought it was going to be less trouble buying one than fixing the old one 😭

Now fighting with the seller to get him to fix it,

Dealer …just return it.

Will ring the garage thats looked after it for last 15 years, and rang insurance co, and insurance only 100 quid more than before, even though i dont have a no claims bonus on it but am willing to use same compapny.

Totally agree van prices have gone mad, and car prices gone down for older cars, like the one i bought, will look to getting it fixed, everyone seems to be blaming VANAZON and VANODEL for the huge price rises on vans.

Oh and van is a fiat doblo.If anyone wants to make an offer,good interior and bodywork, new tyres x 2, new EGR and other stuff,new fan belt and pulleys, roof rack,steel bulkhead

rang insurance co, and insurance only 100 quid more than before, even though i dont have a no claims bonus on it but am willing to use same compapny.

What have the insurance company got to do with a breakdown? Did you actually find out what’s wrong with it?

Used the full no claims on the car,and they dont insure vans, and a few comapnies want allow any full no claims on 2 vehicles, thus car insured with one company A and van going to be insured with another company B who accept my partial no claims bonus, company B wheree more expensive to insure the car and van together for some reason.

Breakdown was nothing to do with insurance cos, just new insurance policies needed.

Havent had chance to get garage out to tow van in.