Debt Free by 40 Debt Diary

oakdale_minx

About £50 plus fitting I won't be able to afford to get the cam belt done until I get next months' AQA money, but that should last until then......famous last words......

Haven't scratched it yet........did think about giving it a good kick........although the back corner of the bumper has a white scuff on it, which appeared literally the day after I bought it......OH noticed it and instantly blamed me - I had only been to work and back so maybe somebody caught me, but it definitely wasn't me!!!

ZTD

oakdale_minx wrote:

About £50 plus fitting I won't be able to afford to get the cam belt done until I get next months' AQA money, but that should last until then......famous last words......

How much was the cam belt going to be? Is that to replace, or just to loosen?

oakdale_minx wrote:

Haven't scratched it yet........did think about giving it a good kick........although the back corner of the bumper has a white scuff on it, which appeared literally the day after I bought it......OH noticed it and instantly blamed me - I had only been to work and back so maybe somebody caught me, but it definitely wasn't me!!!

That counts. Don't worry about it - the thing breaking and the scratch happens by magic. It's the Bad Fairy Of Car Changing (:whistle:) that does it.

Trust me. Would I lie to you?

Diamondgirl

Hiya OM

Like a few others I just happened upon your diary and have now read it start to finish. Was very interesting and compulsive reading! I was glued

Most of all wanted to know whether you'd dumped that less than fully supportive OH yet?? ..... I dont have one at the mo but can relate to what yr experiencing. Cheered when you sent him packing when he wouldnt come to bed!!!

Good luck with the bank charges ...... Im thinking of claiming mine so it was interesting to see how you were getting on!

Hope yr feeling better soon (the pills normally take at least 3 weeks to kick in fully)

oakdale_minx

Apparently the cam belt is £80!!!!!!!! My OH went a bit mad when he heard as he's replaced them himself and apparently they literally cost a few pounds.

Went on to the Europarts website and the pump is £23 plus VAT. If I had got around to buying a Haynes manual I reckon my OH could change it, but I didn't think i'd need one so soon

Have to say ZTD I think the scuff did appear by magic, it was all very odd where it appeared from.

Wonder if it is bad form to firmly squash the Bad Fairy of Car Changing under my size 7 heels........

Hi Diamond girl!

I'm always surprised when I see people have read my ramblings.

No, I haven't dumped him yet, but I have to say that it won't need much to push me.

Sat yesterday and looked at right move at properties back up north. I could buy a 3 bedroom semi with the equity in my property, live mortgage free and just work to pay the essentials then save all the rest. It suddenly felt tempting yesterday when I sat and thought about how I seem to lurch from one month to the next.

The car is going in to the garage in the morning. My OH has said he will 'pay something towards it........' I'm not going to hold my breath to be honest.....

ZTD

oakdale_minx wrote:

Apparently the cam belt is £80!!!!!!!! My OH went a bit mad when he heard as he's replaced them himself and apparently they literally cost a few pounds.

They're not "just" a few pounds - depends which kind - £20 is reasonable. Though I have seen them for £70.

If he's that keen - he can do it.

oakdale_minx wrote:

Went on to the Europarts website and the pump is £23 plus VAT. If I had got around to buying a Haynes manual I reckon my OH could change it, but I didn't think i'd need one so soon

Well - time to buy one.

oakdale_minx wrote:

Have to say ZTD I think the scuff did appear by magic, it was all very odd where it appeared from.

Wonder if it is bad form to firmly squash the Bad Fairy of Car Changing under my size 7 heels........

You hoovered up the Good Fairy of Good Luck - you'll be getting a name for yourself. Fairy Killer...

But that Fairy should be long gone, unless she has the "Trial of the Minor Prang" in store for you...

newcook

oakdale_minx wrote:

Apparently the cam belt is £80!!!!!!!! My OH went a bit mad when he heard as he's replaced them himself and apparently they literally cost a few pounds.

if your OH fitted it can he not loosen it for you?

Queen_B_3

Sorry to hear that you are having car trouble with your new one. I can't believe the new cam belt is going to be that much. I had one done on my old car last year and it was only £25 including fitting.

Hope you are feeling more cheery soon!

DavidHM

VW timing belt parts are cheap, but difficult to get at. £80 is a very reasonable price because it's quite likely to be three hours' labour.

Getting the water pump and timing belt done at the same time might be cheaper than doing them separately - so if you have to pay £100 now rather than £150 over two months, it's worth it unless you'll end up being stung with bank charges.

oakdale_minx

The car went into the garage this morning and is still there.

He said he wouldn't be able to look at it until tonight, which isn't a problem as I can get a lift to work tomorrow. He said he would have a look first before spending a load of money on it - he's a good bloke! He did say that if I didn't hear from him it was 'just' the water pump. So as I haven't heard I am trying to be positive that is 'all' it is.

My mum and dad are staying at the moment and my dad wants to pay £50 towards it. They can't really afford it themselves so I wouldn't be happy taking the money from them.

Will be keeping everything crossed until I get the call that it is just the water pump (although that might make walking difficult!!!!!!!)

oakdale_minx

The car is still in the garage and won't be ready until tomorrow.........the work is going to be around £100 plus VAT......gulp.......

They've stripped out the pump and whilst replacing it found the source of the burning smell and the smoke - he had said he was concerned that there was this smell as a broken water pump never smells of burning rubber. Apparently some pulley that drives the belt had no grooves on it so they've ordered that from VW and it will arrive tomorrow.....means nothing to me!!!

My OH will moan and whinge at me paying that amount, BUT, the water pump was £50 plus the labour, the pulley thingy is £9 and if my OH had done the work, I would have needed to buy a manual (£15 from ebay), and he wouldn't have had the expertise to know about the bit that was burning, so I would still have had the problem .

The only down side is that the reason it went in to the garage was the burning smell and the smoke and it is this pulley that was causing it.

The bearings on the water pump were shot away but I guess I might have got away with not replacing that for now after all although who is to say it might have then gone next week - they had to remove the water pump to find the burning smell anyway!

Hey ho.....