Ice Damage - Possible total loss
 

Hey All,

Wow, twice in two weeks, after so long! I do appreciate your help.

So, 2002 X5 4.6is in Estoril Blue. Say 65K miles. Went to start it, wouldn't start, had it jumped, drove it about 50 feet, it died, and nothing would get it started again. Towed to repair shop. First words out of his mouth "I've totalled cars for this". Brilliant.

In essence, the car sat outside through a few days of ice storms and thaws. Repair shop said that the sunroof drains iced up and water backed up into the electrical system and did extensive damage, it's a lot of work/expense to repair. He said the damage was an insurance claim and that is where we stand.

Never had to deal with anything approaching this with any car, and I CERTAINLY do not want to lose this particular car!! It's one thing it being smashed--it's another to have it sit there and be, in essence, destroyed. I had planned on keeping this thing forever! And I doubt I have any real hope of replacing it reasonably. As the Pet Shop Boys said: it's a sin.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of damage? Any thoughts on the process? Should I get a second opinion on repairs? I'm kind of at a loss here, if insurance won't repair it (for whatever reason) I doubt I can afford to pay to have that kind of work done. Anything to look out for? I am well aware that the other players have different financial and economic incentive than I do, I'm just not sure how and where they come into play.

Any thoughts, musings, tips, tricks, greatly appreciated!!

Are your sunroof drains confirmed clogged? they would have to be to ice up

I'd get a second opinion, 65k Estoril is not something you throw away

~I personally~ haven't confirmed that, the insurance company and shop will confirm it tomorrow.

Rest assured, I do not want to lose this thing!

Thanks.

Take the car to a different shop .... It's imppsibble the "entire" electrical system is damaged to me it sounds like a dead DME and that is replaceable there is a company called bba reman pull out "dead" electronic and have it tested by them $150 for testing

Thank you E38, that is the next step after tomorrow.

I can't really see NOT doing that, regardless of the outcome.

Thanks again.

To be honest if it was me I'd let them total it and keep the X or buy it back and take it to a bmw specialty shop and repair it with that money ... Just another thing to consider

Well, it is at a BMW specialty shop now, so we shall see. I am open to all routes, of course.

The second opinion would be a another local one I trust as well.

So frustrated with this, D'oh!

Thanks again.

Unless you get the car back for next to nothing, you'll end up with a car with a Salvage or rebuilt title. Most people would walk away from a rebuilt or salvage title vehicle, so when you're going to sell the X expect to get next to nothing for it.

Thanks for the heads up! If that is a way to keep it, I'm all over it! I want the ~car~, not its resale value. I haven't read through the "Where are all the 4.6is" thread yet, but this is one, right here.

Frankly, if I ever did sell it, it would be because it was nearly worthless and unreliable.

Well unless I gutted and restored it. I've always thought about cramming some other insane BMW plant in there. Complete money pit.

Thanks.

He would have already received what it was worth when the insurance company cut him a check.

It's a 2002 4.6 and the insurance company is just going to go by what KBB or some other source say the car is worth. Plus once the insurance company total the car and pays the owner, the owner will have to buy the car back from the insurance company. Now after paying out 12,600 (KBB price for private sale) for a 2002 4.6 BMW X5 in excellent conditions the insurance company is not going to sell it to the owner for just a couple of thousands. A 2002 4.6 X5 in fair condition is still worth 11,300. Even if he gets the car back for 10,000 he still needs to figure in the cost to get the car running.

For a Mini Cooper Clubman that I was looking at that had water damages to the electrical system the quote was 3,000 for a new DME and labor to install and code.

Do you know what specifically the water got into?

The point being he'll have already been "compensated" for diminished value because the insurance company will have paid him for the vehicle when (if) they total it. The cost to buy it back, repair it, and eventually resale is irrelevant.

This.

What specific electronic components were damaged?

I believe he already stated he's not sure what was damaged yet, Rush please report back before you make your decision and let us know what's damaged. Don't forget you can always argue the value of your vehicle I had to do so by showing the insurance other forsale ads off auto trader and they bumped the value of my totaled e30 from $4000 to $8000

Am I the only one that don't understand this reasoning????

Insurance companies do not give you back what you think your car is worth, but what they think the car is worth less the "Deductible".

I think we are getting off topic here this isn't an argument on how an insurance claim is done this is just cluttering up this gentlemens thread lol

^ what you said.

A bloke is going through a tough time - let's just support him though it, hey?

Which has nothing to do with diminished value due to buying a vehicle with a salvage title. He will have been made whole by the insurance company when they total the vehicle and he accepts the check. Whether you feel they've offered fair compensation is an entirely different argument.

With that said if he's worried about the diminished value that would come from buying back his vehicle from the insurance company he should not do it. Problem solved.

I see no problem with our discussion. We're not dissing on the OP, faulting him, belittling, or what-have-you. Until the OP has something more to add I see no harm having a side discussion in the thread. Happens all the time.

Sorry you are going through this Rush. Just for teh record, in 2008 my 2001 Acura CLs which had a ton of mods was totaled due to front passenger fender damage & driver rear quarter damage (it was running & driving) but a bit of a mess. They gave me 7800 & I gave back 1600. I parted it for 6500 & sold the hulk for 350 to a scrap yard. KBB in perfect condition at the time for a 100k perfect example was 7800.

Sad, seeing something like this happen (especially to an Estoril,) but it does...

Personally, if this happened to me, I would buy it back if it's totaled, and rebuild it myself as time and funds allow. If it's not totaled, let insurance take care of it.

They are to rare to be ditched! I'm sure you would regret getting rid of it, eventually...

But, I also understand that you need to consider your options, (do you have another vehicle that you can use, etc) and move forward from there...

Sad for you... :bawling:

Not sure if insurance would cover an electrical short caused by a clogged drain line for the sun roof. That would be like saying that insurance should cover the replacement of a car because it ran low on oil and the engine blew up. Plus you would have to carry full coverage and unless you have a loan outstanding on the car who would carry full coverage for a car that is 13 years old?

Point taken. I don't owe anything on mine, and am fully covered. :)

Thank you all!
 

He did say "the module" and I'm assuming that's the DME, I was a little blown away, given I thought it was going to be replacing an alternator or something along those lines. He said that they got it running, but the rear windows were not working at this point.

Luckily (read: irritatingly), the insurance company sent me a pre-emptive email noting the possibility of a full loss. It hasn't talked to the shop, that should happen today.

Assuming that's the case, are there options? Take less than the insurance company would pay for total loss to keep the car, use that and the $1000 deductible to get it repaired cheaper somewhere I trust? Do insurance companies do that? My thought being if they total it, I'm not likely to get a car, hence I am no longer paying anything for insurance. Whereas if it remains on the road, they continue to get paid.

Alternatively, take it to shop number two, and see what insurance company and shop number two conclude?

As in the other thread, http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ere-4-6is.html, here's one! Perfectly functional car, in great shape. Totalling it for a repair bill, a non-physical reason, for labor or replacement parts is ludicrous.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the simple economics, but they do not take into account my personal preferences: keep the car forever.

Thanks.

As an aside, anyone know off-hand what a reliable (number one concern) good-quality '74 or later 2002 would go for?

Thank you, Gentlemen!

Any and all comments or thoughts welcome. I understand how the insurance company will decide, I'm looking to keep the car, repaired. Any ideas that give me more leverage will help, discussions of insurance details included. Please don't hesitate.

Thanks!

I second that...

Thank you for the example, it must have been hard to watch it slowly evaporate before you scrapped it. I'm sorry.

Sheesh, I can't even fathom what the parts are worth alone, that engine? That tranny?

I would assume that if I let the insurance company have it, SOMEONE is going to make quite a bit of money off of it, correct?

Thanks.

Yep, and thank you for your thoughts!

I live in DC, so I probably would not get another car for some time. I don't really need one, but I did keep it because I love THAT car.

I'll be running the numbers as much as they do, probably.

That's not really in question. As far as it was explained to me, the ice (water expands as it freezes) caused damage that otherwise would not have happened. And again, I don't know all the details yet, but it was the icing and ICE that blocked the drains, hence the damage.

The car is long since paid for, and yes, I carry comprehensive for precisely this reason. It's not that expensive per year, and if I had to do this on my own, the car is scrap, no questions asked. Assuming of course, that the bill would run into the 75% range of the value of the car. I don't have that kind of money available to repair it.

That may still be the outcome. I would never have thought to call the insurance company, the shop said it was claimable damage.

Thanks.

Since the car was at their shop shouldn't they bear responsibility for it? After all they could have left a window open or in the case of the Mini Cooper that I was looking at the sun roof was left opened and it happen to storm that night so the water shorted out the brain to the computer. Perhaps the shop is hoping that your insurance company would shoulder the claim and not their. Yes water does expand when it freezes and if the drain line was clogged how would the water get to the front of the car? Most of the time with clogged sun roof drains, the rear cubby is where the water accumulates taking out the stereo amp and any other electrical equipment in the cubby.. I would check the rear cubby area for wetness. Something doesn't seems to add up. I would be more incline to believe that someone may had connect a charger or battery backward when they tried to start the car. It doesn't take but a split nano second to do irreparable damage to the electrical system.

That's also a good question.

I'm gonna be the contrarian here... I don't know that I'd want to own any modern car, let alone a BMW that's got known electrical issues. You could be setting yourself up for a string of expensive failures. If other modules got wet, they might be working OK now, only to slowly corrode from the inside as time passes.

If your insurance company will give you a decent pay out, I'd seriously consider taking it and looking for another 4.6 or 4.8 to replace it with. Don't let an emotional attachment to that particular car cloud your judgement.

It seems odd to me that your car can be destroyed because it is parked outside in a snow storm. Something here does not pass the smell test.

The insurance coverage, if there is any, will be through the comprehensive coverage on the policy. People would carry full coverage on a vehicle that is reasonably valuable and that want to protect the downside cost of an accident that might be their own fault. It makes sense to pay $400 per year for coverage on a car that might be worth $10k to replace. It makes less sense to pay $400 for a car that's worth $5000.

Insurance is about protecting one's own investment/interests. The bank will require you to have insurance, but after your relationship with the bank ends then you still would want to protect yourself, maybe.

Sorry, I was unclear, it was parked outside at home, nothing to do with the repair shop, that came after.

Beyond that, I just don't know yet.

Once I see the outcome, I will post the itemized here.

Ought to be interesting at the very least.

:iagree:

I hope all works out for you....

Ice Damming is what happens to homes when repeated freezing and thawing then water enters the home when it melts under the shingles.

I live in the Northeast with constant ice and melting and never heard of this happen to a car.

Just reading this post and I'm sure I'm missing something but it seems the damage might have come from the jump start and shorted something maybe after the car was running for a while with something still hooked up.

Insurance covers perils like "fire" theft-vandalism for comprehensive. Generally they pay out when you collide with an object and damage results. So you would have to look into your policy, I don't think there is any coverage but that's me and I hope I'm wrong.

I don't know why the shop would come out and say that they total cars for that. Maybe your shop wants your car to sell and take it from you cheap. If it where me I would absolutely bring it to another shop quickly so they don't add storage and find out what failed and why and the total cost.

I don't mean do be a downer and I hope everything I said is wrong...truly.

Thank you very true, and something to consider of course. I'm still in the "WTF?" stage. Things will change when I see the repairs in detail.

Completely. Before this, I figured that I would have to reconsider comprehensive in the next year or two.

Options are guesses until you know what needs to be fixed or replaced and the resulting determination of the insurance company.

Assuming that it is running means it is running fine and only problem they can find now is the rear windows don't go down, it doesn't sound like it will be totaled.

I would get a second opinion especially if it is considered a total loss. Depending on what is wrong, labor cost could make quite a difference from one shop to another.

Thanks for the points, you're right.

When I went to start it, I got interior lights, the usual start up routine, plus solenoid, so I knew it wouldn't start. No reason to keep trying that.

Jump: He hooked up the battery pack (correctly), car started first key turn in the time it took him to get from the hood to the key, I pulled it out of the parking space took it no farther than 25 yards, and it died while in drive.

After that? Nothing. No interiors, no locks, warning flashers, no solenoid.

No worries about being a downer, rather cover all the bases. I can't fathom that the insurance company would go see it after talking to the shop if they thought it a snowball's chance in hell that it would be covered. Frankly, I'm sure the inspector and the shop know each other well. Good working relationship anyway.

His point about totaling it was not that he would be totaling it, but that the cost to repair would amount to the same thing.

I would check the connection to the battery, could be that somehow when the jump cable was removed from the jump terminal, the voltage spike from the alternator might have fried a cable such as the BST terminal. You can just use a test light to see if the battery is supplying current to car. A test light connected to the jump terminal should easily determine if the battery is still connected to the car.

Got it, thank you. Let's see what they come back with!

It's still very possible that it's something battery or alternator related. I can't imagine it's what they said....but maybe. Totaled? I doubt it.

As others have said, I would certainly get a second or third opinion. It can't hurt. It may be very minor.

Good luck and keep us posted for sure.

One thing to do is you can negotiate with your insurance company on the value. You can look at some of my old posts. I had some one hit my rear quarter panel. Took 6 months to get repaired as there where NONE available in the world. Headquarters in Germany had a back order of 27 of them. Any way, I spoke with my insurance, noted that this was not a typical X5. Said to do search for comparable 03 Estoril 4.6is with piano black interior trim and factory tow hitch and my miles. They ended up covering repairs up to $12700. This was in 2013. Receipts, and research are your friend.

When you get this sorted you should meet us at a cars and coffee in Fairfax got a good group of M's and X's that come out if your into that. My x is your twin.

Good luck in getting this sorted quick!

Definitely will, no news today.

I hope you're right, and thanks!

I will read through them. Any in particular that you would recommend? Did you ask them to do the search, did they balk at doing so?

Six months? Sheesh. But heartening to know that it worked out!

Brilliant, sounds good! Should have done that long ago, frankly.

Have any recommendations for second opinions in the area?

I did my research and spoke with my adjuster. I did not have to pursue it farther, but was ready to do so.
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ppy-4-6is.html
Looking back, I didn't post a lot of details.

Great, thanks for posting though, some good suggestions in that thread too.

Just waiting now. I'll post whatever I get from the insurance company here; ought to be interesting, regardless of the outcome.

A number of you have mentioned that, given a total loss, I could take less from the insurance company than they would pay, in essence buying it from them, and get it repaired.

Why then, must there be a salvage title? It wouldn't be salvaged. Is that just SOP? A legal requirement? Them fixing my hash knowing that it crushes resale value?

Thoughts?

Anytime an insurance company pay out for a "total car" the insurance in reality is buying back the car from the owner so the title is given back to insurance company. The state that issue the title will reissue the title as a salvage title to the insurance company. This is to protect the public from buying use cars that has been in serious collisions and suffer structural damages to the unibody or frame. I'm sure people have seen cars dog tracking down the road even though the exterior appears to be in good condition, but the chassis has suffer damages that was never corrected.

You can buy back a salvage title vehicle, but can't get plates for it until it has been inspected. Once the vehicle pass inspection it is issued a "Rebuilt Title" not a "clear title". Some people have laundered rebuilt title by applying for title in states that only issue salvage and clear title.

But a Carfax will note that the vehicle was issued a salvage and rebuilt title as part of it history.

Here a link to some additional info on salvage title.

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/na.../05/240841.htm

Great, thank you. I'll check into DC rules if it comes to that.

Sheesh, and electrical problem and it gets a salvage title. Unreal.

Not sure I agree with the bolded (by me) statement. Once the water evaporates, how will it corrode further? Also, this is sweet water, no salt water, where the salt can stay on components (after the water evaporates) and can be activated by condensation.

Rush, you said you drove a bit after which the car totally shut down. I haven't looked into my e53, but in my e39 the positive cable has a device that blows up or melts in case of an accident or some other "bad" occurrences, so as to shut down totally the electricity going to anything that could spark fuel. Check that out too. Also, the guys are into something hopefully when they said to check all electrical connections - go from there.
Check ALL your drains - front & rear, and try to see if there's any trace where it could have pooled and caused the damage - it might point you in the right direction, if this is the case. Also, on the e39 (and I'm not sure if the e53 has the same layout), in the front - passenger side, under the carpet, there is another big fuse box and these can get buggered up anytime water makes it's way through. Maybe lay your hand on a Bentley to see where all the fuse boxes & computer parts are located - you can eliminate those that aren't in the way of the water passage (from drains) - but I would also check the door vapor barriers - if these break, water gets in the car as well.

BST cable Battery Safety Terminal.

The issue with corrosion on circuit boards and electronic components later down the line following water damage is in fact a very legitimate and realistic concern.

Yes actually he's a BMW fanatic and previous 4.6is owner, M5 owner and m3 owner etc. Good guy and very helpful and knowledgeable. Given current weather not sure how accessible he will be short term.

• Martin Motorsport (Gary Martin)
• 460 S Pickett St
  Alexandria, VA 22304
• 703 823 9735

:iagree:

Thank you both!
 

I believe I called Martin for something, quite some time ago.

Thank you for the recommendation!

Anytime. Good luck sorting all this out I think you really need to understand WHAT components are impacted first...all this about insurance is pointless until you understand the facts.

Absolutely right.

We'll see what happens, I haven't seen it (well, inside it), an estimate, or a parts list.

Thank you.

Most of us VA posters are local to you and we can offer some assistance. I do not know what shop you are using as they maybe a little overwhelmed when looking under the spare tire and seeing all the electrics located down there.

It is certainly not the end of the world and your not the first one to get water in the spare tire/Battery well. With the out side tempos being in the +-20 degree range, now is a great time to chop it out!

I would drop in on the shop today see what is happening and get their thoughts on cause and effects. Then make the decision to move the vehicle or .....

Thanks, Stephen, I really do appreciate it, everyone here has always been great! I read here quite a bit; searching generally answers any questions I need answered. Post when I need to, of course, usually for opinion calls like this one.

Shop is closed today, I haven't mentioned specific details as one never knows who is reading this board, but there is no doubt that most of you know the shop as well as Martin. Though, given the damage, the vehicle in question, and the location, anyone involved could likely figure out I was the owner seeking help here.

To take it a step further, assume the shop was accurate in the damage assessment, is there a preventative fix going forward? Okay, drains iced, water backed up, fine. Is there an actual fix, a MacGyver fix, something?

Frankly, like I said, I should have hooked up with a bunch of you guys a long time ago. That is going to change. Back when I had my first car in Chicago, a '74 2002, local BMW friends were amazing! The rod through the block, however, surpassed us. When I was in the Army, a fellow soldier raced superbikes. A bunch of us pitched in as crew, he'd wad it up, we'd half-ass it back together (lots of desire, a little knowledge, some sort of Bentley, and no experience) and get him ready for the next run. Heh.

Thanks again for your thoughts!

Monday morning. Let's see what happens today.

Curious also how long you had your estoril and where did you acquire it

PLUS subscribed to see results of the shops analysis Good Luck!

Let's see, got it in either late '06 or early '07, I want to say 38K miles. One owner, lil' ol' lady from Long Island. All records, taken care of, et cetera.

We hadn't planned on it, but it was too good to pass up!

Comprehensive covered replacement of my engine harness ($1837) after high water intrusion during a heavy rainstorm, so it's quite possible he could be compensated in that manner too. He would need to demonstrate the damage occurred under the extreme circumstances of the weather at the time.

I've found that maintaining full coverage, even on a 13 year old vehicle with 273,000 miles on it is still worthwhile as long as it is in good condition. And since mine has never seen any salt and has been "BMW maintained", I have only needed to emphasize its true replacement value with my insurance agent in the event of a claim.

2002 X5 3.0 273,500 miles
2004 325i 118,000 miles

Oh good a long term owner sounds like a good find. Im a recent new comer only 1.5 years and 49k. Hope this settles quickly and your able to join the rest of the DMV crew when weather also warms a bit too

No idea why I haven't so far.

Looking forward to it!

Any updates?

Bastards!
 

No, I emailed the insurance company yesterday, thank you for asking.

Trying not to be bothersome, though it surprises me that it is taking this long.

Is the shop not doing an assessment of the impacted components or they waiting for the adjuster to show and do it at same time?

Insurance was there to see the vehicle on Tuesday, 03 March, from there I have not heard another word.

D'oh!

I have not read the entire thread but what insurance company are you using ?

In all my experieneds, the shop already has a # by the time the adjuster arrived. What ~adjustments~ that need to be agreed upon, it is usually done right on the spot with the shop. The adjuster generally has called me with a update on how much $ when he is at the shop or just the same day, depending on how mobile/appoitments he has.

I've never had such a delay.

"Always with the negative waves," --Oddball
 

And like I said, I'm trying not to be a pain, I need its help, not its cold calculations. Heh.

Meh. I was leaving details out to preserve the innocent, but what does it matter, really? Either the adjuster or the shop would recognize the car as being in the one in their charge almost instantly if they read this thread.

USAA. I will call tomorrow if I haven't heard anything today.

The car is not at a body shop though, so they probably do not deal with insurance adjustments and therefore will not have drafted an estimate. This means that the adjuster has to show up and make a list of the damaged components/parts so he can calculate the repair costs, then weigh the results against the value of the car.

I find it very odd that this discussion is even happening. The problem is reportedly a clogged roof drain that resulted in shorted electronics so badly that the car is a total loss. Something here does not pass the smell test, and until there is clarification on exactly what happened, and why, it really is useless to talk about what is or is not covered by insurance.

Am I missing something?

For any insurance coverage, the OP needs to have comp. coverage. Liability will not address this, nor will collision.

Yes. Many of the posts in this thread.

:thumbup:

Rush -

I briefly browsed this thread.

In my experiences, it's always best to have the car at *your shop* and let the adjust and shop work it out. Granted, if you do the latter, and then bring it to the shop, they can file for adjusments, etc - but that just becomes more time increased/delay in the repair.

The shop, if they are decent, will have their initial estimate and then *haggle it out* with the adjuster for items that they think they should be covered for/paid for, and the adjuster does not see it as such....

Yeah, it pads the shops pockets a bit but it does ensure a thorough repair.
This is my experience with at least on the collision/bodywork side of things.

Your situation is unique.....in that it's more electronics, but it should in theory be still cheaper than a loss..

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it. Those are what I'm thinking.

The car is at the shop, got there Saturday, 28 Feb., USAA saw it on 03 Mar., and I have not heard anything. I did email on Wednesday, and if I do not hear anything today, tomorrow I'll call.

Heh.

Update:

After a call and an email yesterday, this appeared in my online account, "Mr. Spiny-Norman, I have set the payment by check up which should be getting sent out today."

Which ended nine+ days of wondering. It does seem that it is being repaired, but the shop is closed. I will get the repairs list ASAP and post it here.

Very excited to have the car back! Well, minus the deductible.

Stay tuned...

Cool see ya in April at the C&C then

Very excited for you as well! Can't wait to hear what parts went into her...

You do know that it's mandatory to post some pics of your estoril?! I'll report your butt to the moderators if you don't! :)

Congrats!!

Thank you, thank you all, for all your comments, tips, etc.

I still am interested in seeing all that was done, and I would love to hear your ideas as well.

Soon, my Pretties, soon!

Most certainly, is there a when and where yet or a website?

Thanks, looking forward to it!

I will, I will.

Let me get it back first, HA!

maybe not...

if vehicle is 10yrs or older and you have he title....when you total a car at this age....mostlikely the DMV won't even ask for your title...

i totaled a 2000 e46 bought it back and sold it with clean title due to its over 10yrs old car....atleast here in NJ you can guarantee that...

i had geico and New Jersey Car...both went in my favor.

Keep an eye out on this thread. My screen name is same in that forum, when I finish some tweaks to it and weather is more constant Ill be out

Cars & Coffee - Fair Lakes, VA (Sunday's) - BMW M5 Forum and M6 Forums

EDIT: did they give you an estimate when it would be done?

Hey All,

Sorry for the delay. Quite a bit of a whirlwind!

And so, it is finished. Approximately $6K, and I will pick it up tomorrow, along with the work order which will get posted here.

As I said, last Friday late I heard it was done. Fine. Then I get a note from USAA that it was sending me a check for about $600. I reply that the bill was $6K, and that I would not have filed an insurance claim for a $1.6K repair.

Not fun--was there miscommunication between the shop and USAA? Would I owe the difference? As it turns out, USAA sent the bulk of the payment to the shop, and the lil check to me. No idea how that happened, but did.

So, hopefully tomorrow I can get the bill posted. Should be interesting at the very least!

Great, thank you.

I will be there soon!

If I understand the conditions correctly I think that could be a standard practice send them (the shop) enough to execute most of the work but send remaining to you to ensure the work is done and done to your satisfasction providing a little leverage to the shop and you sign over the check to them when your satisfied. In construction terminology I believe its called a "holdback", same principle.

What work was performed?

:iagree: Inquiring minds want to know

BUMP for an update and the promised pics..!:popcorn:

I think the OP has all he wanted on info and off with life. He will return when he hits another bump in the road of ownership.

Well, the bump in the road of life was/is merging Halliburton and Baker Hughes and 90+ hour weeks. Which has, along with killing me, left me zero time to do much else. I didn't get to meet up with any locals this year, bupkis. Another topic for another forum.

The bump in the road of ownership was, no surprise, window failures. Both driver's side windows, and Bosch wiper blade issues. Luckily, the electrical tape I used to cover the driver's window pulled off a 1.5" x 2.5" patch of Estoril Blue from the front of the door along the front window support. Any threads or suggestions for DIYing that repair?

I *hope* to get the old repairs listed and some pics soon. I do appreciate everyone's help, of course!

Thank you again!

Welp, finally got a moment to go through the invoices, and minus the little fiddly bits, here's what was replaced. I had scanned them ages ago but I can't find them. Ironically, it was another big storm that shut down DC that gave me the time to check. Go figure.

Frame, sliding roof $1450
Sliding roof motor $463
Sliding piece x 2 $62
Fuse panel $264, water dripping out
Basic module $512, water dripping out

To recap, a couple of ice storms and thaws over the course of a few days almost sent it down the rabbit hole.

At some point I'd like to look up prices and see how they compare, but the insurance company didn't seem to sweat it after a bit of prodding. I'm not sure if insurance companies take the time to look at part prices anyway.

On a related note, while the car was under the watchful care of a friend, the following was done a few weeks ago:

Valve cover gasket set
Valve cover seal washers
Intake manifold cover
Intake manifold casket/gasket (sic)
Serpentine belts
Master cylinder
Brake booster
Low control arms

It's at less than 65K miles or so, any ideas what else I should be looking for at this point or in the near future?

I'm aware of the hat trick of warnings if that gear underneath goes out. I'm aware of the expensive timing chain(?) repair even if I do it myself, though I'm not sure of how to know when that is necessary, so I'll have to read up on that.

Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks again, everyone, for all of your help. This car would long since left us without your advice and comments.