Got rearended........Guy has no insurance.........I have uninsured motorist coverage..........They say my car is going to end up totalled because of its low blue book value...........What the hell am I gonna do. Ok, Im guessing that $1400 is where the cut off line for totalling out the car is. My bumper cover isnt dented but the paint is completely ruined. My exhaust was pushed a foot under my car crimping it damn near shut! So with just those 2 things and labor they are guessing around $800. But I know something else is wrong........ When Im in gear driving and I let off the gas.......I hear this really load whining noise coming from the rear end. But if I let off the gas and put it in nuetral it isnt as load................So basically the sound is amplified by the car being in gear........When out of gear it still makes the noise but you can barely hear it.. What is wrong???? What should I do????

 

Sorry to hear that. Yet, another reason why I want a daily driver besides the IROC.

 

Sounds like your rear end is also ruined. Did the crash move the axle? Sounds like you got more problems than you can see.

 

buddy of mine rearended me in my 88..in a huge truck. didnt hurt my car tho the clear coat was already screwed up on it so i didnt wait for the cops or anything we just took off. sorry to hear yours didnt turn out as well as mine did,.

 

Look and see if any of the LCA's or the panhard bar might be bent, that could put the rearend in a bind and cause noise. If you like the car and if the rear quarters are still straight I wouldn't let them total the car, sounds like a good time to do some mods to me.

 

Yeah, its strange.....my bumper isnt dented at all... but the exhaust went a foot under my car. Im hoping the noise is the exhuast pipe touching the body and echoing or something. Im screwed if it is the rear end. If the insurance company starts playing games Im going to introduce them to some of the nice Air Force Attorneys Then there butthole might loosen up a little.

 

What are LCA's???? Whats the panhard bar???? Man Im an idiot!! Any body have a pic of these things he's talking about?

 

I'm a bigger idiot...I don't know what a camera is or how to take pictures!! Whats the lens????

Someone post a picture of a camera!! Draw arrows so I'll know what to push!! How much pixel resolution will I gain if I burn a custom chip for my camera???? What kind of download times will I get????

:lala:

 

I hope your joking cuz I wasnt. Try Office Depot or Kinkos for that chip...

 

Sorry to hear that man, I hope everything works out ok for ya

 

Thanx I appreciate it. Im sure it will work out......If not then I will just have to make sure a MERCEDES is behind me next time...

 

Sorry to hear about your car, I've only had mine (90 IrocZ 700r4 305 TPI) just shy of 2 months.
But I hate to tell ya, those "air force lawyers" won't do much but give you some "guidance". I found out a few years ago, I've been in the USAF just shy of 20 years.
If you really love your car, don't let them total it...

 

I wont..........Im just gonna have them fix what they can and I will fix the rest myself. Its my only car and ill be damned if I lose it. But If I ever find that guy Im going to take a huge payment out of his @ss!!! Well I would like to anyways!

 

I don't have a pic but I can discribe them a little:
LCA's = Lower control arms, are located under rearend 1 on each side and attach rearend to the body and keep it from moving forward or backward, Panhard bar is a bar that attaches to the back of the rearend on the passenger side and then angles upwards and hooks into the body, it keeps the rearend from moving side to side.

 

The panhard (also known as a track bar) bar connects the body to the rear end and keeps the rear end in place side to side wise. It's behind the rear end. The left side connects to rear end, and the right side (a little higher than left side) connects to the body.
The LCAs (lower control arms) are in front of the rear end on each side, out near the wheels. They connect the rear end to the body to keep rear end in place front to back wise.
While your under there, check the torque arm.
It conencts the rear end to the rear of the tranny and keeps the rear end from twisting. It runs right beside the driveshaft.

I've been rear ended twice in my Z.
Both times by women.
Both times, the ladies were looking over their shoulder to make a lane change, and WHAM.
Both times, the insurance tried to total car.

I explained I had done a lot of work on the car and it was more valuable than what blue book stated.
If they tell you they want to total it, simply tell them that's unaccaptable to you. Be firm but polite. Works for me.

 

Now, if they decide that your car is totalled, and they send you a cheque for the blue book amount of your car, do you get to keep your car?
I don't understand why somebody would have the right to take your car, but I hear a story told unclearly about one guy that had something similar happen to him. He said his car was totaled, the insurance company took it, and when he saw it at the junkyard (his freshly "totalled" car), the employees were dirt-tracking it around the yard.
I think I'd probably lose my mind. Heads would roll.
I read it on the boards, so maybe the guy that told the story will chime in, but back to my original question: Would the insurance company take my car if it's "totalled"?

 

NO NO NO............If they total it......It just means that the damage is greater than what the car blue books at.........So they give me blue book value. If your car gets totalled and you have a loan on it then you have to put that money towards the loan. But I dont have a car loan so Im fine. I can just put that check into the car. Thats why Im thinking about doing the exhaust work myself. It would save money. But Im hoping to figure out what this noise is.

 

You know you can refuse the settlement and tell them to fix it and if they won't you can sue your own insurance company to make them fix it. Same thing happened to my brother and he refused to take a totalled settlement for Blue Book and not the actual value of the car (69 Chevelle SS 396). So he forced them to fix it. If I was in your shoes insist on them fixing it or giving you what it is truly worth. If they won't talk to a lawyer most will talk to you for free the first visit. As much as I hate lawyers I hate Insurance companies worse.

 

well I get free lawyers...... one benefit of being in the Air Force.

 

And remember, You get what you pay for. As mentioned above, those AF lawyers can only offer advice.

~M~ <--------12 years USAF.....Civilian for 10 and counting.

 

Yes I know but it beats paying for it.

 

if you wanna save money for the time being i have a stock exhaust setup you can have.

 

You can always keep the salvage on a totaled car you just have to ask. I work for an ins company and thats how progressive handles it. They offer a price for a total if they keep the salvage or if you keep it. Most insurance companys will have a range they pay for a veh. ex lets say the car is between 2000 and 4000 kelly blue book value the ins company will offer 2000 they dont want to spend more money then they have to. Always ask for more and be persistant but nice. If all else fails hire a good lawyer and let them deal it out for you. I try to sue the guy who hit you also. You may never get a dine but it is the principal that matters. People who dont carry ins are a holes. And if you carrying state min watch out hit 3 cars and have them cost 20000 each and total them all with ohio 12.5/25/7.5. Now you only have 7.5 in property damage now you will be sued!!! Remember the squeky wheel gets the grease dont give up.

Good luck from the guy that works for the bad guy the ins company

 

91blkta I really didnt get what you were saying but I know that I cant let them total my car. The guy was trying to say that my car is worth $1500...........which is I have put way to much into the car to lose it on something stupid like this. If it was my fault I could understand but This guy hit me!! I will be polite but I wont accept totalling it as an answer. Then my bad side will come out!

 

SSE,

This is not legal advice, just observation.

Do a little Bronx accent with me:

"Lawyers? Fo'git abo't it.... One of those old spare seeing eye AGM's in their board room oughta get some of their attention...."


Anyway, I'm not sure of the all variations in state laws across the country, but several states at least allow for an owner to maintain title to the vehicle in a "total loss" settlement when the vehicle is over 10 years old. Washington may be similar. If this were the case, the title would never change hands and therefore would never reflect the "Salvaged" designation. You get their best settlement offer, which is negotiable, of course, and keep the car.

I had to wait three months and drag my feet to settle on a totalled Fiero. They ended up paying me $2,475.00 for the little POS and I got to keep it. I repaired it for half of that in materials, kept the rest for my time. All I had to do was substantiate my claim that the car had more than KBB resale value. Records and receipts made that pretty easy. I eventually sold it for closer to what THEY were offering at first, the Blue Book value of $1,500. Pretty good for a car that I had bought for $800 six years earlier. So don't think that their first offer is their final one. As the claim drags on, they will get more anxious to settle so they can close the file under pressure from their supervisors. You don't want to screw them too badly, since it is YOUR insurance company and they'll find a way to get it back somehow. Just hold out for something more appropriate.

As for the noise, check the rear end, including the torque arm and mountings. The impact could have broken the arm loose, allowing the axle to twist. The twisting on decelleration would tend to pull the driveshaft rearward and could be binding the universal joint at the rear, causing noise and shudder. You might also get some howl from the pressure on the input pinion shaft in the axle. I'd avoid driving it as much as possible until you can get a good look at the driveline.

I'll try to post a diagram or two of the rear suspension as soon as I find them in my mess.

Good luck, and please put down and step away from the AGM - slowly. Thank you...

 

If the bumper cover's fine, seems like you got hit pretty low; don't know why they'd total the car. If it's just the rear suspension that's messed up, you can probably find everything you need from a junkyard. As long as the frame (or car!) itself isn't bent downward, you could bolt up new LCA's and the track bar and track bar brace (above the trackbar, right to left, right side is a bushing, left side is 3 bolts) and axle. I wonder if the torque arm took a good shot, and if the trans got hurt.

 

This is off the subject... but I
was laughin my *** off..

When Vader post replies, as I am reading
them I read it imagining Darth vaders voice talkin it.. Because he has that pic, and his name and stuff, I can never read his post or replies without hearing the voice of vader in my head.. hahahaha

ok.. so Im weird!

 

Vader----I would appreciate that diagram.
TomP-----I did get hit low. The exhaust system is shot and I need a new bumper cover.......If thats all thats wrong Im fine. But the noise is what scares me. If they have to fix something else on top of that then Its going to come close to getting totaled. And I dont know jack about replacing parts such as the rearend. Im hoping its something to do with the exhaust.......But why would the exhaust make that noise only in gear while decellerating. But everyone seems to be leaning towards the LCAs and track bar so.....Maybe thats it. Keep your fingers crossed guys!

 

I wonder if your exhaust's intermediate pipe (between muffler and cat) is rubbing against the driveshaft?

 

Could that be it?

 

My muffler is way up in the front of the car. I post a diagram(ghetto one) in a sec

 

here it is

 

Here is a better one!!!

 

as you can see the exhaust got crimped shut and created an s shaped pipe. So I dont know if that is the only major problem or not. It doesnt seem like I got hit hard enough for it to do any internal damage. But that noise has to be something.

 

Take it to a shop and have them put it on a lift. Ask to look over the underside of the car. It helps if you have freinds in the shop or if its a small independent. Look to see if any things bent, broke, or rubs. Or comes close to rubbing. Pay close attention to the suspention peices, drive shaft, mounts, and exhaust. Most shops will do this for little or no charge. Or balance and/or rotate your tires for an excuse to get underneith.

Good luck.

 

Just for references, heres a pic of the rear suspension with the LCA (lower control arm) and the PHR (Panhard rod) annotated.



These are tubular Spohn pieces on this car (mine) but the locations are the same on a stock car, the LCAs and PHR are just flimsy lookin black stamped steel units.

Oh yeah, and no snide remarks about the rusty swap bar .

 

SlowStangEater

sorry I lost ya on my advice. If you need me to clairfly my advice better send me a pm. I use so much insurance lingo everday that its second nature that people will understand. but it looks like you have a few great responses after me so stick to you guns and ask questions. Most states req insurance companys to close claims in a certain amount of time so listen to vador he has some great advice on what he has been through. If it gets lenghy stay with it you will recieve better results that way. Insurance companys want you to settle quickly. The quicker they can settle with you the less likely you will hire a lawyer and generaly less they will have to pay you and your lawyer. It wouldn't hurt to get advice of a lawyer even if they doesnt represent you.

good luck I hope things work out for you.

Just remember what does not kill you will make you stronger. This accident is life telling you welcome to the real world now deal with it. It sure sucks doesnt it.

What i hate about rearends is you have no control over when or how it will happen. Its one thing if you or i caused an accident because we wrecked our one veh. but when someone else wrecks our regular car or pride and joy it realy hurts. Esp if the idiot doesnt even carry ins.
I have been rearended 3 times and almost happened about 3-5 more times.

 

We have a 20 car garage shop with 6 lifts. I can do it myself for free but I have little car knowledge...........So I have to find someone who knows what they are doing.

 

Yeah it really sucks that I had no control of the wreck. But I told Geico that I am not accepting totalling the car as an answer. The damage couldnt be no more than 2k at the most and if the car is worth say 1500 in KBB and Ive put all kinds of stuff in it then they can forget about it...................BREATH DUSTIN BREATH!!! OK much better. Well anywhoo I would accept a check for 2k and fix it myself.........BUt I dont care........I just want it fixed.
MATT---Thanx for the pic THat helped a ton!!! What am I looking for in the Torque Arm?? Ive figured out that the noise is something rubbing against the drive shaft. And when Its in gear its just echoeing the noise into the cab of the car........Make Sense? My exhaust isnt touching anything though so It has to be something else....

 

the torque arm runs sort of parallel to the drive shaft and hooks the tranny to the rear end. This came loose on my friend's car and it made some awful noises, so It might be that its loose or broken out. either way, its not a HUGE deal to fix or replace that, if that is what's wrong.

 

OK, I just put my car on the lift and the LCA's and Panhard are fine. I noticed that I have fluid leaking from my gears.....where the driveshaft hooks up. It has to be from the wreck. Its all recent but I still have plenty of fluid. A guy there said that the noise is most likely my gears. He said when I am on the gas the one side of the gears lock up fine but when I let of the other side doesnt lock up as well and thats whats causing the noise....Does that sound right to everyone?? The drive shaft also has a little bit of play in it. Is that normal? Would I just need to adjust my gears or do I need to get all new ones? Im going to buy a new seal for where the leak is coming from. I just wish that I could pin point 100% for sure where that noise is coming from. What do you guys think???

 

By the way the noise sounds kinda like a howling and it dies as the RPMs die.

 

When my gears in the rear started going bad i would hear a slight whine from the rear at about 40--50 mph. When i had then replaced not so long ago it solved the whine. I first had the rear drained and refilled by a trusted friend with a lift using pos fluid and additive the whine keep up so i replace the gears with better ones. I would have someone open the pumkin up and take a good look for normal wear and damage that may have been caused by accident.

 

If it was a direct hit on the diff, I'd say it may have jammed your pinion gear back against the carrier or tried to shove it foreward through the housing (this might be why it is leaking if its coming from the yoke area)

~M~

 

Well The guy didnt hit me too hard but he hit me low. If it did any damage it couldnt be anything horrible. I know he didnt hit me hard enought to bend the drive shaft or anything. So my guess is like you said........the gears. I just wonder if I could adjust them or if I should get new ones?

 

have a good shop inspect them, they should remove the carrier so they can take the pinion out to inspect it and the bearings.
Did the diff cover get dented at all? Could be as simple as the cover rubbing on the ring gear. I'd bet the pinion bearings are trashed though, if the yoke is leaking fluid.

~M~

 

No the cover isnt dented.......My rear bumper isnt even dented.. Im guessing the jolt probably did it to my bearings though