Core charge and deposit on exchange engines
A core charge, which we call a core deposit, is a refundable deposit added when you buy an exchange engine. It is the security that your old engine, the core, comes back into circulation, and you get the full deposit back once your old engine has reached us and been approved. Here we explain why the deposit exists, exactly what is required for a full refund, and the mistakes that needlessly cost deposit money.
Why the deposit exists
An exchange engine swaps places with your old one. Your old engine is not scrap, it is the core for the next remanufacture: the block, crank assembly and castings that get reused when the next engine is built. Without cores, the cycle stops, and it is that cycle that lets a remanufactured exchange engine cost a good deal less than a brand new engine. So the deposit is not a fee you pay, it is money held in trust until the core is back. The whole system is described on the page How the exchange system works.
That is how the whole industry works, in Sweden and across Europe: the deposit on an exchange-class engine at one European engine seller runs, for example, to 600 EUR for a common four-cylinder engine, refunded once the old block has arrived intact.
Our deposit terms in short
How the core return works
Remove your old engine. Your workshop keeps the sump, it belongs on the new engine. Drain the engine of oil and coolant.
Pack it on the pallet from the delivery. Use the same pallet and packaging your new engine arrived on, and strap the engine down.
Send in the engine. You arrange the transport to us yourself, get in touch if you would like guidance on transport options. Return within 30 days of delivery.
Inspection and refund. Once your old engine has arrived, the block is inspected. If it is intact, the full deposit is refunded.
The mistakes that cost deposit money
These are the most common ways to needlessly lose deposit money on a core return, and how to avoid them.
The return window is 30 days from delivery. Arrange the return transport as soon as the engine is out of the car instead of letting the core sit in the garage. If you cannot make it in time, get in touch right away and we will find a solution, silence is the only thing that does not work.
The requirement for a full refund is an intact block with no holes, cracks or broken-off pieces. Do not pry, drill or cut into the castings when the engine comes out, what looks like a shortcut during removal can cost you the deposit.
The sump should not go with it, it is transferred to your new engine. And it is your old engine of the same type that must be returned, no other. In the market, the wrong part returned is a standard reason for a reduced refund.
Pack the return on the pallet from the delivery. Missing return packaging is also a point where the market's standard terms hit the refund, and an unsecured engine is a transport problem on top of that.
Drain the core of oil and coolant before it is packed. An engine full of fluids on a pallet is a problem for the carrier and for the environment.
What the market's terms look like
It can be worth knowing what is standard practice in the industry. One established Swedish player, Nordic Motor Center, publishes its core deposit terms openly: the core must be returned within 30 days of the invoice date, or the full charge is forfeited; if there is visible damage to the core, missing return packaging or the wrong part returned, half the charge is refunded; and the return must go with the specified carrier and accompanying documents. Those are reasonable, clear conditions, and that is roughly how exchange deals work across Europe.
Our terms are built on the same 30-day principle, and you arrange the return transport of the core yourself. One difference is worth mentioning: the requirement for a full refund is about the block, that it is intact, no holes, no cracks, no broken-off pieces, not about the engine otherwise being in good shape. A worn or internally defective engine is an approved core.
FAQ about core charges and deposits
Buy with the deposit made clear to you from the start
On every product page you see the engine price and core deposit together, incl. VAT, before you order. New to exchange engines? Start with the guide Exchange engine: how it works.