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06-22-2011, 03:37 PM   #1
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What woudl you do in this situation?

So ill try to make this long story alot shorter.
Basically. I live near the Baltimore MD area. I drove to Cape Cod MA last July for vacation (8 hours away). While I was there my truck broke down, and I had to have it towed to a local shop. Turns out it was my fuel pump, $750 to fix... what can I do, I need my truck, so I paid to have it fixed, enjoyed the rest of my time and drove home. 2 weeks later an error light came on. Took it to my long time local shop and after some diagnosis they said it was a disconnected emissions hose. (had not been connected when the shop in MA installed the fuel pump) another $150. I didnt have a problem paying for it since it wasnt a huge deal, but I was a little annoyed.

Fast forward to this week. My gas gauge kept dropping to empty, even though it was clearly full (after filling up. the gas gauge would drop to zero again) So I dropped it off at the shop, and turns out BAD FUEL PUMP. Im like what the hell. Apparently the shop in MA put in a junk fuel pump and sent me on my way. So this is going to cost me $900.

Should I call the company in MA and complain? its been less than a year, but I figure if they are going to be shady enough to give me a junk pump, they are shady enough to just hang up on me (especially since im 8 hours away)

Is it even worth calling? or is it just part of life?

06-22-2011, 03:51 PM   #2
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well if was sold to you as a brand new fuel pump and the receipt says that I would call them, however if it was a rebuilt fuel pump or simply a used fuel pump I am not really sure what you have the ability to do. as they tend not to have any kind of warranty. I may be wrong but if it was a bad fuel pump would it not be able to pump the fuel from the tank to the engine so you wouldn't be able to use your car correct? but if you are using it but the fuel gave is jumping like that might it not be the sensor in the fuel tank itself that is broken? ( i ask because your case sounds like what happened in my old car and i used it for months with the tank reading empty just had to keep a mile log to know roughly what was in the tank)
06-22-2011, 05:09 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by SlickYamaha Quote
So ill try to make this long story alot shorter.
Basically. I live near the Baltimore MD area. I drove to Cape Cod MA last July for vacation (8 hours away). While I was there my truck broke down, and I had to have it towed to a local shop. Turns out it was my fuel pump, $750 to fix... what can I do, I need my truck, so I paid to have it fixed, enjoyed the rest of my time and drove home. 2 weeks later an error light came on. Took it to my long time local shop and after some diagnosis they said it was a disconnected emissions hose. (had not been connected when the shop in MA installed the fuel pump) another $150. I didnt have a problem paying for it since it wasnt a huge deal, but I was a little annoyed.

Fast forward to this week. My gas gauge kept dropping to empty, even though it was clearly full (after filling up. the gas gauge would drop to zero again) So I dropped it off at the shop, and turns out BAD FUEL PUMP. Im like what the hell. Apparently the shop in MA put in a junk fuel pump and sent me on my way. So this is going to cost me $900.

Should I call the company in MA and complain? its been less than a year, but I figure if they are going to be shady enough to give me a junk pump, they are shady enough to just hang up on me (especially since im 8 hours away)

Is it even worth calling? or is it just part of life?
I suggest, replace your 'rollover sensor.' It is a switch under your dashboard which is intended to stop fuel flow if ever you were to flip your truck... When they go bad, they happen to mimic any number of fuel problems. As for fuel pumps, welll, they sometimes go bad, I guess.
06-22-2011, 05:22 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by SlickYamaha Quote

Is it even worth calling? or is it just part of life?
Probably has a 90-day warranty. Or "bring it back and we'll look at it..."

I'd say it's part of life. I bought a $200 copy of Windows 7 because the free upgrade had a glitch.

06-23-2011, 03:26 AM   #5
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What a bummer. I just have that "oh, he is on vacation, 8 hours away from home. Lets just give him some crappy part that will last long enough for him to get home, but charge him full price" feeling...

GRRR
06-23-2011, 03:26 AM   #6
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If anything, the second shop sounds fishy. How is the fuel pump related to a wonky gas gauge?
06-23-2011, 06:08 AM   #7
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Make, Model, year?

Let me guess, it's a Ford.

Some in-tank pumps have integral float and sending unit. If that is the case for you, then perhaps the float/sending unit is the only real issue. It is SOP generally to replace the entire unit...

I know that Ford Explorers have a similar issue. Either way, the replacement cost sounds high.

Seaain

06-23-2011, 08:28 AM   #8
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In NY, repair shops are registered and licensed by DMV and a complaint can be filed if you were charged for a new fuel pump and they installed a used part. Was it a used or junk pump or just a bad one? Many aftermarket pumps come with a lifetime warranty and they do go bad. I went through four on one car I owned. I would try to get some refund from the shop that did the work. A reputable business doesn't want a bad reputation. Another route will be to see what options the State of Mass has in reporting a rip off facility if you get no satisfaction form the shop. One of the reasons I joined AAA was for problems like this. If I need a tow and repair, they will handle a complaint like this.

On many vehicles, the gas gauge, float, and fuel pump are a single unit. Usually, the unit can be removed and the pump replaced but if the gauge sending unit is bad, you have to buy the whole assembly.
06-23-2011, 10:43 AM   #9
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I'm speaking from a "GM" perspective, but I suspect Ford and Chrysler may be similar. The fuel pump and sending unit for the fuel gage are mounted in the tank. Although you can change one without changing the other, they are mounted together as an assembly and the whole thing must be pulled to be fixed.

What I'm about to say will sound weird, but trust me, it's true. The pump is electric and cooled by the fuel in the tank. That's why when you fuel gage says "E", you still have several gallons of fuel left in the tank. Those people who run around on "E" a lot are more often than not to experience fuel pump failure. This is part that is also made by aftermarket producers, and there's a bit of a quandary here. The stock unit will come with a limited time frame warranty. Aftermarket units can be had with a lifetime warranty, and will be cheaper - but that does not make them a better deal. Aftermarket manufactures know the average car owner keeps a car for 4 years or less (new or used). Because you are buying a part for a vehicle that typically doesn't wear out until at least that time frame, there is a great chance that one you replace it, you'll get rid of the car before it goes bad again. So despite the 'lifetime' warranty, there isn't much incentive for them to produce a part that is as high in quality as the original was. Chances are, the OP's pump was replaced by one of these aftermarket parts to maximize the repair facilities' proffitt. So the pump may very well be covered by a warranty, but chances are the labor is not, and the labor is the major portion of the repair cost, since the fuel tank has to be removed to do the work.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't pursue getting some kind of reimbursement from the shop who replaced the pump last year, but given the fact they won't be doing the repair, nor will their part vendor be reimbursing them for the part, I wouldn't hold my breath.
06-23-2011, 10:52 AM   #10
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Well after speaking very briefly with the shop, I believe he said it was the fuel pump module. I'll have to find out more when I pick it up. I do plan to call the other shop and attempt a partial refund.
Its a chevy avalanche btw
06-24-2011, 06:59 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by SlickYamaha Quote
Well after speaking very briefly with the shop, I believe he said it was the fuel pump module. I'll have to find out more when I pick it up. I do plan to call the other shop and attempt a partial refund.
Its a chevy avalanche btw
Then everything I said in the post above applies.
06-30-2011, 04:56 AM   #12
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The thing that bothers me is that a shop charged you $150.00 to reconnect an emissions hose. That took them what, all of 3 minutes?
06-30-2011, 05:37 AM   #13
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Understandable, but there were also 4 codes that had to be checked and cleared, most shops charge $80 just to run a code. Kinda screwed either way I guess
06-30-2011, 06:40 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by SlickYamaha Quote
Understandable, but there were also 4 codes that had to be checked and cleared, most shops charge $80 just to run a code. Kinda screwed either way I guess
And that is why you go buy yourself a code reader... or go to Autozone or any other number of auto parts stores and they will read the codes for free.

Most code readers you can buy also have the ability to clear the codes. They don't cost that much these days - can be had for $80 or under from Harbor Freight tools when they have a sale.

From my experience, most "auto repair shops" have a tendency to be very dishonest with their paying customers... especially Firestone. Firestone has the policy of "make money any way you can - profit is king".

One other thing I forgot to mention: Most auto repair shops go by a pricing guide that is used nationwide. It is a type of price fixing in my opinion. The auto body repair shops also have software that gives them standardized pricing. That has a lot to do with what the insurance companies will pay for repairs.

Doing IT work brings up a lot of dirty little secrets that a lot of people probably do not want you to know.

Last edited by cyclone3d; 06-30-2011 at 06:49 AM.
06-30-2011, 09:43 AM   #15
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Buying a code reader won't do much if you don't know how to use it. You can turn off your light but you still have to fix the problem and in many cases, the code doesn't tell you the real problem. An evaporative emmision code will come up with a bad or disconnected hose or any one of several parts such as purge valves and check valves and often it's a ghost hunt. Most modern vehicles have several meters of vacuum hose. In this case, the obvious place to look was where work was recently done and if the mechanic knew that, he should have been able to find it quickly. Auto Zone stores will hook up a scanner to tell you what's wrong and sell you the parts but again, be careful. An oxygen sensor code might not be the sensor but a bad cataylic converter and you wasted $75 on a sensor.
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