My Flippin' Car Is Sick!

Vibes please! My car started leaking gas this week - it stopped at about 1/2 tank. It's going in tomorrow for repairs! Vibes that it's sometinng that can be repaired without replacing the gas tank, which will cost $$$$$. We are currently redoing the kitchen - too late, it's underway! DH also wants to get a natural gas BBQ this year that is hooked up to the gas line we already had run out to the deck, he wants to finish the basement, I NEED a new computer (one that isn't from the Tyrannosaurus Rex period) and gardening season is coming up in a couple of months. Please - any "great cheap repairs" vibes would be great!

wish ya all was closer id fix ya car

for you, Colleen. Come on car, get well!

Oh Colleen that stinks ...Hopefully it will be an easy cheap repair Vibes headed your way.

Thanks all! It's appointment is for 8am! The flippin' gas tank is leaking about the 1/2 point. I filled the car up on Sunday after I took it through the car wash ( at which point it started leaking) - I've wasted 1/2 tank of very expensive gas already, particulary expensive with the gas shortage in Ontario right now! I just want the darned thing fixed!

OH NO!! I know how that can go Colleen. My car was leaking gas when I bought it, and luckily my dad replaced it for me..if not it would have been like $800!!

Anyway, sending many many cheap fix vibes{{{{ }}}}

$800!!! I hope it's not that much!

oh poo!
I think we've all been in some kind of car rutt before..once when i frist started college my car was leaking oil..Bye bye to that car. and I really liked that stupid car!

Best of luck with your vehicle!

Sending good luck vibes to your car!!

Here's some hope for you. This has happened to me twice. The first time it turned out a line had to be replaced and it wasn't too costly. Maybe $100 or so. The second time a line came loose (and spilled the whole tank right on the road when I was driving. I had people honking and freaking "Your leaking gas!!!!" Of course i knew as my tank meter was dropping fast and it smelled. But, what could i do except keep driving quickly and pull into a mechanic.)
Anyway, i was very lucky as there was a mechanic within the block who was just closing for the night. He fixed it the next day for $60.

I guess when cars get old gas lines start to go.

As an aside, my radiator leaked and died about a year before my car "was put to sleep". I had it fixed and this was also suprisingly reasonable (about $230, that's $150 for the rad and $100 for labour approx.). Supposedly, my mechanic said the cost of replacing these has gone down by quite a bit over the years as they are now making radiators in China so they cost a lot less. Go figure.

Just back form the repair shop - they can't do it today because they have to order a gas tank in. It is definitely the tank, and it's leaking around the seam. They've booked it back in for next Wednesday - hopefully they'll have the tank by then. The bad news is that it's going to be $$$$$. A new tank for my car costs $985 plus tax plus labour! That's from the dealer - so it would be a couple of thousand to fix it at the dealer. The garage that I took it to said they can get a used tank for $280 plus tax plus labour. Then once they get it off, if the lines need replacing there is an additional cost for that! It's not going to be cheap. They would prefer to wait for what they called a southern tank but they said chances of getting one are slim to none - the place they deal with already has a bunch of that model that they are waiting for and have been for some time. They are about $400 plus tax, shipping, duty and then the labour. The advantage is that they've never seen salt from winter driving. Oh well, he didn't recommend waiting for one because I need it replaced asap and he couldn't say how long it could take to get one. I hate car problems!

How about using duct tape? Hey, what can I say...I live in West Virginia!

Seriously though, car troubles suck, and it sounds like a really bad time for you to have this happen. Why does everything seem to happen at once? I hope you can get it fixed at a reasonable price.

Hey, just don't ever fill it more than halfway!

I don't think duct tape would work! The seam is apparently rotting out because of salt and crud from winter driving! I think the car wash that I took it through last Sunday probably blasted the crud off that was preventing it from leaking before! Anyway, they said the tank was nice and shiny other than the seam!

Originally Posted by neetanddave

Hey, just don't ever fill it more than halfway!

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I won't be till I get it fixed! Want to send me a southern tank, Neet?

Lots of cheap repair vibes for you and your car!

Originally Posted by LokisMum

I don't think duct tape would work! The seam is apparently rotting out because of salt and crud from winter driving! I think the car wash that I took it through last Sunday probably blasted the crud off that was preventing it from leaking before! Anyway, they said the tank was nice and shiny other than the seam!

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That's why I don't wash my car...I'm afraid if the dirt was gone it would fall apart! I'm not kidding!

Originally Posted by calico2222

That's why I don't wash my car...I'm afraid if the dirt was gone it would fall apart!

I'm not kidding!

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I'm convinced that's what happened! I selected a car wash when I got gas on Sunday, and the ones to select from were mega this and that - you couldn't tell what was what! I just wanted a wash, and ended up with an expensive wash, wax, underblast (that's what did it) and tires shone, etc. They did say everything was amazingly clean underneath considering all the crap on the roads from winter driving!

Well, at least your car is "amazingly clean"! It may not run...but it's "amazingly clean"!

Originally Posted by calico2222

Well, at least your car is "amazingly clean"! It may not run...but it's "amazingly clean"!

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It runs, I just can't "feed" it much at a time!