bryanr

I bought my 89 Toyota 4x4 a couple weeks ago, knowing that it had a few small issues to work out.. no big deal. I figured at 165k miles it could use a tune up, so I bought new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, O2 sensor, fuel filter and PCV valve for it. I did most of the work, minus the fuel filter, and dropped it off to have a shop do it.

Last Thursday I dropped it off at 7am at a local (and well known) shop, get a call around 10am saying my fuel lines were rusted and they broke the line taking off the fuel filter. They say I need new fuel lines eventually but will fix it for now. I go pick it up, get it home, and see they have spliced fuel hose onto the metal fuel line.. not my idea of a good fix, especially for the $140 they charged me.

So I called them this past Monday and say I want the fuel lines replaced, and the guy says that will require dropping the fuel tank. Fine, just do it I said. I get a call later that day saying my fuel sending unit was leaking and needed to be replaced, and was asked if I wanted to put in a new fuel pump while the tank was down. Sure, may as well while it's already out. It will be a few days while they order parts and install.

I pick up the truck last night and am told everything is back to normal and I shouldn't have any further problems. It better be for the $700 I was charged.. I drive it home, and in my driveway I notice they left 4 of the 6 screws/bolts that hold on the rear fender liner off, and no where to be seen. I go about replacing them, and notice something in my bed. What's that? My gas cap.. Nice of them to leave it off for me.

Late last night my wife wants to go to the store, so we take my truck so I can fill it up. Standing at the pump filling my truck, I notice REALLY strong fuel smell, and I notice gas leaking from my truck. Not dripping, but I mean Pouring out from where the filler tube would connect to the tank. I stop pumping and wait there for it to stop leaking, then we head right home and park in the street. It was still leaking a few minutes later from the drive home. This morning I see no wet spots and the gas gauge still looks almost full.

At 7am we drop the truck off, and I call and leave a nasty message for the manager to call me. He calls back and says "Sorry we will fix it right away". 3 hours go by and I get a call saying "Bad new. When we dropped the gask tank, we broke the breather tube on the gas tank because it was rusted. You need a new gas tank for $340 but we won't charge you labor." I almost lost it at that point.

I'm not sure what recourse I can take, or if there even is any. I get the feeling I went to the wrong place, and if I had taken it somewhere else more compitent these problems wouldn't have happened. I am very skeptical about all of this and think their mechanics are bad and keep breaking stuff at my expense..

Right now I am SOOO pissed.. Here I thought my 93 RX7 was a money pit, but I have have a feeling this truck is going to put it to shame.

ttr125mar

I think those guys were definitly trying to screw you over and they may have. I got pissed just reading it, I would tell them to pay for the whole thing (gas tank and labor). I think we should make those mechanics cars/truck suffer the same fate! But sorry to hear that it happen, I don't believe it is or was the truck. And don't take it back there. I would look into the papers on this one, someone will chim in and tell you what you can do. I'm not shure but I would do something. And take pictures if you can...

Thanks,
Mario

DudeBud

weird all thoes fuel lines should be galvanized same with the tank plus the paint that toyota use is good stuff. not sure why it would all rust out unless the truck got driven in the ocean most of its life. i guess it pays to check over your mechanic's work.

bike4miles

That sucks. You have every right to complain and get out of as much labor as possable at this point. Have you requested that they get a used gas tank?

frankenrunner

dude, i feel your pain, bryanr!!

i routinely encourage people to do their own thing when it comes to their vehicles, i mean, they are our lifelines to the world beyond what we can comfortably reach w/a bicycle (ha-ha, but for real!)

while i understand that there are some things that most of us simply cannot do due to lack of the proper facilities, tools, equipment, physical handicap or know how (but that's what this forum is here for?!?) & occasionally a trip to a "stealership" or "jackwrench" may become necessary, your vehicle is your "baby" & as such, depends on you to take care of it.

i would suggest that everyone personally inspect their vehicles prior to purchase &/or contracting for repair so that "you" will know what is wrong & not have to rely on someone looking for a walking atm to cover their weekend party tab or gambling debt or their gf's/wife's latest shopping binge or whatever other thing that causes them to see you as just another walking sucker to joke on how badly they shafted you w/their buddy's later that night.

unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20 so all that i really can suggest to you @ this point is to contact the person you purchased the truck from & consult w/them about what their driving practices were & i would probally also find out if anyone @ that garage has a 'yota that, say, maybe needed some newer parts?!? you never know until you know, if you know what i mean.

good luck & sorry about your mishap

bryanr

No, but I am going to ask them to split the price of the new gas tank with me. I think that's a reasonable request considering the dangerous situation they put me in with my truck literally pouring gas out of itself.

dwh91102

bryan, I've got the same problem right now, rusted fuel sending unit. Just to let you know I went to foreign auto salvage in the area here and got the sending unit/fuel pump for $40. Anyway been lube'n the heck out of the bolts the last few days gettin ready to pull the tank, sure hope I don't have the problem with the tank filler. If your interested in doing the work your self, im sure theres enough of us on here to walk you through it, good luck man.

YotaJunky

bryanr - yeah, that is absolutely frustrating. My truck has been a money pit since I got it about 3 months ago. I haven't had the same problems as you because I've been repairing most of the problems myself. I've spent more than twice the purchase price of the truck on tools and parts and now I've got a rad leak. I've learned a lot, but I also paid dearly for it....

Good Luck!!

FSRBIKER

I can't find the link right now but someone posted that gas tanks were available for under $200 brand new for the 1st Gen 4Runners...anyone have the link?

bryanr

This turned out OK I guess, I picked up the truck today during lunch. They paid for the labor to install the gas tank, and I paid for the gas tank itself. However, when they lowered the tank for the 2nd time, they somehow broke the fuel level sensor, which was entirely their own fault. They paid for the part ($90) and the labor to drop the tank a 3rd time

I also did get a chance to see the old gas tank when I picked it up. The tank itself was nicely undercoated, but the breather tube and fill tank areas were very rusty somehow.