Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:46 pm Post subject: High gas prices resulting in costly repairs
Quote:
More vehicle fuel pumps are failing because of the high gas prices.
Auto repair shops say many drivers are waiting until their gauge is on "empty" before buying gas.
It's a problem because the fuel pump is in the gas tank on many vehicles and it overheats if it is not covered by gas.
Mechanics say you should keep your tank at least half full to avoid damage to the pump and potentially expensive repairs.
Quote:
He says the price of gas is having an impact on repairs, “I'd say this past year since as we've seen gas pricing go up, we've seen probably a 100 percent increase in fuel pump repairs. So when we typically do 3 a month we probably do 6 a month right now.”
It’s a risky game. As gas prices jump to $3.99 for a gallon of regular unleaded, more consumers are waiting until the gas gauge needle touches “E” before filling up.
And more people lately seem to be losing that game.
Trooper William Tate of the Connecticut State Police said he has noticed a higher number of stranded motorists out of gas along the highways. State police keep track of the number of “disabled” vehicles, but not the causes.
“I saw this during the last winter storm when gas prices also rose,” Tate said. “People, stuck in traffic, were running their tanks really low.”
State Police Spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance sees a trend and warns about the costs and dangers of waiting too long between refills.
Quote:
Harry Austin of Austin’s Garage in Norwich said the number of out-of-gas motorists he’s responded to in recent weeks has doubled.
Running on empty can have other consequences.
“This practice could lead to an overheated fuel pump costing $300 to $800 in repairs, depending on the extent of the damage,” said Tom O’Neil of GoodYear Gemini Auto Service on Town Street in Norwich. “Beyond that, there’s not much else to worry about.”
Norwich Police Officer Daniel O’Brien said he’s had no reports of out-of-gas residents.
“Next, we’ll probably have people siphoning each other’s gas,” he said.
Joined: Apr 05, 2005 Posts: 1620 Location: Springsteen Country (NJ)
Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:10 pm Post subject: Re: High gas prices resulting in costly repairs
Drifter wrote:
Quote:
More vehicle fuel pumps are failing because of the high gas prices.
Auto repair shops say many drivers are waiting until their gauge is on "empty" before buying gas.
It's a problem because the fuel pump is in the gas tank on many vehicles and it overheats if it is not covered by gas.
Mechanics say you should keep your tank at least half full to avoid damage to the pump and potentially expensive repairs.
This could explain the decrease in demand we're seeing in the weekly status report. More people running down to empty means less gas sold. This is a real shortage for many people, as real as a station out of gas. The price is rationing gasoline away from them to richer motorists. Peak oil continues to chip away at the fringes. Since the consumer is 2/3rds of the economy, the base of the pyramid scheme, the more this happens the more likely it becomes the entire pyramid will collapse suddenly. _________________ Joe P. United Political Debate
"Only when the last tree is cut; only when the last river is polluted; only when the last fish is caught; only then will they realize that you cannot eat money." - Cree Indian Proverb
Joined: Sep 19, 2007 Posts: 1091 Location: Land of the Tongva tribe
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 1:27 pm Post subject: Re: High gas prices resulting in costly repairs
joewp wrote:
This could explain the decrease in demand we're seeing in the weekly status report. More people running down to empty means less gas sold.
I think the decrease in demand is just people not joy riding like they usually do.
I have actually decreased how much I drive on the weekends. I would usually drive around the palos verdes peninsula on Sat and Sun looking at the scenery and homes. That would be about 35-45 miles each day. I now only drive around the peninsula once every other week.
I know many people who aren't taking drives up the coast on the weekends because fuel costs so much. They would rather bar-b-que at their house with several friends.
People are changing their driving habits and it will only increase as prices remain high.
joeltrout _________________ ENERGY is the basis of our industrial civilization and sustains our standard of living. It is the foundation stone of our national wealth. A nation starved of energy.....will be a nation of starving people.
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject: Re: High gas prices resulting in costly repairs
We had a substantial increase in the amount of run-outs, freeze-ups, condensation issues, CO related calls, service, emergency service and system failures since our heating oil, kerosene and propane customers are letting their tanks run dry, neglecting their units or skipping annual service, routine maintenance, repairs etc.
Some of the people that only buy a few gallons of fuel at a time for their vehicles or home heating and hot water systems actually burn more fuel since they're making more frequent and unnecessary trips to filling stations.
I recently changed a fuel pump, filter, tank and straps for one of my tenants after they got a couple ultra high quotes form local garages. The fuel pump alone was over $300.00
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: High gas prices resulting in costly repairs
joeltrout wrote:
...
People are changing their driving habits and it will only increase as prices remain high.
There was a news report where I lived in which the CHP (California Highway Patrol - police) reported that the average speeds are decreasing on the freeways.
There will always be idiots who speed across the freeways in an SUV or truck at 85mph no matter how high gas goes, however I've noticed that there's less people passing me up. I drive 65mph (legal speed limit) in the center or right lane. I can always find at least 1 car that will travel the speed limit these days and I just stay behind them.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
News
Discussions
Resources
Members
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
