I asked for trouble and I got it.
So I asked for trouble and I got it. I asked my mechanic to do a comprehensive safety and breakdown check on my 2004 GMC 2500HD. Because breakdowns on vacation are no fun - we've had 2 already this year - and stressful for me and the wife, and I wanted to find problems before they happen. Bad idea? Maybe; maybe not.
Not suprisingly he found lots of problems. Brake issues front and rear, badly rusted control arms, etc. Most of them I understand and accept and will have them done over the next few months, one at a time. But the big one is this:
He says the fuel lines are badly rusted and strongly recommends replacing them, and that job includes new fuel pump and tank straps. It is an 8 hour job and estimated at $1800 parts and labor!
First of all, that's a shockingly large amount of money! Does this seem out of line? He says the entire system is one part, basically, from fuel tank to engine, and is $1000 just for the part!
Second: Is it appropriate to change this just because it is badly rusted? Would there be warning signs before impending failure (like a slight odor of gasoline)? Or would my only warning be the giant fireball as the line ruptures and sprays gas all over the exhaust and sets us on fire? What would you do? (All opinions welcome!)
Not suprisingly he found lots of problems. Brake issues front and rear, badly rusted control arms, etc. Most of them I understand and accept and will have them done over the next few months, one at a time. But the big one is this:
He says the fuel lines are badly rusted and strongly recommends replacing them, and that job includes new fuel pump and tank straps. It is an 8 hour job and estimated at $1800 parts and labor!
First of all, that's a shockingly large amount of money! Does this seem out of line? He says the entire system is one part, basically, from fuel tank to engine, and is $1000 just for the part!
Second: Is it appropriate to change this just because it is badly rusted? Would there be warning signs before impending failure (like a slight odor of gasoline)? Or would my only warning be the giant fireball as the line ruptures and sprays gas all over the exhaust and sets us on fire? What would you do? (All opinions welcome!)
