Wednesday, March 4, 2009

F.Y.I.


If your "Check Engine Light" ever comes on in your car, you might want to make sure your gas cap is screwed on properly.

I'm not saying this happened to us.  I'm just saying you might want to check it.

Because you might go to the dealership, thinking you will be free and clear because the bumper to bumper warranty on your car doesn't expire until 60K miles, and you are at 55,900.  So getting the car checked out shouldn't cost you a dime.

And bumper to bumper means everything right?

It means everything except not screwing the gas cap on.  Because that just happens to not be covered under "bumper to bumper" warranty, and not screwing the gas cap on causes a sensor to go off alerting the engine that there is an evaporative leak.

Again, I'm not saying this happened to us.  I just don't want it to happen to you.

So if your check engine light turns on, just make sure your gas cap is on tight before you take it in.

Because they just MIGHT charge you $98.

To tell you that your gas cap wasn't on tight.



7 comments:

Amy said...

oh my! jerks.

Um, I sort of forgot that you guys got a new car!

Jen Price said...

Is this like, "I have a friend who..."

Kritter Krit said...

Oh, NO!!

Is it considered tacky that I'm kind of laughing, to the degree of snorting, at "this person" -- not because of the circumstances which led to the $98 (yeowch!), but because of the way "this person" tells the story? ;)

julia d. hull said...

Wait, did I miss something? You got a new car? I don't remember this, am I having senile moment or just general memory loss? And I'm interpreting that this DID happen to you and your a little bitter about it...well, I would be to.

Greg Hull said...

Ok, if you guys don't know this, 1. You'll be mad all over again. 2. You'll ask why I didn't tell you this sooner. 3. I'm telling you this to save you money in the future!

Anytime the check engine light comes on, go to Auto Zone and ask them to scan the computer. They will tell you what code the computer is throwing and also tell you how to fix it. Then they clear the code for you. They do this for free....on any OBD-II car (basically like 97ish and newer).

Of course they may tell you your post cat O2 sensor is bad and that may mean nothing to you, but most check engine light problems are easy things Thomas Garage is completely capable of. Check Engine stuff is almost always emissions related and not "engine" related.

Sorry to post a blog of my own in your comments! LOL

Courtney said...

Yes, Jake (the new youth pastor) kindly told us after we had already taken it to the dealership that we could have taken it to Auto Zone for free. We didn't know their policy of charging the $98 until we got the car to the dealership, and then the guy pretty much convinced me that it was probably going to be something under warranty and they would cover the $98 if it was. So I listened to him and shouldn't have!

Live and learn. But next time....Auto Zone!!

Alisha Ippolito said...

The gas cap incident happened to me too when I first got my car. I was fortunate not to have been charged... sorry that happened, what a rip off!