Quick car question

[investor2009]

Hi!

Just a quick one for the mechanically minded.

I've got a VS Commodore that seems to be leaking fuel (unless my gauge has gone bad) Its a bit up and down but seems to be chewing more juice these days. I'd check the tacco, but that stopped working quite some time ago

I notice that I can smell fuel around the tyre cavity on the fuel cap side, where I fill up. It's not spill because I washed the car. I can smell it between the tyre and body.

Anyhow, I found a pipe in that cavity that seems to run to, or from the fuel tank. I see that is is not connected. The rubber has come away from the metal pipe and joiner.

I'm wanting to know if this is a problem? is this just an overflow relief for the fuel tank or something?

Thanks guys.

 

[vincenzo]

EFI cars have a high pressure fuel system, so if any point in the fuel line was disconnected, then fuel would be coming out quite fast whenever the motor is running!

If the tank has a small leak than that could be trickling out slowly, but i'd guess that it's guzzling a bit of juice because it needs a service? Things like old spark plugs or just engines getting old will cause guzzling. There's big things like blown head gaskets, worn rings, burnt hole in a piston, etc.. The fuel smell is a little suspiscious though!

Take it in to a good/reccomended/trusted mechanic.

 

[investor2009]

"Take it in to a good/reccomended/trusted mechanic."

And where do you suppose I find one of those..?

Seriously, I can't seem to find one.
It did just have a service though, and the mechanic's broke my air-conditioner. Took it to get fixed and the guy told me they'd taken an earth wire off the compressor. Thats the second time a mechanic has messed with my air-con in as many services..

I think that mech's here are just way too busy to do a good job.

 

[The Y-man]

pm'd you.

The Y-man

 

[Aaron Sice]

Hi!

Just a quick one for the mechanically minded.

I've got a VS Commodore that seems to be leaking fuel (unless my gauge has gone bad) Its a bit up and down but seems to be chewing more juice these days. I'd check the tacco, but that stopped working quite some time ago

I notice that I can smell fuel around the tyre cavity on the fuel cap side, where I fill up. It's not spill because I washed the car. I can smell it between the tyre and body.

Anyhow, I found a pipe in that cavity that seems to run to, or from the fuel tank. I see that is is not connected. The rubber has come away from the metal pipe and joiner.

I'm wanting to know if this is a problem? is this just an overflow relief for the fuel tank or something?

Thanks guys.

it's the tank vent. reconnect it AFTER DRAINING IT - otherwise it'll stink of fuel forever.

 

[Invest]

Its a Holden, what you expect?



Buy a Toyota... you will never look back.

 

[investor2009]

Ummm..

I think you'll find that my Holden, is actually a Toyota.
The $5 badges are however different.

I was contemplating buying another car but it didn't make financial sense.

I figured it costs more in the long run. It is however classier and much funner to drive but I want to wait until I'm like, totally loaded before I do that because my main goal is retirement at this stage. Not a new car.

 

[Invest]

Ummm..

I think you'll find that my Holden, is actually a Toyota.
The $5 badges are however different.

I was contemplating buying another car but it didn't make financial sense.

I figured it costs more in the long run. It is however classier and much funner to drive but I want to wait until I'm like, totally loaded before I do that because my main goal is retirement at this stage. Not a new car.

You mean Lexcen? Thats just Holden rebadged as a Toyota... if you want a real Toyota, get a Corolla, Camry, Aurion, Echo or Yaris...

Keeping the oily, petrol guzzling and splurting Holden will cost you a lot in the long run.

 

[investor2009]

I like to put it this way

Option 1, buy a new(er) car
$20,000, within 5 years the car has lost $10,000 value, plus I had to pay for repairs and services, lets say.. My radiator needed replacing, and the air-con needed a compressor. $4000 with services.

Option 2, keep Holden.
Cost $7000 3 years ago, could sell for $4000-$5000 today
Has cost the same amount to hold as new(er) car as I never know what will break, when.

I could possibly have saved $1000 in fuel within 5 years, but lost out in resale value by much more.

Instead, I managed to purchase one more IP as my servicability was higher. I made tens of thousands instead which continues to grow.

Thats how I like to look at it anyway.

 

[Invest]

I like to put it this way

Option 1, buy a new(er) car
$20,000, within 5 years the car has lost $10,000 value, plus I had to pay for repairs and services, lets say.. My radiator needed replacing, and the air-con needed a compressor. $4000 with services.

Option 2, keep Holden.
Cost $7000 3 years ago, could sell for $4000-$5000 today
Has cost the same amount to hold as new(er) car as I never know what will break, when.

I could possibly have saved $1000 in fuel within 5 years, but lost out in resale value by much more.

Instead, I managed to purchase one more IP as my servicability was higher. I made tens of thousands instead which continues to grow.

Thats how I like to look at it anyway.

Buy a corolla for 15 K, you will have hassle free, cheap motoring for 14-15 years.

 

[Rickardo]

Where abouts in Melb are you? I have a VS Commodore and had a similar problem about 4 years ago, leaking fuel. My reliable family friend mechanic fixed it

Hi!

Just a quick one for the mechanically minded.

I've got a VS Commodore that seems to be leaking fuel (unless my gauge has gone bad) Its a bit up and down but seems to be chewing more juice these days. I'd check the tacco, but that stopped working quite some time ago

I notice that I can smell fuel around the tyre cavity on the fuel cap side, where I fill up. It's not spill because I washed the car. I can smell it between the tyre and body.

Anyhow, I found a pipe in that cavity that seems to run to, or from the fuel tank. I see that is is not connected. The rubber has come away from the metal pipe and joiner.

I'm wanting to know if this is a problem? is this just an overflow relief for the fuel tank or something?

Thanks guys.

 

[RumpledElf]

Buy a corolla for 15 K, you will have hassle free, cheap motoring for 14-15 years.

I bought a corolla for $15k 7 years ago

When it hits 16 I'm giving it to the kid, who turns 16 at the same time the car does. I might even throw in a full set of pink fluffy seat covers.

And I found a mechanic that doesn't seem to be a ripoff, not that I know anything about cars, but the service costs are MUCH cheaper than they were in Adelaide and the car runs just the same so that seems good to me.

 

[BayView]

Come to my joint and we'll fix it for you and we'll upsell you to some new tyres as well maybe!

 

[vincenzo]

"Take it in to a good/reccomended/trusted mechanic."

And where do you suppose I find one of those..?

Seriously, I can't seem to find one.
It did just have a service though, and the mechanic's broke my air-conditioner. Took it to get fixed and the guy told me they'd taken an earth wire off the compressor. Thats the second time a mechanic has messed with my air-con in as many services..

I think that mech's here are just way too busy to do a good job.

I know it can be a pain sometimes with all sorts of tradies, and I can't reccomend any, as i do it all myself. I had to pay to get a rwc done a little while ago however, i felt like i had copped two speeding fines
But you've got a few reccomended mechanics here now

I agree with sticking to jap cars as others have mentioned, way to go for sure, but yeah, now that you've got the vs, it would be cheaper or probably about the same cost over the next few years or so to just keep it going for now.

 

[geoffw]

Actually, for a quick car question, you may be better to try this thread

 

[Strannik]

i have same on my car, once tank gets close to empty it starts smelling fuel

it's the pipe that goes from filler to the tank, it probably doesn't seal anymore, hence the gases escaping. or you might have a hole in it

 

[nww]

You mean Lexcen? Thats just Holden rebadged as a Toyota... if you want a real Toyota, get a Corolla, Camry, Aurion, Echo or Yaris...

Keeping the oily, petrol guzzling and splurting Holden will cost you a lot in the long run.

Actually the VR/VS model was one of the most fuel efficient commodores.
Parents have one and long trips average 7.5L/100km.
I think most new larger Toyota's will have trouble getting close to that.
New Holden water pump $50 bucks from supercheap,oil filter $4
Older Toyota parts cost 3 times more than Holden and normally have to get them direct from Toyota.
Was glad the day I got rid of my Corolla.

 

[Invest]

Actually the VR/VS model was one of the most fuel efficient commodores.
Parents have one and long trips average 7.5L/100km.
I think most new larger Toyota's will have trouble getting close to that.
New Holden water pump $50 bucks from supercheap,oil filter $4
Older Toyota parts cost 3 times more than Holden and normally have to get them direct from Toyota.
Was glad the day I got rid of my Corolla.

Hmm, my brother's Holden VS Commodore Acclaim broke down on us 5 times on the road (not to mention other things that went wrong like leaking fuel tank and leaking coolant that we had to fix). Oh and his steering pump still leaves oily marks on my car port every time he parks there and my brother LOVES that car, mechanics just cant fix that steering pump leak no matter how hard they try so he gave up.

200 KW Toyota Aurion averages around 10 litres per 100 KMs, that's both highway and city driving.

Late model Corollas average around 7.5 litres per 100 KM.

Heck when I had my imported 1996 Nissan R33 Skyline GTST (turbo) coupe, it was 1 year younger than my brother's VS and the only thing that went wrong with it was the suspension sprocket popped which cost me $45 from Bursons for a pack of two. The car was virtually new even though it was made in 1996.

So please bugger off with crap like "Holden is better on fuel and cheaper to maintain"... yeah maybe cheaper at the wreckers but you may as well become best friends with them because just about every little bit on Holdens and Fords break every year.

Toyota is the most reliable, best value for money and most fuel efficient car maker in the world... not GM... just in case you didn't know GM and Ford have gone under a long time ago and are barely scraping it by thanks to US and Australian governments.

Maybe next time you get a Corolla, buy the one made in the current area... not from the 1960s.

 

[Invest]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR6FAStozQo

Corolla ad

 

[nww]

Hmm, my brother's Holden VS Commodore Acclaim broke down on us 5 times on the road (not to mention other things that went wrong like leaking fuel tank and leaking coolant that we had to fix). Oh and his steering pump still leaves oily marks on my car port every time he parks there and my brother LOVES that car, mechanics just cant fix that steering pump leak no matter how hard they try so he gave up.

200 KW Toyota Aurion averages around 10 litres per 100 KMs, that's both highway and city driving.

Late model Corollas average around 7.5 litres per 100 KM.

Heck when I had my imported 1996 Nissan R33 Skyline GTST (turbo) coupe, it was 1 year younger than my brother's VS and the only thing that went wrong with it was the suspension sprocket popped which cost me $45 from Bursons for a pack of two. The car was virtually new even though it was made in 1996.

So please bugger off with crap like "Holden is better on fuel and cheaper to maintain"... yeah maybe cheaper at the wreckers but you may as well become best friends with them because just about every little bit on Holdens and Fords break every year.

Toyota is the most reliable, best value for money and most fuel efficient car maker in the world... not GM... just in case you didn't know GM and Ford have gone under a long time ago and are barely scraping it by thanks to US and Australian governments.

Maybe next time you get a Corolla, buy the one made in the current area... not from the 1960s.

The Corolla I had was a 2004 model and I replaced it with VW jetta TDI
averaging 5.2L/100km at present,
The actual factory rating is 5.8L/100km something a current corolla will never see. and your silly little prius will never get near that figure on the open road.
Can a corolla do over 1100km out of a tank of fuel.
I'll go back to Holden before I do Toyota.
Had 1986 Corolla, 1992,1998 and 2004
Look forward to the Holden Volt when it arrives 2012 @1.9L/100km