Car ?'s
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Sludig
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Burns
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That's rough, as it's hard to really verify anything once it's in the shop.
I don't know enough about fuel to say what "sugar like substance" can mean, other than someone directly putting sugar in your fuel tank, and how long ago that could have happened. Like, could someone pour some sugar in, and it sit in the bottom of the tank for month/years. Can bad/old gas continually sit in the bottom of the tank if the owner does not let the gas go below 50%, depending on how the tank is designed (for example, my car supposedly has a left/right "split" tank).
You say you have a locking gas cap, as in you need to key to take it off, in addition to a locking door? If it's just the door, then that can be popped open any time the vehicle is left unlocked.
Sludig
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locking door you have to release on inside or fob. Car auto locks everything.
She picked it up this evening. Thru are now saying that injectors or something and some of the work that was being done for free was being done under some kind of injector recall/ warranty so who knows wtf is really going on as long as it runs.
Kobayashi
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Something definitely doesn't smell right with their story. They should have already root caused the issue when they ordered the parts. Even if they didn't and were just throwing parts at it, seems strange they'd suddenly decide to tear into it at that point. I guess as long as everything is working and you didn't get charged for all that extra work, can't really complain.
Burns
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Yea, if you have the auto lock feature on, then it would be rather difficult for some kids to fuck with it, and I wouldn't suspect anyone else of doing some stupid shit like pouring sugar in it.
You can usually(?) find recalls by searching google with year/make/model "recall" and maybe add the part (injectors). Maybe even look at the receipt to see what all they put on it. If it smells funny, as in, you cant verify anything they said, best bet is to probably start looking/asking around for a different mechanic, that way you know where to try next, for future service.
Edit: The internetz says that sugar does not dissolve in gasoline (Mythbusters did an episode), so the fuel filter will catch it/clog up and stop the engine from getting enough fuel. According to the couple threads I read, the repair is generally to replace the fuel filter and drain/flush the tank. I could not find anything for "sugar like substance" in the engine.
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I thought this was a claim one of my adjusters totaled out. This car has a carbon fiber shield to the battery where if it's damaged the entire thing has to be replaced. The only place that is approved to replace it is at the actual manufacturing plant where it was built. These cars are dumb.
Big Phoenix
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Wonder if I should have jumped on that 23 Tacoma with 11k miles for $36000.
Sounds like a great scam.
You're being scammed. Sugar doesn't dissolve in gas. It could be something different, but if he's saying sugar like it's someone put sugar in then lord help you. They fucked up something. The dealer will not do anything for free and this sends red flags. I can't tell you how often we have to send dealers to NCIB for fraudulent shit.
Sludig
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Only thing I figure is part of the injector service etc they would have been hooking them up to their machine would be one reason to be seeing stuff. That and if you go to the originating post it seemed like a funky problem with no codes.
The car had a legit issue going in so I don't really want to jump to they did something, symptoms fit a sugared tank.
Bum fuck oklahoma, I wouldn't be shocked they billed it to mazda as a warranty assuming she wouldn't be able to pay out the work if they'd charged her a few grand for it. Or nothing extra was wrong beyond plugs and coils and they had a bs story to try and make her a repeat customer
Dunno but instead of being a 10 year car might try to convince her to dump it just to be safe in another year or two.
Sludig
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That's what they said they did, but to my understanding the damage is when enough of it clogs finger solid or stays being able to bypass it.
Sludig
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I mean they weren't specific, I imagine it sounded more like they could just see the particulate and not that they ran some chemistry thing on it to detect sugar. I told her to see if they had kept anything/ photos etc for if we tried a criminal case if her work caught someone on camera
her car rarely goes anywhere but work but she had plenty of enemies. she was hired to replace a bitch who's lingered around the area in the past. She was involved with a sub contractor who lost his business and family and thinks it's her fault he fucked up his Financials. And she's the one who turned in a project manager for lying on his time cards. So plenty of people with beef.
Nelson mazda tulsa seems highly rated and a major dealer, id expect it from some of the other scammy bad dealerships out here in particular Patriot which I think is about to face a big class action.
Burns
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Well, if someone wanted to cause her some hassle, but not have it trace back to them, it's not beyond the realm of possibilities that someone slim-jimed her door and opened the tank then. Since sugar in the tank ruining engines has been a wide spread meme for our whole lives (when actually it's not as effective as people think it is), it would defiantly be a go-to for some dumbass that doesn't know much about it.
Sludig
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I believe they wouldn't need to do her door, from what I saw on a miata and if they are similar, I think the latch is weak and just a flat head applying a little torque would pop the cover open.
Big Phoenix
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In 2009 I paid $15500 for my 2005 Tacoma with 50k miles.
Today a 4-5 year old Tacoma same trim same miles is going for $30000+.
The more I think about the more Im leaning towards just buying new. Seeing as how it will be a truck I drive for 10+ years a few thousand dollars difference seems meaningless.
Today a 4-5 year old Tacoma same trim same miles is going for $30000+.
The more I think about the more Im leaning towards just buying new. Seeing as how it will be a truck I drive for 10+ years a few thousand dollars difference seems meaningless.
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Fucker
Log Wizard
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Well, buying new is always the game for people who buy Toyotas and Hondas and keep them across definitive archaeological time periods. It's the best way to get what you paid for.
Good luck getting a new model (4th gen) Tacoma for MSRP in the next 4+ years, though. Everyone and their brother wants one.
OTOH, I bet there are deals everywhere for previous gen (3rd gen) Tacomas....because everyone wants the new one. Sure, your 19 year old Toyota might feel new...but I bet a 2023 Tacoma would feel newer.
Best thing about them? They still feel like a Toyota. The new Toyotas feel like KIA's from 1998. I was lined up to get a new Tundra but bailed because it felt like cheap trash inside. I have a new model Highlander but hate it because it is so cheap inside.
The standout are the 4runners. They are still built in Japan, and have WAY WAY higher quality than anything else on Toyota sales floor.
Good luck getting a new model (4th gen) Tacoma for MSRP in the next 4+ years, though. Everyone and their brother wants one.
OTOH, I bet there are deals everywhere for previous gen (3rd gen) Tacomas....because everyone wants the new one. Sure, your 19 year old Toyota might feel new...but I bet a 2023 Tacoma would feel newer.
Best thing about them? They still feel like a Toyota. The new Toyotas feel like KIA's from 1998. I was lined up to get a new Tundra but bailed because it felt like cheap trash inside. I have a new model Highlander but hate it because it is so cheap inside.
The standout are the 4runners. They are still built in Japan, and have WAY WAY higher quality than anything else on Toyota sales floor.
Sludig
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The market sucks but a little to be faaaaiiiirrrrr , the buying power of 15k in 09 would inflate to at least low 20s now. So it's inflated but there's also a certain amount of just having world view of your formative years. I still miss big macs 2 for 2.
The current exact market I'm not sure, I feel like if one can wait a year or will be a great buyer market. But a couple years ago? Ya buy new
Burren
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Cars, homes, boats, watches; all falling in price and things will get more realistic. Not pre-China aids, but better.
Big Phoenix
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Also another slight jimmy rustle but the colors. In 2022 Toyota discontinued a really nice almost matte gray color for the Tacoma and replaced it with a lighter less matte green tinged gray color for 2023. The real fucking shame is they dropped the coyote brown/sand/fde color back in 2021.
I've never really understood the point of 4runners. Theyre basically the same size as a Tacoma, which means seating is nearly as cramped as a Tacoma's(its biggest complaint), they dont even really seat that more than a Tacoma due to only having two rows of seats, they get noticeably less MPG than a Tacoma, they dont tow anymore than a Tacoma does, they have less cargo capacity etc.
True but truck is 19 years old now. Going to be needing new tires sometime this year, could really use a paint job etc. All money id rather put into a newer truck.