99 Chevy Cavalier - Worth Saving?

Tiny
HEYGUYS!
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 CHEVROLET TRUCK
Hey there. I just spent $650 for a repair on my Chevy Cavalier (replaced whatever outrageously expensive part sits just behind the gas tank.) Gotten the car back and it seemed to run fine until it sputtered and died after running a few miles and then idleing in rush hour traffic. My mechanic gave me the advice to turn the ingition on and off three times to get it to start and sure enough, it worked after a few minutes.

The car has 135K on it. I've gotten to this point before with my vehicles where it seems I pour about $1,500 into them before I decide it's just going to be one thing after another.

Any opinions on whether this is a simple fix or whether I should take it to the dealer (my mechanic is old school without a diagnostic computer in sight.)

Thanks fellas, your expertise is MUCH appreciated.
Saturday, May 5th, 2007 AT 4:46 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,123 POSTS
Unless the frame is rotted out too, bad it is almost always better to repair from a financial standpoint. I have a customer with an 82 pontiac J2000, that seems like it should have been junked 10 years ago. She kepps fixing it. Why? Because it is a smart financial decision.

You need to break it down into cost per mile if you are an average driver.

Sounds like you need a fuel pump.
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Saturday, May 5th, 2007 AT 6:01 AM
Tiny
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OK here's where it gets embarassing. My hands on mechanic replaced the "thing" behind the cas tank (small pipe going into tank had rotted and was leaking). Does this include the fuel pump?

I was hoping it was a sensor because of the three key turn/override trick working.

I really only need to get two more years out of the car.
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Saturday, May 5th, 2007 AT 7:56 AM
Tiny
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So much for the key trick. Now it just won't turn over, I can hear the fuel pump priming but it won't start. Lovely smell, not burning, more sweet.

Did the guy who fixed my car (or not actually) just screw it up? This is (supposedly) the second one of these he's installed - said first one was bad. Not that he's trying to rip me off, just that he doesn't have the diagnostics/tools to really fix the car. Thanks.
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Saturday, May 5th, 2007 AT 8:58 AM

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