After overhearing a wife tell her husband they needed to go straight to the gas station because she was on fumes, I told her she really should try to keep it over 1/4 full. Her response was “that’s just a guy thing you say so we won’t run out of gas”; Fiction.
The fact is 99% of the cars on the road have an electric fuel pump. The pump is inside the fuel tank. You may think an electric motor in a tank of gas doesn’t sound very safe. Don’t worry it is very safe. There isn’t much oxygen in the gas tank, even when it’s empty, in fact not enough oxygen for it to burn or explode.
The reason we recommend keeping it over 1/4 tank is the gasoline is the coolant that cools the fuel pump. An electric motor makes heat. That heat causes wear and premature failure if it’s not dissipated. Below a 1/4 of a tank the pump isn’t fully submerge and the small amount fuel in the tank actually warms up and doesn’t effectively dissipate the heat.
That’s why we recommend keeping it over a 1/4 full; if you don’t, we’ll gladly replace your fuel pump when it prematurely fails.
Hometown Garage, along with the major industry trade group ASA opposes the so called Right to Repair Act. We do not have a problem accessing trouble codes or vehicle systems. The information is available, for a price of course, and this Bill will not change that. Factory computers and service information is readily available. A factory computer & service information package with updates runs about $7000 per year per manufacturer. So you can see Independent shops have to decide which is economically viable to invest in, based on the brands of cars they most service. This bill won’t change that.
Right to Repair Legislation has been defeated in the 23 (I believe it’s 23) other states that filed it. This type of legislation probably isn’t necessary and if it is it belongs on a country wide federal level. If the manufacturer has to do something different in Massachusetts it will cost you more to buy that car in Massachusetts, it’s basic economics.
This bill has been spearheaded by the discount auto part chains. They deny claims that the information they will get from the bill will make it easier for them to make knock of parts overseas and that they are funding it to help the independent shops. All I can tell you for sure is we don’t have a problem, so follow the money and reach your own decision.
I’ve talked to people from the MA Right to Repair Coalition. In my opinion they are extremely rude. About every other day I get a call from them. The called starts in with we need you to call your legislator and urge them to pass this. My answer is always the same, ” Why would I want to do that, we don’t support it?” They immediately hang up – click. If this bill were at all legitimate I’d expect to hear something like ” but you’re a shop, don’t you have a problem getting information? This is not a bill or group I want to support.
We urge you to oppose this legislation and let your Representatives and Senators know you oppose it. You can find more information about the bill and a simple way to email your legislators at
http://capwiz.com/asashop/issues/alert/?alertid=15255991
