I have to relate a pretty remarkable experience my wife and I had while traveling a few days ago.
Let me preface a bit by relating some preemptive maintenance I carried out last month. I was chasing down a recurring P0456 code on my 2007 Caravan and suspected a slightly weepy fuel pump mounting module O-ring. This also happened with my previous 2005 van about 10 years ago, so I pulled the tank to swap that seal. And since I've always been one of those "as long as I'm in there..." kind of guys, I decided to change out that fuel pump.
I ordered a Delphi replacement (but got it off a dude via ebay), since my 2005 had an OE Delphi pump. When I pulled this pump out, it was actually a Bosch, but I was OK with the Delphi. When I got the new pump in the mail, I was a little dismayed to see the Delphi pump was now Chinese (the last Delphi I bought was made in Mexico). Although a bit disappointed, I installed the pump and all was well.
Since that install last month, every now and then the van would stumble at low idle (like when stopping at a light). Since it continued to run I told myself I'd just monitor the situation. Overall it seemed OK and over that time we've made a few long trips across Texas with no issues.
Fast-forward to last Thursday. We were driving from Corpus Christi to Fort Worth to meet up with our oldest boy. Since I despise the parking lot known as I-35, we shot up through San Antonio and jumped north on US-281. It's actually faster than the interstate and a really nice route.
At about 2 PM we were driving through city of Hico, which is a small town of 1300 people about 80 miles south of Fort Worth. As we slowed to make a left turn, the van stumbled badly and conked out. I was able to coast into a bank parking lot and had a lot of trouble getting it restarted. It would run, but croaked with any level of throttle. The check engine light came on and I pulled a P0171 (system too lean Bank 1). One of the key triggers for this code is a weak or dying fuel pump. Just great!
I looked around the immediate area and noticed a shop across the intersection. It was pretty small and quite rustic, but I thought we should at least ask them if they could help. I got the van running and feathered the gas just enough to pull into their lot. The rest of the story really bolstered our faith in the goodness of small-town Texas.
I walked in the small air-conditioned office and was greeted by the 79-year-old owner. I asked if they could swap a fuel pump and, with a small dog in his lap, he told me to talk to his son-in-law out in the shop. I found the mechanic and told him what happened. He asked how sure I was the fuel pump was the issue, and I told him I was almost 100% sure. Together, we popped the fuel supply line at the rail and, as suspected, the flow was weak and sporadic. He told me he could handle the job and asked where the pump was mounted on the Caravan. We pulled the van over a service pit and I showed him. "No problem," he said.
I joined my wife in the small office and had some down-home chat with the owner and a few locals. We talked fishing, high school football, and several other topics of importance. After a few minutes, the mechanic had my pump removed (he and a helper loosened the tank straps enough to drop the tank enough for pump removal) and said he had to run to Stephenville (12 miles away) to grab a pump from the O'Reilly store.
About 90 minutes later, the van was done and running perfectly. We were having such a great time talking to the owner and his friends the time just flew by. And now it was time to bite the bullet and pay the bill. I knew it would be a hit to the wallet, but wasn't prepared for the total: $244.95. I asked if he was sure and he broke down the costs. Here they are:
I was admittedly kind of stunned. Since I didn't have enough cash...and didn't want to use a card, I asked if there was a local ATM I could visit. He pointed to the bank across the street and told me to take the van to test her out. The bank had no ATM, though, so I returned and asked if there was another bank close-by. He told me there was another one down the road about six blocks and then said "Hey, Tim...if you need some more time to get the cash, don't worry about it now. Just pop back and pay us when you're on the way home!"
Who says this these days?? Amazing. I told him there's no problem and went to that ATM to cover the bill and to give him a nice tip. We paid up, I gave him a tip for his hard work (which he very begrudgingly accepted after we insisted), and we were on our way.
At day's end, we were a only delayed a few hours and made some good friends along the way. The van is back to normal and we returned home last night with no trouble whatsoever.
With countless stories these days of folks consistently getting ripped off by unscrupulous shops, I thought this was an experience worth sharing. There are definitely some good guys left in the world...or at least in Texas
Let me preface a bit by relating some preemptive maintenance I carried out last month. I was chasing down a recurring P0456 code on my 2007 Caravan and suspected a slightly weepy fuel pump mounting module O-ring. This also happened with my previous 2005 van about 10 years ago, so I pulled the tank to swap that seal. And since I've always been one of those "as long as I'm in there..." kind of guys, I decided to change out that fuel pump.
I ordered a Delphi replacement (but got it off a dude via ebay), since my 2005 had an OE Delphi pump. When I pulled this pump out, it was actually a Bosch, but I was OK with the Delphi. When I got the new pump in the mail, I was a little dismayed to see the Delphi pump was now Chinese (the last Delphi I bought was made in Mexico). Although a bit disappointed, I installed the pump and all was well.
Since that install last month, every now and then the van would stumble at low idle (like when stopping at a light). Since it continued to run I told myself I'd just monitor the situation. Overall it seemed OK and over that time we've made a few long trips across Texas with no issues.
Fast-forward to last Thursday. We were driving from Corpus Christi to Fort Worth to meet up with our oldest boy. Since I despise the parking lot known as I-35, we shot up through San Antonio and jumped north on US-281. It's actually faster than the interstate and a really nice route.
At about 2 PM we were driving through city of Hico, which is a small town of 1300 people about 80 miles south of Fort Worth. As we slowed to make a left turn, the van stumbled badly and conked out. I was able to coast into a bank parking lot and had a lot of trouble getting it restarted. It would run, but croaked with any level of throttle. The check engine light came on and I pulled a P0171 (system too lean Bank 1). One of the key triggers for this code is a weak or dying fuel pump. Just great!
I looked around the immediate area and noticed a shop across the intersection. It was pretty small and quite rustic, but I thought we should at least ask them if they could help. I got the van running and feathered the gas just enough to pull into their lot. The rest of the story really bolstered our faith in the goodness of small-town Texas.
I walked in the small air-conditioned office and was greeted by the 79-year-old owner. I asked if they could swap a fuel pump and, with a small dog in his lap, he told me to talk to his son-in-law out in the shop. I found the mechanic and told him what happened. He asked how sure I was the fuel pump was the issue, and I told him I was almost 100% sure. Together, we popped the fuel supply line at the rail and, as suspected, the flow was weak and sporadic. He told me he could handle the job and asked where the pump was mounted on the Caravan. We pulled the van over a service pit and I showed him. "No problem," he said.
I joined my wife in the small office and had some down-home chat with the owner and a few locals. We talked fishing, high school football, and several other topics of importance. After a few minutes, the mechanic had my pump removed (he and a helper loosened the tank straps enough to drop the tank enough for pump removal) and said he had to run to Stephenville (12 miles away) to grab a pump from the O'Reilly store.
About 90 minutes later, the van was done and running perfectly. We were having such a great time talking to the owner and his friends the time just flew by. And now it was time to bite the bullet and pay the bill. I knew it would be a hit to the wallet, but wasn't prepared for the total: $244.95. I asked if he was sure and he broke down the costs. Here they are:
I was admittedly kind of stunned. Since I didn't have enough cash...and didn't want to use a card, I asked if there was a local ATM I could visit. He pointed to the bank across the street and told me to take the van to test her out. The bank had no ATM, though, so I returned and asked if there was another bank close-by. He told me there was another one down the road about six blocks and then said "Hey, Tim...if you need some more time to get the cash, don't worry about it now. Just pop back and pay us when you're on the way home!"
Who says this these days?? Amazing. I told him there's no problem and went to that ATM to cover the bill and to give him a nice tip. We paid up, I gave him a tip for his hard work (which he very begrudgingly accepted after we insisted), and we were on our way.
At day's end, we were a only delayed a few hours and made some good friends along the way. The van is back to normal and we returned home last night with no trouble whatsoever.
With countless stories these days of folks consistently getting ripped off by unscrupulous shops, I thought this was an experience worth sharing. There are definitely some good guys left in the world...or at least in Texas
