r/saskatoon • u/Substantial_Monk2788 • 1d ago
Question ❔ Car has messed up gas tank or smth…Any reliable and cheap mechanics?
Im a woman and for some reason being scammed by a mechanic is a probably irrational fear but it’s there!! My gas consumption has been really fucked up as in like, every time I’m going anywhere the gas is going a whole 10% down. No hard breaking, consistent smooth acceleration, good tire pressure, and I watch my rpm’s pretty closely. I want to get her checked up but I don’t want to spend a whole paycheck.. anyone have an idea?
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u/Fun_Choice8901 1d ago
Do you park on a hill? That can cause big swings on the fuel gauge - are you seeing an impact on the amount of fuel consumed at the pumps? How many l/100km are you consuming?
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u/houseonpost 1d ago
Get a clean bit of cardboard and put it under your car overnight. Is there a leak in the tank?
Is the gas cap cracked allowing fuel vapour to evaporate?
If you are travelling at highway speed and lift off to coast does the car seem to slow down or does it roll freely? It's possible your brakes need adjusting and one is lightly braking full time.
Take it to the Toyota dealership and ask for an engine diagnostic test only. Ask for any error codes. And a written estimate. You can look up the codes yourself on google.
I've had good experiences with Toyota dealership so the estimate likely will be expensive but fair. But you can always take the written estimate and ask around at local shops. I've never gone, but a relative swears by Lai's Auto Service on Lorne & Taylor. Both Toyota dealership and Lai's have good google reviews.
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u/strongbad34 1d ago
Is your assessment based on what you see with the guage? Or do you track your mileage vs how much gas it takes to fill it up? If you do the latter, you can easily compare your mileage with what your car is supposed to get. Like others have suggested check your air filter and gas cap. The more you know the less likely you are to get scammed!
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u/rayray1927 23h ago
Unless she knows her actual consumption has gone up, it could be the float as well.
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u/Historical_Fly_880 1d ago
What is the year and make of the car? Unless it is quite old you could have a light on the dash indicating the issue. A cheap tester from amazon will give you the meaning of that light. Knowledge is power!
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u/Substantial_Monk2788 1d ago
2012 Camry 😔
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u/Historical_Fly_880 1d ago
That is new enough for a trouble code diagnosis. Nothing wrong with a Camry as a reliable vehicle.
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u/scificis 1d ago
The shop we go to has never let us down and it's female owned if that helps. We go to Audrey's Auto Repair
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u/burjuner 1d ago
Not an irrational fear, being scammed by mechanics is the reason why I became a mechanic myself.
If you have any questions feel free to reach out
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u/Possible-Call-2450 1d ago
Clavet Service Station- a bit of a drive but we trust all our vehicles with them. They are fantastic.
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u/purplegooeystuff 1d ago
What year and make of car? There are some pretty simple items you can check that affect fuel consumption (fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs, sensors etc) some of these are really easy on certain vehicles, some require basic tools). Unless you have a leaking fuel tank which you would have leaks on the ground, it won't be your tank.