Fuel Tank Rupture

[Wolfman_matt]

I was driving my 95 accord on the highway through a pile of shredded 18 wheeler rubber (I couldn't navigate around) when I hit what turned out to be a metal mudflap support which bounced up and punctured my gas tank.

I ended up losing the whole tank of gas over about an hour but my car is at the stealership awaiting a call.

Can anyone offer advice as to how much $ I am out? Can I go with an aftermarket tank since I have 180k miles on the car? Is it worth considering a fuel tank replacement given the age of the car (runs fine)?

I have been scouring the web tonight and a factory OEM tank is about $350 and Autozone has one for $230. Is there really much difference?

Thanks

[rocky]

Stealer will not fit after market. So you'd be looking at another tow to get it to an indie repair shop if you decide to go after market, which I would do and put the difference into a replacement fuel pump, assuming it is located inside the fuel tank

[humanoid]

Buy one from hondacuraworld.com and have your Stealer put it on for you. I wouldn't mess with anything other than OEM/factory when it comes to somethng likethe fuel tank !

[Wolfman_matt]

Rocky and Humanoid - thanks for the quick reply.

What I meant to ask was should I consider replacing the fuel pump (not tank as I have no choice there)?

I will definitely check with Tim.

[jdeanski]

Originally posted by Wolfman_matt
ICan anyone offer advice as to how much $ I am out?

Check with your insurance company to see if it is covered under the comprehensive coverage.

[ictvuser]

Originally posted by Wolfman_matt
I was driving my 95 accord on the highway through a pile of shredded 18 wheeler rubber (I couldn't navigate around) when I hit what turned out to be a metal mudflap support which bounced up and punctured my gas tank.

I ended up losing the whole tank of gas over about an hour but my car is at the stealership awaiting a call.

Can anyone offer advice as to how much $ I am out? Can I go with an aftermarket tank since I have 180k miles on the car? Is it worth considering a fuel tank replacement given the age of the car (runs fine)?

I have been scouring the web tonight and a factory OEM tank is about $350 and Autozone has one for $230. Is there really much difference?

Thanks

Good thing there was no fire.

I guessing you need at least the gas tank cover/shield, a new tank, plus gaskets. It is a good idea to replace the fuel pump, but wait and let the dealer tell you what they think. Just the gas tank and fuel pump will probably put you over $500 in parts alone.

I had a gas tank replaced on another car and went with a used tank. If you go with an aftermarket tank, just make sure that you already have a shop that you trust to install it. Some independents will not install customer provided parts since they cannot guarantee the work.

[A6Pilot]

I would imagine that the labor costs of installing a new fuel pump in the new tank should be nil. After all, they have to pull the original pump from the old tank, and then install it in the new one anyway. Thus, installing a new pump in new tank would amount to less total labor.

Just thinking out loud.

[Wolfman_matt]

A6Pilot, ictvuser, & jdeanski - thanks for the input. The more I think about it, the luckier I feel to have escaped the incident without a fire or worse.

I have gotten some quotes from both a stealer and an independent shop: Stealer = 641.47 installed (Tim could beat the parts cost some)
Ind = 587 installed new & 225 installed used

less 1.5 hours labor is what I am told.

Any risks with a used unit?

[ramirami]

Originally posted by Wolfman_matt


Any risks with a used unit?

well the risks with a used unit would be the same with any used unit... you dont know what you are getting...

I am presuming you did not have insurance on the car?

[Wolfman_matt]

ramirami - thanks for the reply. You are correct in that I had dropped my comprehensive in years past. It's a 95 model with 180k miles although it still runs well.

From discussions with my neighbor who is an insurance agent, small claims like this are usually not a good idea over the long haul when you consider the impact to your rates and even your insure-ability. I have even heard that you may end up with a black mark on your record for too many inquiries even if you decide not to file a claim. Anyone else had this type of experience?

His advice is to use insurance for catastrophic type accidents only.

[ramirami]

Originally posted by Wolfman_matt
have even heard that you may end up with a black mark on your record for too many inquiries even if you decide not to file a claim. Anyone else had this type of experience?

I would disagree... comprehensive claims no not matter... yea collision would be an issue...

if you shop for new insurance...they only ask about your "atfault claims in the past x years "

[jcantanixon]

Originally posted by ramirami


I would disagree... comprehensive claims no not matter... yea collision would be an issue...

if you shop for new insurance...they only ask about your "atfault claims in the past x years "

Are you sure about that? The last time I shopped for insurance about a year ago, they asked about number of claims without mentioning fault.

[ramirami]

Originally posted by jcantanixon


Are you sure about that? The last time I shopped for insurance about a year ago, they asked about number of claims without mentioning fault.

Just went to allstate website:
This is what they ask:
Have you had any accidents or violations in the last five years?

[ictvuser]

Originally posted by Wolfman_matt
I have gotten some quotes from both a stealer and an independent shop: Stealer = 641.47 installed (Tim could beat the parts cost some)
Ind = 587 installed new & 225 installed used

less 1.5 hours labor is what I am told.

Any risks with a used unit?

I went with a used gas tank (on another car) because of the cost. A new tank was around $800 while a used tank was around $200. The place I got the tank from had a good rep for quality parts. I had the part sent straight to the garage. The tank came with a warranty and the my mechanic tested it for leaks.

The problem with used parts is that if something goes wrong (e.g., does not fit, does not work, missing pieces, rust, broken/cracked, leaks, warped/bent, etc) you may end up eating the cost of the part as well as the labor to put it in and take it out. Depending on the shop, you may not get a warranty on the workmanship.

Any damaged caused by the used gas tank (e.g,. fire) would usually not be covered.

[ictvuser]

Originally posted by ramirami


I would disagree... comprehensive claims no not matter... yea collision would be an issue...

if you shop for new insurance...they only ask about your "atfault claims in the past x years "

I have to check but I always assumed that (CLUE) Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange tracks the comp claim usage for auto insurance.

My agent told me that more than 3 comp claims in two years was considered high for them.