Fuel pressure gauge

[aprilmayjune]

I found out that AAMCO left a fuel pressure gauge on my explorer a couple months ago. I have been driving around with it on since then until it was noticed today. Should I tell AAMCO about it? What are the chances it could have got caught on a belt and broke off and something happening to my car?

[marcus_the_clownfish]

make something break, and then charge them up the you know what. tell them it used to drive like a benz and for that fact you should get a real benz

[NOTSOSHARPE]

If you are trying to diagnose why your vehicle is running poorly, or not at all, it is good to be able to check the pressure on the fuel rail, which supplies each of the injectors. If you have a non-functional fuel pump or clogged fuel filter, it can be a good tool to have around. They usually just attach to a valve resembling a tire air valve. Just unscrew it, and drain the gas out of it.

[aprilmayjune]

i paid a grand for them to fix the 'piece' that is my explorer. if they are going to leave equipment that could break off and damage my car then i don't think they deserve to rip me off so much. it was just laying across my engine still hooked up. and of course i'm keeping it-finders keepers right?! unless i can trade them back for that hefty bill...

[caferacermike]

You could keep it but why? If you've already paid them $1,000 it sounds to me like you are not mechanically inclined. It may feel justified to keep it as part of a return for your large bill, it is after all a tangible item you can hold in your hands. It is not uncommon to leave a tool behind, this isn't surgery and look how often it happens in that theater. No further damage occurred from this and it sounds as though they did indeed fix the problems you were having. Why take it out on them any further? It does not sound as though they did you wrong in any way, shape or form. Unfortunately some guy left a possibly expensive tool attached to your vehicle. From a being a mechanic myself I can tell you that the guy that did the repairs paid for that tool out of his pocket. They generally have to own all their own tools. It could easily have cost him $200 to replace that gauge that he uses to earn a living that he may possibly feed his children with.

There is no justification in keeping it. And if there are no actual problems caused by leaving it there (and you couldn't make me believe you if you tried), then trying to get money out of them would only be bad Karma. In fact I bet the guy, if he still works there, would be overjoyed at being reunited with it, much like losing a pet. He may even be nice enough to buy you a soda of your choice from the vending machine or replace your windshield wipers for you.

[LoneStar]

Mike hit the nail on the head. The mechanic wasn't the one who charged you so much, only his employer. I garuntee you that he had to pay top dollar for a tool like that. Now that he is out a expensive tool, its only going to cost him in the coming paychecks to recoup it to the tool vendor.

If you can, please return it. I'm in the same boat. I have to buy all my tools for work. No tools = no work. Its not AAMCO your sticking it to, its one of their employees.

[moneytank]

I agree with caferacermike. Take the tool back. Keep in mind what he said. Most likely the tool belongs to the mechanic, not AAMCO. The mechanic prob only got 1/10 of the bill you were charged, the rest went to AAMCO. Now out of that 1/10 he got paid for the job he had to go buy a new tool to replace the lost one. Maybe ask for a free oil change or something. Oil change will cost them a few bucks but save you 20-30. AAMCO isnt going to care one way or the other, it will all come back to the mechanic himself.

[erikharrison]

I'll bet that guy will pee his pants with happiness when you return it. I am sure that is probably an expensive part!!!! For the reasons already stated, I feel for mechanics. Not only do they have to make sure not to leave tools in cars, sometimes they work with untrusting people that they have to watch as well. Keep your Karma right.

[Bill S]

Ditto the above. You may not be happy with the bill, but, was it unfair? I give tools back to my mechanic all the time. It happens. That being said, it doesn't belong to you. If you are in Walmart and the cashier gives you back more change than you should get, do you give it back? I do. It isn't mine.

[aprilmayjune]

You could keep it but why? If you've already paid them $1,000 it sounds to me like you are not mechanically inclined.

Of course I'm not mechanically inclined. Why else am I going to be posting on here asking questions that I obviously know nothing about. The question was could that have done damage to my vehicle because someone told me it could have caused a fire, not whether you think I should keep the gauge or not. I have no use for it, I had no clue what it was, it isn't even in this city because my car was taken somewhere else to be fixed. That is irrelevant and the 'finders keepers' was a joke. Sorry for the lack of sarcasm today. I was going to call and ask them about it, but since it has been so long since AAMCO had it, I want to make sure its theirs and wasn't in there already hence needing an ID number or something. I don't want to call and ask 'Did anyone leave a fuel pressure gauge in my car?' because someone is bound to say yes even if it isn't theirs. I DO know they aren't cheap.