(Untitled)

[genarti]

So, last week, my car's check engine light came on. I don't drive to work on a daily basis -- or, okay, ever; it's actually quicker to walk, given parking and all -- and so it was easy enough to let it sit in the driveway for a few days until I could take it to the garage this Saturday

Comments

[darthrami]

I'd agree-- if you know what the problem is, it doesn't hurt at all to call around to a few places (not just a toyota dealership; while they have the most accurate price on parts, their labor will also be a bit higher -- sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, depending on the place) to get an idea of what people would charge.

Good luck. *squish*

[asd109]

I third the recommendation to call a couple places and ask what they estimate it would cost to replace the part. Or--hey--you could call Car Talk!

The state inspection would check your emissions as part of the test (and I would imagine that Boston has a more comprehensive emissions test since it's an urban area), but if the light just came on last week then it's likely it was fine at the time of your last inspection, but died since then. You would probably fail your next inspection though if it wasn't fixed.

That said--google gave me the following, which might be helpful:

http://www.complaints.com/directory/2004/april/13/6.htm
http://www.complaints.com/directory/2005/june/17/37.htm

Those and a couple other things seem to suggest their prices are pretty much in line with what other people are paying.

[fancycwabs]

Based on the intarwebs, $263 seems reasonable for the component--however, the problem might also be caused by a leaky o-ring on the gas cap, which is a much cheaper fix.

While it is technically part of the emissions system, from what I understand it basically traps gasoline vapors from the tank and keeps them from venting to the atmosphere. As it is, the canister's probably still working, only it has an air leak from a crack or something. You might consider driving it for a while, and saving up for the repair at the shop--you can also check with a greasmonkey friend and see if there's a cheaper fix in the interim.

[alemara]

Considering that my car (a '91 Saab) is likely needing a similar for approximately $500...yeah, I'd say it's probably pretty reasonable.

*grins*

I guess the more important question is...is it something you're really willing to just let slide, even if it won't cause a breakdown right away. Since you say that the people seem nice and knowledgable, you might want to express your concerns with price, discuss possible payments in installments, etc. It's possible, from your description of them, they might consider knocking a little bit off. Do some research; give a call to a local Toyota dealer or check online, and chat with them.

Probably not much, though. The sad fact is that cars are expensive beasts, even if you don't drive them that often. Good luck!

[in_the_blue]

I'll just add this to what everyone else has said: a good trustworthy mechanic is worth his or her weight in gold. If you like these guys and their prices are in range with what other people are charging, I say go for it. Keep the car in shape and you'll be happy and it will be happy. I've been babying my car with 148,000 miles on it and it's still going strong.