03/01/2010
by Tom and Ray Magliozzi
Click & Clack
Dear Tom and Ray:
I'm a busy, poor veterinary student with an old, 1989 Volvo 240 DL. I have a wannabe boyfriend/mechanic who likes to tear into things and see what's inside, then put things back together the best he can. I appreciate his efforts very much, but there are times when I hesitate to risk mistakes. I am wondering what you think about an inexperienced home mechanic changing a fuel pre-pump on my car? The engine light code and physical symptoms all say the pre-pump is bad. I am so poor that I would love to buy a pump on eBay and have this guy put it in for me. However, the Volvo mechanics say pre-pumps are a very tricky business, and even new ones might go bad. Should I listen to them and pay them the big bucks to fix it? Or can I save some money and let my guy try it? What do you think?
-- Janel
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