Corvette Fuel Leaks Need A Recall Pt. 2

For the back story, you can start here.

Before delving too much deeper into my current issue regarding GM and a fuel leak, I wanted to lay out a timeline of the events. Maybe this will help another Corvette owner in the future should they want to head down the same road (probably not the one Chevrolet wanted us to find as part of their “Find New Roads” campaign).

7/9/2015 – Morning: I notice a strong smell of gasoline in my garage when getting into my 2004 Corvette as I drive to work. I’m hopeful that it’s not a fuel leak on the vehicle, but because I don’t have lawn equipment or fuel tanks stored in there, I’m pretty sure it is.

7/9/2015 – Evening: I return home after work and meeting my dad for dinner. I haven’t noticed any strong fuel odors, and the smell in the garage has dissipated. I let the car sit in the garage for approximately three hours before checking on it. The strong fuel odor has returned. I narrow it down to being the strongest in the rear driver’s side wheel well. I make an appointment online to drop the car off the next morning at a local Chevrolet dealership where I’ve had work done before (broken shift cable x2, broken window regulator, Z06 Ti exhaust install, numerous oil changes).

7/10/2015: I drop the car off at the dealership around 7:30 a.m. My service adviser states that he also smells the fuel odor. He says their Corvette technician probably won’t get to it until Monday because he’s working on a C6 transmission.

7/14/2015: My service adviser calls to tell me that there is a fuel leak in the driver’s side tank. They can’t pinpoint it without dropping the tank. I tell them to go ahead because I feel like figuring out where it’s leaking is of the utmost importance.

7/16/2015: My service adviser calls to tell me that the tank is cracked at the quick connector. It will be $3,472.12 to fix this problem. I drive over to look at the tank and see a nice split in the tank at the quick connector. This is the exact reason that Special Coverage Adjustment was issued. I ask the dealership if there’s any way to get this replaced under that coverage, and they tell me no. I tell them that I’m going to contact GM any way. I place a call to GM customer service where they take down my info, and tell me they’re going to attempt to work out a deal with the dealership on my behalf. I also write an e-mail to Scott Lawson, General Director of Marketing at GM, whose name is at the bottom of that Special Coverage Adjustment.

7/17/2015 – Morning: Mr. Lawson responds to my e-mail stating that they’re going to “look into this matter.”

7/17/2015 – Afternoon: A GM Executive Liaison contacts me via e-mail stating that GM is currently reviewing my case, and asking for my phone number so that I can provide further details.

7/20/15: The GM Executive Liaison calls me to get my VIN and other information. She tells me that she needs to contact some other people regarding this matter, and will get back to me in a few days.

7/21/15: A Chevrolet service manager calls to ask about my car. When I inform him that my vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since 7/10/2015 he sounds surprised. It turns out that the first GM customer service rep I spoke to on Friday forwarded all of my information to the wrong dealership. Thanks GM.

7/22/2015: The GM Executive Liaison calls me to let me know that she contacted the dealership, and the best GM can do is 20%($694) off the repair cost. I ask why it won’t be covered 100%, and she states that the Special Coverage Adjustment was in effect an extended warranty that’s run out. Also, the offer is only valid at this dealership, and if I take it somewhere else to get more competitive pricing there’s no guarantee that I’ll still get 20% off. I send another e-mail to Scott Lawson detailing my disappointment with how this matter has been handled.

Corvette Fuel Leaks Need A Recall

2004 Corvette Fuel Tank Leak

Coincidentally, I read the Jalopnik article on the Hummer H3 recall as my 2004 Chevrolet Corvette was at a local dealership having a fuel leak diagnosed. I had a feeling it would be the well-known fuel tank crack at the quick connector which forced GM to issue a Special Coverage Adjustment bulletin in 2010. That coverage came with a limit of 100,000 miles or 10 years from the day the car went into service. I’m not close to the 100,000 mile limit, but according to GM my 10-year limit ended on January 29, 2014.

The dealership where my car is now said they’ll take a look at their pricing to see if they can cut me a break on parts and/or labor. The first was “maybe a 10% off” the entire cost deal. I contacted GM to see what they could do, and they are in the process of contacting the dealership to see if they can work out a deal on my behalf. Based on GM’s recent track record with recalls, I’m not holding my breath.

What still boggles my mind is that other GM vehicles, notably the 06-09 Cobalt (the 07-09 G5, 07 Equinox, 06 Pursuit, 07 Torrent and 06-07 Ion were part of this, too), also had Special Coverage bulletins issued for fuel leaks, but those have no mileage or time limits.

Guess I should’ve just driven around with the leak until something catastrophic happened. Maybe then GM would’ve reconsidered their stance on this serious safety issue.

Update 7/22/2015: GM’s Executive Office has extended me an offer of 20% off work performed at the dealership. Which is them basically saying they’ll pay me $694 to go away.

Going From Hurt to Injured

I should’ve listened to my body. If there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s that you should always listen to your body.

In my zest to increase my training in advance of running the Bloomsday 12K, I did too much too fast. I pushed my normal training pace beyond what I should have, ramped up my speed work too quickly and even pushed too hard in my other sporting activities (multiple full-court bball games on tired legs). All of this led to a strained lower rectus abdominus muscle (possibly a re-injury from a snowboarding wipeout 10+ years ago). And what did I do to treat it?

I tried to train through it, of course!

The first run after it happened had me feeling like someone was pushing a hot poker into my gut. Though, it did get slightly better after I warmed up a bit. However, in the days after that I had trouble walking without a slight limp and my running form was all jacked up. I really should’ve listened to all of the screaming my body was doing and just shut everything down. Those extra four or five days of running did nothing for my race training, and they definitely cost me my chance of participating in the Bloomsday 12K.

It’s been 14 weeks since the injury occurred, and while I’ve tried to start back running a few times, with moderate pain showing up each time, today was the first time I truly felt pain free. Hopefully, the last seven weeks of resting with minimal stretching and resistance exercises has healed me, and my body won’t be yelling at me when I wake up tomorrow.

Seal Vs. Octopus Round 2

Courtesy AMHDesign.co

Courtesy AMHDesign.co

The trip out West went well, except that I didn’t run the Bloomsday 12K. That will be addressed in an upcoming blog. I did get to check out some amazing scenery in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. This included a seal near the Bainbridge Island ferry in Seattle battling an octopus. Like the first seal vs. octopus in Canada, me and my wife originally thought it was two seals just swimming around. Luckily, she had her camera on hand and ripped off a couple shots. Pretty amazing!

Doomsday Hill – 8 Weeks Away

NikeFlyknitLunar1 When me and my wife decided to visit friends in Spokane, Washington I had no intention of entering a race. Let alone the famous (probably infamous depending on who you talk to) Bloomsday 12K.

Originally, we had planned to visit over Memorial Day, but flight prices increased around the middle of May so we bumped our potential dates up a few weeks. Turns out the first week of May worked great for everyone, and one of our friends is actually running the Bloomsday 12K. Being a runner, I was roped into participating as well.

Now, I haven’t trained for a race in a long time. Currently, I use running to stay in shape for other things like basketball and surfing. Also, the last race I really trained for was just a 5K. I’m faced with having about eight weeks left until I tackle Doomsday Hill while doing my best to prepare for the increase in elevation. Good times!

Honestly, I am excited to participate in one of the most well-known races in the country, regardless of my time. It gives me a chance to draw upon my old race training strategies, and to see how my body responds. Right now I’m just hoping that Doomsday Hill doesn’t defeat me on May 3.

Project Car Chronicles: The Hunt is On!

Alfa Romeo VeloceAfter kicking the idea around for far too long, me and my dad have finally decided to get serious about working on a project car together. I’m surprised, and somewhat sad, that it’s taken this long given our shared interest in automobiles. Guess it’s better late than never, though.

And what have we decided to pour our blood, sweat, tears and probably too much money into?

The answer is: We’re still deciding.

We kicked around various Porsche models, and he checked out a few. We also have British sports cars like certain Triumphs, MGs and Austin-Healeys on our list. Mostly because I’ve never turned wrenches on cars like that, and he owned quite a few of them before kids came along. The most serious one we’re currently pursuing is a 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce.

I discovered it on Craigslist, and sent the listing to my dad. Turns out he knows the guy selling it. That guy is currently putting in a new fuel pump, and as soon as it’s installed we’re going to inspect it further. My pops checked it once and said “it’s definitely a project,” but he seems excited about the prospect of getting a classic Italian roadster back tearing up the streets. I have to say, I am too.

The Swamp: Only Gators and Occasionally Other Opponents Get Out Alive

BenHillGriffinThis past Saturday, Will Muschamp lost his sixth home game as head football coach for the University of Florida. That brings his record in The Swamp to 18 wins and six losses. What was once an intimidating place for opponents under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer has returned to Zookian levels.

For comparison, Steve Spurrier lost five home games total in his 12 years at Florida. With the fifth one coming in his second to last game as head coach for the Gators. All of his home losses also came against ranked teams:

#1 Florida State
#6 Auburn
#21 Alabama
#1 Florida State
#5 Tennessee

Urban Meyer? He also lost just five home games during his six year tenure as head football coach at Florida. Though, not all of his losses were against ranked teams like Spurrier:

Auburn
Ole Miss
#12 LSU
Mississippi State
#22 South Carolina

Obviously, we know that up to this point Muschamp’s career hasn’t followed the same arc as Spurrier or Meyer. What about Ron Zook? How did he fare in The Swamp? Read more

Is Will Muschamp Done In Gainesville?

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/antciardiello/

Courtesy SAM_5582 via Flickr.

Let me start by saying that I really wanted Will Muschamp to succeed as the head football coach at the university of Florida. That probably seems silly to a lot of people because most fans would want any newly hired coach to be successful. However, Muschamp wasn’t exactly the “homerun hire” many expected athletic director Jeremy Foley to make after Urban Meyer’s exit. As a fan of hard-nosed defense, I was excited to see what Muschamp could do with the type of talent available in the Sunshine State. The 2012 season showed a glimpse of exactly what Muschamp’s defenses are capable of. Unfortunately, it’s the other side of the ball that’s probably going to do him in.

Muschamp inherited a roster that included incumbent starter John Brantley, and brought in new recruits Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett. The Gators did finish 2011 with a winning record and a bowl win over Ohio State, but they were ranked 105th in total offense. The passing offense managed to average just 185.7 yards per game while the rush offense averaged 143 yards per game.

The anemic passing game carried over to 2012, which saw Florida average just 146.3 yards per game through the air. Thankfully, the rush offense averaged 187.69 yards, and the defense finished at, or near, the top of many statistical categories.

The 2013 season was mostly lost due to a rash of injuries on both sides of the ball. Though, that loss to FCS Georgia Southern certainly hasn’t helped Muschamp’s cause.

Now, we’re three games into the 2014 season, and Muschamp’s seat is hotter than ever. The offense looked more than capable against an overmatched Eastern Michigan team. Then it took a while to get going against a Kentucky team that may or may not be much better than last year. Versus Alabama? The offense put up 200 total yards, 93 through the air and 107 on the ground. What started out as a promising 2014 has deteriorated into a quarterback controversy and a defense that looks like it might be the worst Muschamp has ever fielded.

So can Muschamp calm a restless fanbase and cool the smoldering inferno he currently sits upon?

Read more