80' SC Fuel leak

kenrinc · 03-15-2004, 09:16 AM

My father is trying to troubleshoot a fuel leak that seems to be located at the front of the car. I did search on fuel leaks but noticed that the majority of them are engine compartment related. The symptom on this car is that randomly, he will start the car and back it out of the garage. Upon backing out there is a trail of gasoline down the driveway! The immediate reaction is to of course shut the motor off and figure out what is causing it. He's been under there three times and the only thing he can see is that the gas leaks down from cover that goes over the front suspension cross member. He's taken that off and checked all the hoses but can't see any problems. He's been able to view the leak once and described it as gas pouring out toward the passenger side of the tank. The weird thing is that once this problem has happened, he can drive the car all day with no leaks and no smell of gas!! It happens two or three times a month. Interested in hearing from others on what this might be.

Thanks

Kenrinc-

vash · vash's Garage

there is alot going on under (rather: above) that cover. your fuel pump is there, and all the lines coming outta the fuel tank. i wouldnt drive a car with any fuel leak, especially with fuel prices at this level. haha. no not really, it is the flammable issue. cant you take the plate off, and have someone start the car? take a look, i bet it is obvious without the cover. maybe, the leak is tiny, and the plate is kinda like letting it pool up, leading you to believe it is not a full time leak. i probably do not need to remind you to lift the car up safely and securely while you are under there. eye protection too.

cliff
i just re read the post, he has seen the leak but cant figure out where it is coming from?

kenrinc · 03-15-2004, 09:35 AM

Thanks. Yeah we had the car up this weekend and could not reproduce the problem. The fact that it is so random is why it is so difficult to figure out. The car runs fine with absolutely no leaks or gas smells on a regular basis. We thought maybe the charcoal canister might be full and needs to be replaced? After going through old posts it seems funny that he's never complained of gas fumes ever. Of course when he gets the dreaded leak he smells it.

kenrinc-

vash · vash's Garage

has he figured out if it happens at a full tank or not?

kenrinc · 03-15-2004, 09:44 AM

He says it hasn't mattered. Did it when it was near full and when it did it this weekend the tank was near empty.

Kenrinc-

speedkillz · 03-15-2004, 11:32 AM

disconnect the battery then Remove the pan under the front of the car. 4 bolts. You will find the fuel pump and several hoses. look at the hoses . they get old and will leak and/or drip fuel down on the pan. when you move the fuel spills outof the pan. The fitting on the fuel pump can go bad too. All are easy to replace or fix. The fuel tank should be as low on gas as possible before you start removing fuel lines. the problem will surly show it's self when you get a good look.

na2ub · 03-15-2004, 01:40 PM

If the car sits without driving it, the old rubber hoses and connections can dry up and leak. After running it for a short time, the gasoline can wet these connections, and they will seal back up. Try taking the pan off the bottom, let the car sit for a while (days / week) and then watch the connections while someone starts the car. Probably time to replace some hoses.