GolfGTIforum.co.uk

Model specific boards => Golf mk4 => Topic started by: dantheman6554 on 07 April 2011, 10:10

Title: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: dantheman6554 on 07 April 2011, 10:10
Searched high and low for this on ehre and uk-mkivs,    1.8t, im runninf revo,  for the past few weeks, ive had pressure building in my fuel tank when i fill up, now its to the extent that even with the fuel cap not done up, when i fill up, it will throw fuel 4ft out the cap and across the forecourt,

When i drive it basically building pressure, the other day after a 20 mile drive to worcester i stopped in traffic for 10 mins creeping, it was leaving a trail of fuel while i was driving, and a large puddle when standing still,  after leaving it for an hour and putting fuel in it, it was fine on the way home.

last night was the worst, it started leaking, so i pulled in , left the engine running stupidly, which must have added to the pressure , so it leaked no less than 3.5 litres all over the floor!  , to which a bloke said to me are you trying to blow up the garage !?    , i wasnt in the mood so he had a short and simple answer  " piss off and mind your own business!"

So my thoughts are,  slit in the fuel pipes, ( but then why is pressure building) ,  purge canister?  , fuel rail?

Anyone got any thoughts


Dan
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Wayne on 07 April 2011, 10:17
I believe if you check you should somewhere on the tank a breather pipe, my guess is that it is blocked.
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: jonnyturbo on 07 April 2011, 10:18
breather pipe runs in wheel arch of drivers side rear wheel hth
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: dantheman6554 on 07 April 2011, 10:21
Rear wheel and arch liner out then?    cheers guys will have a look tonight, tis costing me a fortune!
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: nige_s on 07 April 2011, 10:51
Sounds like it's a breather pipe, the tank is pressurising and then forcing the fuel out at a week point.  I'm not 100% certain but some do have one way valves too.  A quick test, would be run without the filler cap fitted, or buy a spare one and drill a hole through it so it can vent.

The breather pipes will most likely run through a charcoal filter too so you can't smell the fuel.  You could just disconnect this and see if the problem resolves.

Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: dantheman6554 on 07 April 2011, 10:54
Yeh thats how i notice it is the smell out the window, then you can see the fumes coming from the petrol cap, will have a look underneath tonight at the pipes and filter, have a spare one at home i think,   cheers guys
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: nige_s on 07 April 2011, 10:55
Also you may find that it's not actually pressurising but the reverse the tank will compress under vacuum as fuel is being sucked out, when you pop the filler cap the rush of air entering the tank and it deforming back into shape displaces the fuel.

So it's a sucking action rather than an inflating action on the tank.
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: andc1 on 07 April 2011, 18:23
i had similar on my old pug 306, i drilled a hole in the filler cap, solved
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Andyfloss03 on 27 September 2011, 21:38
just to add did this get solved...only mines like this but worse you can hear the tank re shaping when you pop the filler cap off....if you run it without the filler cap it just constantly pours out the filler neck and its only a 1/4 full?

p.s sorry for draggin up an old thread but its the only i found that relates exactly to mine....at the weekend ill try the breather although it was pi55in out of that earlier on when it got bad?


only thing thats happened that i can think of is the car ran out of fuel so could have picked crud out the tank???
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Wayne on 27 September 2011, 21:40
Check the breather.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Andyfloss03 on 27 September 2011, 21:55
even though it was coming out of there? ok i will do. its annoying as ive just got it running right lol
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Andyfloss03 on 28 September 2011, 18:11
right got all lining off...which ones the breather? theres 3 pipes a white one and two black ones
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: james2 on 28 September 2011, 22:10
See if any are block,if not goto vw and piss fuel all over there car pack and say sort this sh!t out now it pissed fuel in my eyes. :grin: iv never seen a car do this funny until its your car. :grin:
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: james2 on 28 September 2011, 22:14
sh!t, they should fix it for free ,say i dont want to go blind everytime i fill it up.DAM :angry:
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Andyfloss03 on 05 October 2011, 15:50
ok just incase anyone search's this...mine was down to a mechanic putting the pipes on the wrong way round on the carbon canister!!!! sooorrtteeeedddd
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Wayne on 06 October 2011, 00:01
ok just incase anyone search's this...mine was down to a mechanic putting the pipes on the wrong way round on the carbon canister!!!! sooorrtteeeedddd

Good result :afro:
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: tiggerhayes on 08 October 2011, 21:31
I have this problem!! It's a nightmare!!  :angry:

So I have to take the wheel off?  And the wheelarch liner? and then hopefully switch 2 pipes around??  :undecided: :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Andyfloss03 on 12 October 2011, 10:54
take wheel arch liner off and check that there are no pipes trapped. check in the engine bay also, there is a black canister at the back left of the bay as you look at it from the front. there should be 3 pipes clipped onto the canister just check that the colours all match up (pipes to connectors)
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: tiggerhayes on 13 October 2011, 18:50
Fantastic!!! Thanks Andy!! Yes there were 2 pipes connected wrongly on the canister.... Blue to white and white to blue, switched them round and problem solved!! Many many Thanks!!  :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:
Title: Re: Fuel leak, tank pressure, empty, wallet, Suicide bomber?!
Post by: Andyfloss03 on 14 October 2011, 07:29
no problem fella exactly what was wrong with mine :) its such an easy fix and i was getting so fustrated :)