1997 W210 E300 FUEL FILL DOOR LEAK
 

I have read several posts where fuel leaks has occured with both new and old gas/diesel fuel caps. It appears from reading, the FIX is to change the fuel tank as the fuel nozzle opening is bent and a new cap or new gasket for the cap will not stop a leak. I am a bit puzzled by this as my tank is only half full so how does fuel climb almost vertically to escape pass the cap? My wife who drives the car with 3 kids is a very sedate driver. The fuel door is always filled with diesel and running down the side of the car when she returns home. The fuel vent appears to be unobstructed as low pressure air does make it out of the bottom of the vent hole.........SO the question remains how does fuel climb vertically in a half tank of fuel or am I missing something?????????

Rod

Mine did the same and no a new cap did not solve it. No, I did not replace the tank. Simply look at the profile of the interior portion of the gas tank neck where the nozzle contacts it. Over time it has bent it losing full contact with the gasket, with pressure and sloshing fuel some comes out.

Be creative and get the profile back to reality. Problem solved. It has been many years since I solved the issue, seems like I basically took some steel and cut a notch in it making my own tool that would grab the inner lip and allow me to apply downward pressure, bringing the inner lip up and out a little. Hope that makes sense.

Rambow, thanks for the help. However I believe I have already messed things up by using a pair of offset plyers in an attempt to straighten it out. In so doing I have bent the lip outwards but in the process have also crushed the lip. The cap still works but probably leaks now more than ever....A friend of mine wants to cut the end portion of the filler cap off attach a diffrent diesel filler nozzle and vented cap instead of buying a whole new tank.... currently thinking about that option.
Rod