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  #1  
Old 06-28-2005, 06:03 PM
Glinko's Avatar
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Location: Pine Plains, NY
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fuel leak near filler cap.

ran over a woodchuck on the shoulder of the road (2 points...hehe) on my way into town. Pulled into the parking lot at the pharmacy and I could smell diesel. I opened the hood and checked the return lines (they've been problematic in the past) and they were dry as parchment.

backed out of the parking space, and BAM, I saw a huge f'in puddle of diesel. It seems to be leaking from somewhere near the filler cap, by the right rear wheel. The fuel is getting into the trunk and it's flowing along the side of the car and saturating the black rubber by the bumper.

Any clues as to where the leak is, and how I might fix it?

EDIT: 1982 240d.

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1982 240D.
My name is Michael, and I am an 18 year old binge-drinkin', cigar-smokin', novel-writin', all around unsavory and unnattractive guy. I tell long-winded stories, and I only shave once a week, although I've had to do it every day since I was 16.
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Old 06-28-2005, 06:26 PM
83mercedes's Avatar
Ign'ance be blis
 
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Location: Gainesville, FL
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How full is your fuel tank?

This can give you a more approximate idea of where the leak is. If the filler neck had been cracked or broken, it would only leak a tiny amount and only if the tank was completely full. The best advice I can give you is that you drain and remove your tank and find the fuel leak. It has to be a compromise in the tank because that is the only way you could have any significant leakage into the trunk/rear wheel area.

This has something to do with hitting a woodchuck? Jesus, I can't imagine that would rupture your tank unless you already had it weakened or rusted out. I guess it got its revenge.
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  #3  
Old 06-28-2005, 07:20 PM
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eh....fuel cap wasn't on properly.
The gasket around the fuel opening is bad, so fuel must have splashed up while I was turning and then trickled down into the trunk (not sure why the drain wouldn't dispose of the excess, but it works fine, I poored a little water into overflow drain and came pouring out at the proper spot.)

Anyway I fixed the cap and dried up all of the fuel, then went for a fifteen minute drive, making sure to take all of the turns a little hard. Got home and checked it and nothing is leaking. Yay.

I'm a moron.
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1982 240D.
My name is Michael, and I am an 18 year old binge-drinkin', cigar-smokin', novel-writin', all around unsavory and unnattractive guy. I tell long-winded stories, and I only shave once a week, although I've had to do it every day since I was 16.
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  #4  
Old 06-29-2005, 12:42 AM
83mercedes's Avatar
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glinko
The gasket around the fuel opening is bad
Yes, this seal especially and sometimes the one inside the cap are problematic. If you'd like to save yourself leakage, stop the gasket from deteriorating those little rubber chunks all in your filling area, and make it look a whole lot better go to the site below and get a "fuel tank cap seal" and a "fuel filler neck seal". The installation is straightforward, both are held in place by tension, just pop the old one out and work the new one in. It costs about $8 total and is worth it if just for the improvement in looks.

http://www2.autopartsauthority.com/parts/autopartsauthority/parts.jsp?make=MB&year=1980&model=240-D-002
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  #5  
Old 06-29-2005, 04:42 PM
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Are you sure none of the water wound up in your trunk when you did the test? One time after I filled up I smelled diesel in my trunk and found the hose that cconnects to the backside of the drain hole - which happens to be in your trunk - was disconnected. So any overfill wound up in my trunk. The hose was very hard and I could not get it back on the metal drain pipe so I heated it up and then it went on fine. When it cooled it shrunk tight and hard again.
Your situation is puzzling though, in that you had some water come out of the underside of your car - unless it came out of your trunk drain holes
Liquids have a tendency to travel under the plastic trunk covering so it is hard to see.
Just look in there with a flashlight and make sure the plastic tube is connected where it is supposed to be on the backside of your fuel filling area.

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