#1
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Fuel gushing out under van while refueling
Hi All,
Yesterday I went to refuel my 2004 Quest S (99,000 miles) which has roughly 1/4 tank left as indicated by the fuel gauge. I started refueling it normally and immediately noticed that gas was gushing (and I mean gushing, like from a garden hose at full-open!) out from somewhere underneath the van. No fuel was coming out of the fuel filler door area; it was all coming out from underneath. I immediately stopped refueling and did a quick visual check. Nothing seemed amiss. Decided to move the van to a new pump and retry. Same thing. Note: both pump nozzles had the accordion vapor recapture sleeves on them. Those have never caused a problem in the past, but it's been awhile since I've been to a gas station having those types of nozzles. I drove the Quest back "home" (we're away on a long trip staying at relatives), got a flashlight and did a visual inspection underneath the van, but didn't find any cracks, holes, or anything suspicious. There was no telltale wetness on any structures, so there was nothing to trace. I did notice that the puddle of gas on the ground at the gas station was slightly forward of the fuel filler door and on the left side of the fore-aft centerline. This has never happened before, and it comes on the heels of a long trip where we gassed the van twice with no problem whatsoever. Also, there doesn't seem to be any leaking during normal driving - only when refueling. There is no check engine light or any indication that anything else is wrong. Has anyone experienced this problem before? Any hints on what I should zero in on and look at before I take it to a mechanic? We were supposed to return home to Northern Virginia on Monday, but now that's not looking likely, especially considering that Atlanta (where we're staying) just had their first white Xmas in over 100 years! Any ideas appreciated. Thanks. |
#2
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More on the story: I took the van back to a gas station and this time tried throttling down on the flow of fuel from the pump/nozzle. As long as I squeezed the pump handle slowly and kept it on for very short bursts, I could get fuel into the tank. I was able to put a couple of gallons into it based on the van's fuel gauge. There would be some leakage from the undercarriage, but I know that eventually I could fill the tank if I kept at it.
I then had a chance to crawl underneath the van and inspect the pipes and hoses. I didn't see any noticeable holes, tears or disconnects. I did, however, pinpoint the source of the leak further by noting it came directly above the center of the rear axle. I looked very carefully in that area, including feeling the hoses, clamps, etc., with my hand, but I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Also, I'm convinced that no gas is leaking while the van sits in the driveway or while driving around. By the time I had returned from the gas station, everything in the leaking area was dry. Normally I'd just go to a mechanic, but since we're 600 miles from home and everything's been closed for 2 days, I don't know how easily I'll be able to get an appointment tomorrow, which is the day we are supposed to return home. Any ideas for a short term fix would be appreciated. |
#3
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Further update on my soliloquy: Turns out there's a big hole on the top of the fuel filler hose, so the hose needs replacement. Unfortunately, no one around here has one in stock, so I'll have to overnight it. Any ideas on the amount of labor involved to replace this hose?
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Tags |
fuel, gushing, refueling, van |
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