Phssssssssss!

Thats the noise you should get when you undo the petrol cap on a warm day.

If the MOT man doesn't hear it, he will start checking the seals, and likely fail it.

Anyway, mine stopped doing this, when I broke Golden Rule #2 (DON'T MESS)

To celebrate my MOT pass, I filled the tank, then parked it up on the drive. Whilst gardening (it was the second week of August,) I noticed a bit of petrol smell, and a drip underneath. :blink:

Then it rained.

When it eventually stopped raining, I investigated. Turns out the leak is around the rubber filler where it joins the tank.
All I need is to tighten the clip a bit (No- actually refer to Golden rule #2)

To tighten the seized clip it has to be replaced. To get it off I needed to spend half an hour with a hacksaw blade contorted under the wheelarch cutting the screw.
(Then when I stood up: severe back pain started :S )

So I remove the clip and pull the pipe off. It is full of rust.
Obviously, due to poor design, any water or mud from the drivers back wheel goes over the tank spout, and gets between the spout and the pipe, and makes it rusty, rust is porous, so there's the problem, just needs the pipe cleaning, and replacing.

Except now the tank won't pressurise. Blowing down the vent tube under the bonnet, and running round the back, I can hear air hissing out.

Removing the pipe, and inspecting the bottom of the spout with a mirror on a stick reveals a pinhole right through.

So I turned to my old friend Chemical Metal, and covered the rusty area. Now it pressurises nicely, and no smell

Wish I'd left it alone......


I suppose I'd really better look out for a tank from a newer car, except you need a tool to part the fuel lines, which will likely leak for evermore, there is a gasket round the fuel pump which will probably leak too....