Fuel leak in cold weather conditions

In very cold weather (it's current ~15F in SE Michigan, so its too extreme) my 02 WRX has a strong gasoline smell in the cabin. I asked my dealer to investigate during a recent service and was told this is due to a fuel line part that seeps fueld in very cold conditions. Appears that this is common in older WRXs and the repair bill is going to run me ~ $410 (4 hours labor + modified part). I'm going to try and work this issue out with the service manager as while my vehicle is beyond warranty, this is too steep for a design problem with an OEM part.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Did Subaru correct this for you under warranty or were you forced to pay for repairs?

I'd appreciate any feedback from other Subie/WRX owners that have experienced this problem and have worked it out with Subaru.

Thanks Esh

Reply to
Esh
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OK, meant to say that 15F is NOT too extreme, or sure as hell shouldn't be for a WRX!

Reply to
Esh

Yes this is a well-known issue with the 02's, Subaru has a TSB on it but unfortunately never made it a formal recall. If you are within the

3/36 bumper-to-bumper warranty period they will repair it free, bey>In very cold weather (it's current ~15F in SE Michigan, so its too extreme)
Reply to
mulder

I would recommend that you do it yourself, or at least do an exploratory looksee yourself. If the leak is where I think it is, you'd be surprised how easy it is to get to it.

In your trunk or rear wagon cargo area, the 'hole' where the pump is is underneath a raised aluminum cover; located to the top right of the spare tire area. Take all of the screws. You'll most likely find that the hoses that attach to the fuel pump or the rubber gasket that seals between the pump and the fuel tank are your culprits.

For me, I had the same problem but it was because I had replaced my own fuel pump but when I reinstalled it, the rubber gasket has about 6 or 7 rubber spikes that are supposed to be pushed through the fuel pump's mounting bracket. I didn't make sure that all of those spikes came through, so I naturally had a gap in the gasket.

Reply to
patrick.mcdaniel

Reply to
mulder

Ah, that makes sense. I know how the job may be easy if it weren't for so many obstacles in the way. Are you referring to the hoses going into the pressure regulator or filter..or the rail itself?

Reply to
patrick.mcdaniel

Reply to
mulder

Reply to
patrick.mcdaniel

Yes. From the factory, those particular connections tend to leak, in cold temperatures.

Reply to
CompUser

Reply to
mulder

Thanks guys!

I am astonished to read the hundreds of other WRX owners suffering from the same proble, and also being asked to fork over hundreds of $ to have a potentially dangerous issue resolved. I may try the very long Phillips screwdriver trick at first, but dont have the skills or tools to fix this myself IMO.

I am going to take the NASIOC thread as well as this one to my dealership and plead my case. I don't see any threads yet regarding fires or issues caused with the defect, but the threads tells stories of fuel spurting, not seeping from the defective part so it can only be time.

I'll post back to both forums if I have any success.

Esh

Reply to
Esh

Esh, check out the thread for oil leaks (from the oil control valve) causing engine fires in WRX's. I have seen more than a few burn here in Southern California this last summer. Subaru knows about it, issued a TSB on it. just still ANOTHER safety issue and poor design. We figured these fires were from oil leaks and NOT the fuel leak as it was in the 60's here at night and above 100 during the day. Read the threads and comments here....expect to be "forking over" lots of bucks over the next 5 years or so.....so sad(for the owner) and easy to prevent.

Reply to
DR RASTIS FAF00FNIK

I am completely astonished that SUBARU is not taking charge for this. I experienced exactly this problem when driving on BC5 Canada at -27F (-32C). By close inspection I did notice there was an actual fuel leak on one the fuel injector rails under the intake manifold on the passenger side dripping on the engine block. When brought to the dealership the car did not show the failure (temp was higher)-- but after spraying freon into the intake system the fault could be reproed by the dealership. The price to fix the problem in Canada was not a rip-off as here in the states, so I was a bit lucky ($200).

Reply to
Chalupa

i've got the same symptoms (strong gas smell from the heater at startup in cold weather), but on a 2002 legacy wagon (2.5l mt) with about

100,000 km. i would guess that i'm not alone.

since i don't have turbo, it isn't just the heat that's causing the lines to leak fuel. sort of like the o-rings on the columbia, i wonder if the design of the connection, and the materials used, aren't quite up to the task.

so far, one approach is to tighten the clamps, which is clearly a low-cost, short-term fix (the rubber will continue to age, and the problem will recur). and the other approach is to replace the lines with new ones that are different lengths, but more or less made the same way (i think). if the original lines dried out and failed, so will the replacements.

maybe a better hose material, or a better connecting fitting, would solve the problem, rather than just delaying it?

Reply to
tom

Same thing with my Forester a couple weeks ago. I think the short, rubber fuel line atop the engine loses enough flexibility in the cold that the seal breaks loose when starting the engine. Mine was spilling fuel at a horrifying rate.

I tightened the screw clamps and haven't had any more problems but I will replace the hose before next Winter.

I agree with others that Subaru needs to address this as a recall item. I can't think of too many problems more deserving of recalls than major fuel leaks at the top of the engine.

Reply to
Greg Smith

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