Help! 83 rabbit leaking gas

Are you sure the gas is coming out at the top past the cap rather
than somewhere farther down?

Yes, I watched it yesterday flowing past the cap like a river- I took
the cap off and saw that gas was pooled and still coming out- put the
cap back on and tightened it but it did not stop the flow.  Took the
cap off again and it spurted out  and then seemed to slow a bit and
stop.  Obviously there is a problem with the pressure inside.  Seems
to do it every time I put gas in. There was a leak by the battery -
Fuel filter- but I tightened that and hav not had problems there
since. I also replaced the fuel pump a little while back and looked
over the gas lines but did not find any other leaks- Any ideas???

Nothing more than the fact that too much pressure will push the gas out at
just every possible fitting.  Perhaps that's why the car had leaks here and
there ; fuel filter, fuel pump etc.
Is there any possibility that the pump might have been installed the other
way around, or perhaps crossing pipes and vent pipes.  Is the pump known to
be good ? Perhaps it is worth double-checking...
al.

I think it is normal for that tank to be pressurized. I see the
questions as

 1. why would there be liquid gasoline near the cap instead of just
vapor?

2. why doesn't the cap hold back both gas and liquid?

I'm checking a diagram that could refer to that model ; on this one there is
a line going from the pump to a device called fuel-accumulator and a line
from this one to the fuel filter, located somewhere near/not far from the
charcoal canister (near the battery, I guess, as described by the OP); the
condition of the fuel-accumulator might explain the leak at the
fuel-filter.
The vent line, out from the tank, passes through the gravity vent valve,
goes to the expansion tank and from there to the canister and there is a
line from the bottom of the canister that is (should? in this case) opened
to outside air.
Sorry for the clarification, but just some ideas.
al

I can't answer your question but I had the exact same issue on my '84
GTI and a new cap from the dealer fixed it right up.  It was real bad in
the summer, the car was black and if I filled up on the way home from
work I would have a gasolinefall on the pass. side of the car after it
was parked in the sun for a couple hours.  It seems dangerous, what
would happen if someone opened the cap on a pressurized full tank, but I
never was bored enough to try that.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

A new cap ,  the OP's first idea too.  Lots easier than troubleshooting
the whole vapor recovery system also.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the good advice- you guys are
great!!  I have ordered a new fuel cap, however I am still not sold on
the idea that it is the problem.  But for 15$ why not try it.  I am
also going to take it to a shop to have it looked at rather than try
to check all the lines when my skill level at mechnics is - well lets
just say it's not very good.  I'll let everyone know what happens with
it.  Thanks again to everyone!!!!
chris

yes- it seems to be flowing through the cap- I watched it yesterday.
I took the cap off and saw that the gas was pooling up.  I put the cap
back on and tightened it but it did not stop the stream of gasoline.
I opened it again and gas spurted out and then slowed after a bit and
finally stopped.  Seems that there is a problem with the pressure in
the tank. I am hoping it is as simple as a new gas cap however I fear
it maybe something else.  I recently replaced the fuel pump and
checked the lines and everything looked fine.  I had a leak over the
winter by the fuel filter and tightened it and haven't noticed any
other leaks since. Any ideas??

Somebody here will have an idea beyond mine-- to get the right cap
at a dealer.

But you need to understand why your leaky cap is passing liquid
instead of just vapor. Did you crawl under the car to see if the
tank looks like it is badly dented?

ok- just looked under the car- nothing dented or damaged that I can
see.  The car seems to be in pretty good shape- especially for an 83
in Wisconsin where everything that is that old is nothing more than a
rusted peice of junk.  I beleive it was brought up from iowa and sat
for about three years untill I purchased it. Could there be something
in the tank that has gone bad that causes it regurgetate gas?  I have
looked in my repair manual but have not been able to find anyhting
that describes this kind of a problem.

On 23 Apr 2007 10:45:22 -0700, in rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled



Checked which lines?

Living in Southern Ontario, I replaced more than one of these gas
tanks, and I will tell you that there is a number of additional
vent lines coming off the top of the tank.  

You mention in another post that the car was parked for three years.
It could be that the vapour-control system from the fuel supply side is
clogged by various gunk that built up, or that it got kinked or
otherwise damaged by an animal that was up in there (mice are small and
invasive).  I'd consider completely draining the tank, dropping it, and
finding out how many of the little hoses are connected, where, and
whether the lines are clear.  Working under there is a bit of a PITA,
but as long as you're not all rusted out underneath, the job is by no
means impossible.

In any case, if the pressure is so high in the tank that it can push
gasoline out the top of the filler tube, then it's much higher than it
ought to be (from memory, that would mean it was raising the fuel level
in the neck of the filler more than a foot, which is a fair amount of
pressure).  No gas cap will be able to hold it back, because it'd be
dangerous to keep such a volatile fuel under that much pressure.

One other thing -- I'd be incredibly careful where you park this car,
&c., while this is going on.  (Well, actually, _I'd_ drain the tank and
stop using it until I'd figured out what the problem is, but I have an
aversion to going up in balls of flame.)  In spite of its ubiquity,
gasoline (especially when spilled and dripping down the back of the
car) is very dangerous.  One clever twerp with a burning ember could
make your day a whole lot less happy.

A

Not to mention the potential legal liability of having a car that is
leaking a highly flammable liquid all over the place, if some accident were
to occur. Please be careful.

--
Jem Berkes
www.sysdesign.ca

Where exactly ,  is the 'steady stream'  coming from?

As far as I can tell it is coming up from the tank -through the nozzel
where you fill it up- and then all over the back end of my car-it has
even managed to spray onto the rear window. I watched it pouring out
yesterday-the gas just runs out from under the cap.  I have tried
putting the cap on really tight and also putting it on loose- doesn't
appear to make much of a difference.  It actually dumped out quite
alot of gasoline.  I did not even drive it anywhere prior.  I got gas
the previous night- went home- only about 1/2 mile away.  Parked the
car and noticed it was leaking gas everywhere at about noon the next
day.  The fumes fill the interior of the cab probrably because the gas
is running out from the gas cap and then follows along the trim on the
side of the car and into the crack made by the passengers side door.
You can't even sit in the thing for 5 minuted without getting a
pounding headache. Pleas help- If I can't get it fixed soon I will be
forced to buy a gas mask.

A fire extinguisher might be more to the point. I would avoid taking
passengers until the problem is fixed.

It would seem to me that the tank is probably distorted in some way.
If it is not dented on the bottom, perhaps it sucked in from the top
due to a vacuum at some previous time.

I expect you will get some expert opinions by midnight.

My  > guess<  is  the air supply hose on the charcoal filter is plugged
keeping the fuel tank system under pressure when fuel expands
either throughout the day or just to ambient temperatures from
the temp. the fuel was when stored in the tank underground at the station.
There is a Gravity Vent Valve in behind the filler tube at the level of the cap
that could be stuck shut  maybe ---   or blocked lines to the expansion tank
or blocked lines to the charcoal filter . Does your manual have a picture
of the fuel supply componets with the tank , expansion tank , charcoal filter
pump and all? You can get some since of he vapor recovery system from
that.  

It could be that a prior owner has hooked up the fuel return line to
the wrong inlet to the tank, specifically the inlet which should be
connected to the fuel tank breather gravity valve.  This might have
been done if the normal inlet from the fuel return line (or tube in
the tank) became blocked.  If this is so then the ventilation system
would not have an outlet from the tank.  Also if this was the case the
substantial amount of fuel returning to the tank could be entering the
tank and being pushed up the ventilation hose to the fuel filler
hose.  I have never seen the part of the tank where these two hoses
attach, but one assumes that there is some kind of a baffle in this
corner of tank.

WOW, you car is making gas.... how much a gallon you want? If it is coming
only from the cap area and not from under the fender then you got a venting
issue.