Date:         Fri, 17 May 2002 14:27:05 -0500
Reply-To:     Chris Hinkle <chris_hinkle@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Hinkle <chris_hinkle@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Leaky gas cap?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Folks,
Thanks to all who have replied to me regarding this thread.

To clear up a few points...

I smelled gas whether I had driven it or just idled it in the driveway.  I
never smelled it while in the cab, only after I got out.  I never smelled
gas unless I actually started the engine.

The smell didn't seem to be coming from any particular place.

The mechanic checked all the connector hoses/gaskets around the tank (the
usual suspects) and didn't find any to be leaking.  (He actually flushed the
system with some kind of smoke to check for leaks.)

After determining it was the cap which was leaking, the mechanic cleaned it
off, and also cleaned the gas tank opening with steel wool.

As it stands now, I don't smell gas at all, and have my fingers crossed that
I won't even have to buy a new cap.

Hopefully this will save others from spending time checking hoses when a
simple cleaning job is all that's needed.  I wish my mechanic had tried this
first.


Cheers,

Chris
'87 Tiico Westy


From: "Dan R. Hall" <trilobite@westal.net>
To: "Chris Hinkle" <chris_hinkle@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re:      Leaky gas cap?
Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 15:57:14 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
Received: from [207.203.133.92] by hotmail.com (3.2) with ESMTP id
MHotMailBEAD684E00C34004321BCFCB855C0CA80; Thu, 16 May 2002 13:57:51 -0700
Received: from ictalurus [207.203.133.185] by mail.westal.net
(SMTPD32-7.06) id AD492C9E014A; Thu, 16 May 2002 15:57:45 -0500
From trilobite@westal.net Thu, 16 May 2002 13:59:23 -0700
Message-ID: <027a01c1fd1c$4338ebc0$9a7b95d1@westal.net>
References:  <F37h9wPiyAphwFutJLt00000047@hotmail.com>
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200

I'm suspicious of your mechanic's conclusions.
Do you smell gas after start up but you are sitting idling engine?

Or
Do you smell gas after you are driving on the highway?

Some sniff tests:

Smell at the gas cap while the engine is cold and in the shade.

Start the motor and then smell again after a couple of minutes.  Any change?

Vanagons are subject to leaky crossover lines over the tank between the
expansion tanks.  You can see some of these if you look in the passenger
side wheel well and follow the filler tube down to the fuel tank.  I will be
replacing mine shortly. They are leaking.

If you start smelling fuel while driving at highway speed it is very
possible that you're leak is with these lines.  The fumes get inside the van
by traveling up the battery fume hose that sticks out over the front wheels
and on around the battery compartment lid if it ain't sealed and screwed
down(like mine.)

Another sniff test I try to do at least weekly is after driving the engine
to at least normal temp maybe at a highway fuel stop, grocery errand
whatever---shut off the engine wait a half minute and then smell at the
driver's side rear vent that goes down to the engine.
It's that louvered vent on the left side of the van toward the rear just
behind the left rear most window.
If one of the fuel injection hoses is getting old and leaky the fumes will
be readily apparent.  The heat off the engine exhausts out this vent and
will bring the fuel fumes with it.  IF YOU SMELL FUMES HERE FIX IT
IMMEDIATELY.  Obviously, high pressure fuel injection hoses that bust over a
hot engine are very dangerous and have killed many Vanagons.

Dan
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: Chris Hinkle
   To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
   Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 3:00 PM
   Subject: Leaky gas cap?


   Folks,
   I've smelled gas (not LP) for the past few days after I start my van.

   After checking a few other things, the mechanic reached the conclusion
that
   the gas cap itself is leaky - the seal has worn down.

   Has this ever happened to anyone else?

   I'd rather not have another key on my ring.  Is there any way to repair
the
   existing cap, or buy a new cap that doesn't lock?


   Thanks,

   Chris
   '87 Tiico Westy

   _________________________________________________________________
   Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com





_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com