Date:         Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:35:53 -0600
Reply-To:     Jarrett Anthony Kupcinski <kupcinski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jarrett Anthony Kupcinski <kupcinski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Does this look like a fuel leak?
In-Reply-To:  <D8F62156-2D18-4A24-A13E-81DC68AC4E42@peterkrogh.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

If it looks like a fuel leak, feels like a fuel leak, and SMELLS like a fuel leak, then I'd say its a leak. I couldn't tell from the video if you felt any moisture on the underside of the rails or if they were dry. The engine compartment should not smell like fresh gas. At all.

The fuel rails are plastic, so they can crack. Crimp on connectors can be too loose and hose rubber can shrink away from the rail nipples over time. Fuel injectors can leak. As can the seals around them. When changing fuel lines, I use screw-clamps (the good kind) and always find a little snugging up can be done a month or two afterwards.

Fluid leaks can be tricky to track down on a running vehicle because you can get the puddle a long way from the source. Get things cleaned up as best you can and let it dry. Then diagnose with lots of light. Have a fire extinquisher handy. An assistant to cut the engine is also useful. Check all hose junctions and clamps. Push and pull on the hoses gently to see if movement exacerbates things.  If you can't find a source of a gas leak, look for other candidate sources. Coolant, power steering fluid, and of course motor oil (all of which smell different than gas) all can leak in places similar to where you're looking in the video.


-Jarrett 
89 Westy
On Jan 31, 2013, at 7:40 AM, Peter Krogh wrote:

> I've noticed the smell of gas in my engine compartment, and it looks like I may have multiple fuel leaks back there. I suppose it's also possible that what looks like fuel stains could have come from some penetrating solvent used in the fuel line repair over the summer. Or perhaps the stains have simply been lingering around since the repairs over the summer.  Wondering the wisdom of the list.
> 
> Here's a movie showing what I see:
> https://vimeo.com/58572336