Petrol Tank Leak ?? Help please

[sabcully]

Hi all,
just filled my van up full, ready to go to Germany tomorrow and when I came back from paying I checked
underneath just in case as the tank had not been full in ages and there was petrol dripping from the near
side of the tank. Not much, a few drips. Drove home, just around the corner and it has stopped now.
Does this mean the tank might have got a leak through rust or could it be something else?

Many Thanx for your help.

Sab

[tonytech]

From the Wiki
Filler/filling leaks

Filler/filling problems

T25 fuel tanks have a depression in them on the top that collects water and dirt. This corrodes the tank top allowing fumes and sometimes fuel to leak. If aftre filling up you smell fuel, or if the tank won't take a fll fuel volume, combined with very poor mpg, then suspect a problem with the filler neck, filler tube, tank breather system or rusted and perforated fuel tank (quite common now these are all approaching 20 yeasr old with some 25 and more.

2WD vans/buses also have two overflow tanks in the wheel arches which also can be the problem, with their pipework and the tanks themselves.

T25s have a complicated fuel tank breather system, which develop problems with age, spill-valves leaking/sticking, breather hose perishing etc.

Syncros have a rear fuel filler going to a plastic saddle tank over the gearbox. The pipe running along the chassis-member under the rear wing to the tank can suffer perforation corrosion, and leak.
T

[sabcully]

Thanx for that.
There is no corrosion on top of the tank, the mpg is quite good, the main fuel pipe is dry and the drips appeared
around the seams.
What I really need to know is if the fact that it has stopped means that it could have been spillage/overflow, etc
or if I should not now take the van to Germany tomorrow.
Thanx for the help.

[Grun]

sabcully,
Mine tends to have a wiff of petrol when tank is brim full, but has been up and down to South West France many times like that. Just don't fill the tank above about 3/4, and carry a spare can full (But not on the ferry!).
Don't let it spoil your trip, fix it when you come back. (You are near enough to do mine too!)
Mike

[sabcully]

Maybe we could get a buy one get one free petrol tank offer somewhere?
Thanx for the advice. Hopefully everything will be fine and we'll make it.
Just a bit edgy now.

[jaylo264]

Tis really not possible to say , you will have to try it and not fill too full, but this advice is from someone who is no expert and takes no responsibility for the result--you may wish to have it checked by the AA for example -- maybe "en route" as twere .

there a several reasons why a t25 might leak when full,: the tank holed , the stub pipe out or return rusted/holed , the plastic tee pieces on top of tank split or broken, the comunicating pipe split , the grommets worn out or popped out , the filler pipe split or popped out , the bypass / relief pipe thingy popped or split . Or the pipes to an expansion tank could be faulty . Many t25's seem to smell of fuel, so may have leaks unknowingly , yet if not full seem to get by ok.
jaylo

[sabcully]

Fancy designing something that could go wrong in so many places....!
Hopefully, if there is a problem it will happen outside the UK so I can make full use of
my AA European Breakdown Cover...!
Will have to take a chance.
Ta.

[toomanytoys]

Fancy designing something that could go wrong in so many places....!

I dare bet you wont be saying that about whatever "modern" car you may have when its 23 years old........

There are several reasons why it could be leaking... and I would say its more likely to do with the breather hoses..


Do you smoke??? in any case I would be a little paranoid about where you park if it drips......

[Cakewalk]

Just had my tank out today

Was leaking also after a full tank fill up

Culprate was 2 perished and split breather pipes

Replaced all with fresh

Fine now!