Fuel Lines Leaking!

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Earlier today I was complaining about my car being hard to start in this topic.

I walked around to the passenger side of the car, and right as I get around to the rear tire I smell gasoline pretty strongly. Look down, and there's a spreading 8" slick on the ground, with more dripping down. One of the fuel lines is leaking somewhere. I was late for class, so I had to drive about 8 miles round-trip. After class the leak had slowed down, and the puddle was only about 2" across. After driving home and sitting for a bit, the leak has produced the same 2" puddle over a longer time span.

Taking a look at it tonight, the steel fuel line heading to the fuel filter from the tank is wet an inch or so above the quick-connect between the steel line and the plastic line heading to the filter. The plastic line is pretty well soaked with fuel, especially around the quick-connect up by the tank. Here are some kind of blurry shots of the area:








What step should be taken next?

[wjcollier07]

Replacing the line should be the next step.

Could you get some better pictures as well?

Also, if this happened with the fuel lines, only under double digit pressures, you might want to look into replacing your rear brake lines as well as under a spike of very high pressure, could leave your stopping distance with something to be desired..such as stopping at all. I was almost broadsided in my 89 by a semi truck when my rear line(s) went and wasn't able to stop at a sign. Luckily going slow enough to turn sharply and hit the emergency brake

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

I'll attempt to get better photos tomorrow afternoon when I can see what precisely is going on.

Which line, the rubber one or the metal one? The rubber one I can likely duplicate with some connectors and a piece of fuel hose. The metal one will need a shop, as I'm at school with not enough free time to do it.

Yeah, I'd really like to replace the entire metal line, since it's rusted pretty badly.

[Red Rocket]

I had this exact same thing happen on my old 94 SSEi.

The rubber line is a special one with special connectors so you need to order it from the dealer (about $40). Mine was completely rusted out which made it almost impossible to fix. Hopefully yours isn't like mine was.

[teleplayer]

Most likely it is the rusted steel line that is leaking. I think you will find that is part of the sending unit inside the tank. You can't just use any old piece of rubber fuel line, the pressure is too high. If the connector to the steel line is bad, there are companies out there making repair kits that allow you to put a new end on the hard nylon fuel line. In any case the tank is going to have to come down.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Sounds like it needs a shop and a test of some sort. Fuel system pressure test maybe? Something to pinpoint exactly where the leak is.

I hope dropping the tank for the sender unit isn't part of this...

[teleplayer]

Sounds like it needs a shop and a test of some sort. Fuel system pressure test maybe? Something to pinpoint exactly where the leak is.

I hope dropping the tank for the sender unit isn't part of this...

A test won't do you any good, it's very obvious from the pictures that it is either the steel line where it is all rusted or right where it enters the plastic fitting. You can hope, but it sounds like you are in denial !! If this is anything like the lines in my '92, the tank has to come down, you can't reach it otherwise. All those steel lines are on the way out, look at them !

[putertopia]

I had this exact same thing happen on my old 94 SSEi.

The rubber line is a special one with special connectors so you need to order it from the dealer (about $40). Mine was completely rusted out which made it almost impossible to fix. Hopefully yours isn't like mine was.

I have his SSEi. It turns out that the fuel line is in good condition - but it's leaking because the rust that was once on the fuel pump outlet. I believe too much material was removed, stopping it from making a good seal. In your case, you probably have rust on there (sure looks like it), and that's why I have my problem. My only fix I do believe is a new fuel pump/sending unit. Not that it couldn't stand to use a new fuel pump after 14 years. I'll let you know if I ever get the tank down - every time I go to do it, I get under the car, and something suddenly comes up. Last time, my friend got stranded 170mi away in his Audi TT as his timing belt snapped.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Hooray Northeast cars.

I'll take a look this afternoon and see what there is to see. Also try to get some better pictures.

Now where are those pennies...

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Got some more pictures of it this afternoon. Didn't drive the car yet today (I normally bike to class since it's way faster than driving), so the leak is pretty well dried up for the moment. It has leaked more, since the slick on the pavement was bigger.









And now comes the thunderstorm 5 minutes later. Woot!

I'm thinking the tank needs to be dropped to replace the sender. This is based on other people's replies. Any other opinions?

[Red Rocket]

You definitely need to drop the tank to fix that. It's extremely tight in that area and you can't get enough access to what you need.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Looks like a fun time to be had. How long to drop the tank (rust and all)?

[Red Rocket]

Looks like a fun time to be had. How long to drop the tank (rust and all)?

I couldn't tell you myself because I never dropped the tank. I thought I had fixed the problem but I actually hadn't. That's why I recommended that you drop the tank. I'm sure others on here have done it and can you help out though.

[imidazol97]

The high pressure line is probably full of pinholes due to the rust. That was the verdict about mine. Is yours an early 1998. I wonder if they used a bad run of metal for the pipes at Delphi. I also wonder if the brine used on the roads here the last few years is more corrosive than the standard rock salt used before.

The job required a new sender and I put in a new pump with 160,000 mi it seemed time for a new pump. The mechanic group that did the job had trouble getting the right seal or something which delayed getting it done by a day. If you plan to keep the car, the suggestion is to get the Delphi parts rather than the cheaper stuff.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

AFAIK it's an early 1999 build date. Have to double-check on that.

Likely those lines will need replacing at some point as well. They're fairly well rusted. It may be a project for next summer.

Getting back to the second thrust of this thread, any more advice on what to expect when the tank gets dropped?

[imidazol97]

AFAIK it's an early 1999 build date. Have to double-check on that.
Likely those lines will need replacing at some point as well. They're fairly well rusted. It may be a project for next summer.
Getting back to the second thrust of this thread, any more advice on what to expect when the tank gets dropped?

The repair shop had trouble getting the right seal for the tank I believe they said. This is for the Delco sender. The right part had to come from the Delphi warehouse. This garage has a guy who only handles the ordering and parts. So it's odd the right part wasn't in the Delco book. You may figure out what happened.

All the pipes get replaced as part of the sender. They are all connected and can't be replaced separately as I understand it. I did not do the work in the end. But I saw lots of rust on other parts of the fuel line around the filter. So I let them replace the filter since they have the right wrench (I do too) and touch to not twist the line. The filter had been on about 80K. mi.

They drained and flushed the tank. They said there was lots of crud in there. I lost about 8 gallons of fuel.

I saw lots of hard rust underneath; lots more than a few years back when I looked underneath changing the fuel filter. I wonder about brake lines. I now tested the brakes with hard pressure to try to make a weak line burst so it won't happen unexpectedly.

[teleplayer]

"Getting back to the second thrust of this thread, any more advice on what to expect when the tank gets dropped?"

Well expect it to be heavy unless you get most of the gas out !!! But seriously - I don't know about your particular vehicle but with mine the exhaust has to come down first.

The next logical question to ask is: how does the tank look? They usually start rusting and leaking near the seam.

What I don't know is how your plastic connectors are going to fare. They could be just fine, or they could be messed up if the rust is all the way into where the seal is made. By the way, those little clear plastic pieces that keep the plastic line locked onto the steel - it's a good idea to change those after all these years. You can order them at the dealer.

[putertopia]

From the two time's I've gotten it partially down (stopped due to reasons such as mentioned above), it's going to take about 45 minutes if you've never done it before. One thing I'm worried about, my cat doesn't have a flange to my downpipe like my SLE. That means my exhaust isn't coming off. Hoping it clears it.

My leak is so significant, I put 5 gallons of gas in a week ago, drove it 20 miles up and down the back roads by my house, and now it's bone dry. I thought I had fixed it to just a drip, but apparently not. That was an expensive lesson.

[Red Rocket]

From the two time's I've gotten it partially down (stopped due to reasons such as mentioned above), it's going to take about 45 minutes if you've never done it before. One thing I'm worried about, my cat doesn't have a flange to my downpipe like my SLE. That means my exhaust isn't coming off. Hoping it clears it.

My leak is so significant, I put 5 gallons of gas in a week ago, drove it 20 miles up and down the back roads by my house, and now it's bone dry. I thought I had fixed it to just a drip, but apparently not. That was an expensive lesson.

I'm pretty sure you have to drop the exhaust as well. I remember reading posts before of people who have gotten the tank out without dropping the exhaust but I know it's an extremely tight fit.

Sorry to hear that you're still having problems with the leak. It is a very expensive lesson to learn. I had ~15 gallons of 93 in the car when the leak started and 15 minutes later it was bone dry.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

The FSM says to drop the exhaust. I'll see if that's necessary. A siphon pump is on the list to get, as the tank is nearly full. It's leaked maybe a quart out of 16something gallons. Either lucky or un-lucky depending on your point of view.

imi, the hoses on my tank are held on by screw clamps, at least on the end leading into the filler pipe. It's for-sure not like that according to the FSM. Were you able to see these clamps from the outside?

teleplayer, I believe the new sender 'should' come with the clear plastic clips. If not, then dealer time.

I wish I had the funds for Delco, but it's not in the budget. I've been eyeballing this since it has the pump and sender already assembled. Or is it best to just buy the pump and sender separately?

I need this car to get me through 2 more years of graduate school, and want to get it right the first go-round.

My apologies for the many questions. And many thanks for the tips offered so far. Keep 'em coming!