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Help ! Fuel leak.!


Weekend Warrior

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28 minutes ago, Thrustyjust said:

Little diagram here to help you

fuel_inj_system.jpg.c0e283203d82c23645f1ddca8aa426d4.jpg

Before the diagram you had me totall confused ,but now I can relate .

so the term under injection pressure means just that ,the injectors are working so the system is pressurised hence the extent of the leak.Not nececerraly that the injectors are where the leak is at 

If the regulator was set to a lower pressure there would be less resistance therefore a lesser amount of fuel from the leak wherever it may be 

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@Weekend Warrior, don't panic. You just need a patient methodical approach.

If it were me, I'd start from the spot where the fuel is hitting the floor and work from there. As Andy and Justin have said, switch ignition on to first click only, dont need to fire car up. You should hear your fuel pump prime for a few seconds until the system is pressurised.

looking up from the spot where the fuel is on the floor will show you the spot where the fuel is dropping from, however, it is very likely travelling along a chassis rail, pipe or something before it pools at the point where it drops, so you need to look (wet), feel (damp) and follow the trail to the point where the fuel pipe is actually leaking.

Most probably a joint, or jubilee clip, possibly a split in the fuel line if it's perished or damaged.

It's likely to be a small leak but with the system pressurised a fair bit may come out if that makes sense.

If the fuel lines between the petrol tank and the engine are OK, then it may be a connection somewhere on the diagram that Justin posted, in which case the fuel will leak and pool until it runs down the engine somewhere then runs back along something until it pools again and hits the ground.

Unfortunately its just a case of taking your time and tracing the fault.

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Suggest you do all this with the garage door open.

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I would go and get yourself a small extendable mirror with some LEDS on it from your local motor factors,you can then look at the underside of the pipework etc from above without having to get under the car :sun:

Petrol leaks are the hardest to find,as the fuel evaporates so quickly so doesn't leave a trail for long!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F292058534010

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1 hour ago, RussH said:

Suggest you do all this with the garage door open.

Yep, seriously, plenty of ventilation while you’re doing this! If you have any sand handy from the garden or whatever, you might want to use  it to contain any spills and help soak it up. Remember, with petrol, the pool of it on the ground isn’t great, but it’s not that easy to light. It’s the vapor as it evaporates that is the really nasty stuff, so plenty of air movement to disperse any fumes is key. 

No harm, if you have one, of having an extinguisher sat by the car as you work! (And if you haven’t, why not? They’re not that dear these days and very useful to have in the garage...)

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Oh and the fuel, once the pump had primed, in the run between the tank and the pressure regulator may be at 3 bar or more pressure.

If wiggling pipes to check for splits and holes, just be careful where you aim, petrol under that pressure can squirt a long way, trust me, it hurts like a swine if you squirt it in your eyes, by accident.

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Thanks for all the replies and advice.:yes:

What a helpful bunch you all are ,I followed your advice opened the door to vent ,turned ignition on and found the fault .It was a loose jubilee clip where the rubber hose connects to the fuel rail .I can’t tell you how relieved I was ,the sense of panic last night was not a nice feeling ,knowing I had been sitting in a wooden garage revving a car with petrol squirting out of it ,could have been a disaster !

on the plus side it did happen in the garage and you lot were just a screen away ,I can breathe easy now .I watched the video of that poor sod whose Westie went on fire again and can’t help thinking that had I not spotted it at home that could have been me .

Just been for a blast and reminded my self why I love it 

Thanks again 

Steve

 

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Glad its all sorted now Steve. It may seem daunting at the moment, but the cars arent difficult to work on and sort issues. Just logically work out the problem , rather than panic and stress yourself. Petrol is nasty stuff, but should do a good job of degreasing anything it hit, so a bonus point there :d

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Just to add to the above excellent advise I would suggest you swap and jubilee clips on rubber fuel hose to the proper fuel hose clips. Jubilee clips can and do often bite into the hose causing a split.

The proper fuel hose clips are smooth on the inside. They come in a range of sizes so measure the hose when fitted (As the internal part of the attaching metal pipe going into the rubber will expand a little bit). Like these....

https://www.hcl-clamping.co.uk/mini-screw-w1/402-13-15mm-mini-screw-clamp-zinc-plated-5060537084039.html?cid=39

Edited by TableLeg
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A bit of car paranoia is something that afflicts us all at times.

I had it owning an m3 and the weird noises that made when I bought it, i thought I had a lemon... It wasn't ..... just noisy cars.

Westfield's are so much easier to work on and pretty simple, since owning, I ve done things I'd of never attempted before on tin tops. 

You fixed it :yes: warm glow inside! 

My only advice would be perhaps stop watching "Westfields on fire" vids. ;)

 

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I wish you were nearer to me Weekend warrior as you clearly want to learn about your car. Everything on a Westfield is straightforward and anyone can learn but there is no substitute for having a mate who can show you and talk things over.

We trip off the tongue terms we are all familiar with, but if you do not know the term it is hard to decipher. Add to that your car is made from components originally on other cars, engine, gear box etc and getting parts is harder if you do not know what they originally came of as year changes can make a difference at OE level.

Have a look for any local colleges that do night classes on car maintenance or see if there is a local member willing to spend an afternoon with you, it is much more enjoyable with the fear taken away.  

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