Tank leak or fuel hose leak?

[Kuschelweich]

I have a fuel leak on my S14 which I'm having difficulty locating the source. It's currently not leaking at the moment, it will only start leaking when the car is running about 4-5 minutes after startup. It leaks from the front passenger side of the tank.

While searching for the source I noticed I have what looks like the ever popular crack on the seam near the metal strap retaining pin on the passenger side. However, I believe my fuel level is low enough to possibly be below the level of the crack(guage is on E).

Basically I'm wondering how can I tell if it's the tank leaking, the supply or feed hose, or perhaps both? Since it only leaks when the car is running, and for several hours after it's been shut off, I'm thinking it's one of the fuel hoses?
Could one of the hoses at the top cause cause a leak to run down the front of the tank? Would the tank only leaking when the fuel pump has been turned on be possible?


Thank you for any help, I'd really like to get this fixed :(.

[modulation]

It's currently not leaking at the moment, it will only start leaking when the car is running about 4-5 minutes after startup. It leaks from the front passenger side of the tank.

Since it only leaks when the car is running, and for several hours after it's been shut off, I'm thinking it's one of the fuel hoses?


You have good observation skills and decent logic, you just lack the technical knowledge to make a diagnoses.

From your description I'd say it's the FUEL line TO the engine. It's the only one under high pressure.

Since you say it doesn't leak except when the car is one for a while, and after the car has been shut off for a little, it sounds like it's the high pressure line from the pump to the engine, and that it leaks while under pressure, but after the car is off for long enough there isn't enough pressure to make it leak.

You should remove the fuel-pump access panel in the trunk under the carpet. You can see where the lines connect to the fuel pump (they are on the passenger side as you described. You'll need to replace the rubber line that goes from the tank to the other hardline that goes to the engine bay.