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Can I vapour lock a beetle?
bobupp - July 23rd, 2004 at 08:13 PM

I have a beetle that has a petrol smell. It is bad around the filler door. I have just found the inside of the filler door to have a nice round red stain, which I am assuming to be dry petrol. I also assume that petrol is escaping under the fuel cap. Is this sounding right? I have heard that fuel tanks need to breathe, will putting a new tight cap on allow my beetle's tank to breathe?

Thanks for any help, this game is new to me.

1303Steve - July 23rd, 2004 at 10:12 PM

Hi

the tank breaths through tubes attached to the tank, the cap needs to seal. Either buy a new cap or gasket for your old one. Also check the rubber tube between the filler and tank, mine would weep, not drip any fuel, but it sure stank.

1302Steve

[Edited on 23-7-2004 by 1302Steve]

68AutoBug - July 23rd, 2004 at 11:22 PM

You should be able to buy another gasket for Your fuel cap or find something to fit under the original gasket...

If the cap breathes, its breath will smell of petrol...
Unleaded... of course....

Lee

vw54 - July 24th, 2004 at 08:39 AM

What year is your car .... early pre 67 beetles have a small tube just below the cap you can stick a bit of fine wire through it to make sure its clear or blow compressed air it should have a small dia rubber tube attache to allow itt ovent this should also be clear as well.

bobupp - July 24th, 2004 at 09:17 AM

To vw54, the problem beetle is a '71.

To 68AutoBug, the cap stinks to high ... (of PULP, after learning this fact here).

Will try to find gasket/cap today.

Thanks

vw54 - July 24th, 2004 at 09:56 AM

On the tube between the tank and the filler neck you will find a 4 or so mm dia tube. this is the vent ensure its clear all the way through by blowing air through it.

bobupp - July 24th, 2004 at 11:37 AM

Sorry if I seem thick.
There is a tube as you describe. It is a meshie type tube. It seems to break off into two. One (also meshie) goes down in the fuel tank, the other (seems to be rubber and metal ) runs up along the "firewall" and down under the fuel tank on the passenger side to somewhere unseen. I dont really want to pull on it. I can hence find no "end". Where would one blow into any tube??
Also the main filler tube (large) smells oof fuel when you are up close to it. I can find no traces of fuel, either miost, or stain. Should this be replaced as well?

vw54 - July 24th, 2004 at 08:03 PM

yeah thats the one that goes along the firewall in metal

find the end that goes down into wheel well area and blow into it.

Get some one to listen into the filler neck of the tank to hear air comming out