Lately my car has been smelling gas fumes in the cabin. As I pulled out of the driveway this morning there was a trail of gas on the floor. When I looked under the car there was a strong gas leak from coming from the middle rear portion of the undercarriage. Looks like a connection from the gas tank to? who knows. Please enlighten me on this problem. Been perusing this forum and others like it and no prior episodes on a fuel leak on a VDP. This is my first Jag and a newbie in this forum I DO NOT WANT TO BLOW UP IN THIS CAR. Thanks a million for your help.

 

Green, looking at the JTIS, you are going to have 2 lines that are side by side down in the area that you are looking at. One is the fuel feed going from the gas tank to the motor and then there will be a second line that is the return line coming from the motor to the gas tank (gotta love fuel injected systems). So, without getting under the vehicle, it will be hard to say which line it is. Both of these lines have a special fitting on them, so, removal isn't going to be a simple "undo a clamp" and off the line comes. The tool gets pushed into the fitting and releases internal clips to allow the fitting to come off. It is possible that this fitting has gone bad and is now leaking. You can try pushing it back on to see if it will help it re-seat itself. You can also do a hand over hand of the tubing and see if you can find a spot where it has been damaged. Based on what you are describing, your fuel tank is in good condition, it is just a fuel line. It may be helpful to have a second person with you that can place the ignition switch to the RUN position (not starting the car). This will allow the fuel pump to run momentarily, helping you find your leaking point. Just make sure to be wearing something over the eyes as it is hard to say where all the gas may be spraying. From there, let us know what you find and we can give better instructions on making a fix.

 

Great info thanks for putting some light on the subject. I will be in the indy Monday. It seems to be leaking more first thing when I start her up? Make sense? Is this dangerous to drive?

 

Green, as for being dangerous to drive, that is a really tough call. This is my view on it and you take it how you want: a drip here, a drip there, safe to drive; enough to form a stream as I am moving slowly, PARK IT!!!! The big fear is getting the gas blowing back on the hot exhaust and starting a fire. How much it takes, I don't know and don't care to really find out.

I would want to atleast get under the vehicle to see more precisely where the leak is coming from. Atleast then a temporary fix can be made so I am not wasting fuel and ensuring the car is safe to drive. You may also find that the fix will be something you can do vice having to pay dealership prices.

I don't mean to sound so wishy washy, but without seeing this problem, it is hard to base a decision on what you are saying. Based on what you are saying, it sounds more like an issue with the return line than the actual line. But, this can also be a sign of a problem with the fuel line connectors too and what you are seeing is the fuel pressure actually helping to seal the problem. So, get the car up on jack stands in the rear, momentarily put the ignition switch in the RUN position (do not start the engine) and see where the puddle forms. From there, you can look straight up and follow the trail of gas to where the leak is.