Leaky petrol tank...

[Bar Vitelli]

Hey, this is my 126th post and

[Bar Vitelli]

Hey this is (was) my 126th post and I was planning to save it for something special but...

I've just filled Vietlli III up with petrol at Tesco's and as I was putting the cap back on I noticed it drip-drip-dripping out of the bottom of the car from under the wheel arch.  I've only had it a while and not noticed it doing that before.  I've just got home (stinking of petrol) and the car is still dripping away on the drive. 

Is this is known/common fault or does anyone have any idea (other than the obvious hole in the petrol tank) what might be causing it?   

I love my cars but I'm slowly going bankrupt with all the niggles that they seem to develop...

[dajwid]

Did you just overfill the car?

[Bar Vitelli]

I don't think so...

It was empty (I ran it down because I had a petrol voucher) and I put 14.71 litres in and there was room to spare.  I've just been outside and it's still dripping and there's a petrol puddle underneath it (I can smell it from 10 ft away).

Saved 70p with the petrol voucher but that's looking like it's long gone. 

[dajwid]

The tanks are known to rot I'm afraid. It could just be coming from the neck, have you filled it up this much before?

[Bar Vitelli]

I've only filled it up once before and did not notice anything...

It's filled up but not as much as I sometimes do the others, it's an old car that's been stood a while before being recommissioned so the rot thing could be the asnwer although it recently went through a MOT. 

If I need to buy a new one do you know how much they cost (can't see any on EBay) and where I might get one from?  I've seen a 'petrol tank repair kit' but it looks a bit iffy...

[dajwid]

A new one from Poland is about ten to Fifteen pounds. Ask a friendly to Pole to pick you one up, or ask in your local Polish shop, they have a van coming over weekly.

If you are really stuck I may have a spare.

I think the tanks take about 20 litres when empty, so you would have pretty much filled it.

[Bar Vitelli]

Thanks, Dajwid, I'm going to leave it overnight and check again in the morning (hope the neighbour does not go for a crafty fag!), I've got another petrol voucher so I'm off to fill the DeVille up...

[Rusty's Uncle]

  Bar V it serves you right and showing off by being able to afford a full tank  
Anyway 126s are infamous for fuel tank problems, mainly because of rust that cloggs the system. Changed my tank last week. The rust sets in when cars are left unused for long periods with a low petrol load. However if your car runs OK then I would not think that it is a rust problem as it would be rare for a tank to rust through. I had a problem with a 126 that had the earlier rubber filler hose that had perished and leaked when full. The later hose is made of a soft plastic that does not perish. Your first task is to check for the exact source of the leak but when you say front of rear wheel arch that is in the filler zone, could even be a badly fitted hose  

[Bar Vitelli]

Thanks, Rusty, that's good advice, I've got a mechanical friend coming over next week so I'll get him to have a look at first before I spend my hard earned petrol voucher savings on a replacement tank. 

[Rusty's Uncle]

Thanks, Rusty, that's good advice, I've got a mechanical friend coming over next week 

Is that R2D2 or C3PO ? 

[Bar Vitelli]

I'm hoping it's P126...

 

[1973/126]

 Oh Garry you not having luck with these little buggers.
 Could be just the rubber filler neck as the guys said, but I`ve heard about couple of seeping fuel tanks where they rusted through, even on much later 126s
 If you need a new fuel tank and haven`t got a Polish friend, the 126Fan guys do them for about 29 Euros.
 I wouldn`t bother with a second hand one personally.

[Hazey-n-Marc]

Got one off of Axle Gerstle for £21 last year.

[1973/126]

 I checked the other day, as one of the guys on here was after one and Axel Gerstl sell them for 45 Euros now.