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Thread: ****Holy Lord, I Think My Car is Leaking Fuel****

  1. #1
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    ****Holy Lord, I Think My Car is Leaking Fuel****

    Okay, I was driving around town normally, just having filled up my tank with premium at the BP, like usual, and earlier today I noticed that my Fuel Gauge was already a centimeter below the full mark. "The Hell?". Possibly thinking that I hadn't filled up my tank all the way. I drove around all day, noticing my Fuel Gauge had continued to drop drastically as I continued to drive. Last Night, I remembered at a photoshoot that I noticed a decent amount of greenish-clearish fluid leaking out from under my car. Having smelled it, not smelling like gas, I figured it was the A/C condensor (sp?) condensation because I had left the A/C on while I was parked in the hot/muggy parking deck. I had only parked in this certain spot for about a minute and a half until I saw it slowly running down the parking deck.



    Just before I came home tonight, I had a friend get out of the car and look to see if I was leaving a trail of fluid behind my car's path. Low and behold, I was. Curious and furious, I took a lighter and put a flame to the smallest of the droplets left from behind my car. No dice. The fluid did not catch fire at all. I even tried the biggest puddle that had been where I had parked the car during the flame test itself! Still no fire.

    On the black pavement at night, the fluid appeared to have the consistency and smell of water (aka, fluid-like and no scent, nor flammable).

    As I arrived home, In my driveway i did a serious of tests doing WOT rev's, engaging first gear, to second gear shifts... driving forward, then reverse. I did all of these tests on a level ground and got absolutely no more liquid to evacuate the underbody of my car. I did everything short of jacking my car up and tasting things. My fuel gauge is almost at half empty and i've only gone approx 85miles.

    Please; Please help.
    -Chris

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  2. #2
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    somone could have stolen your gas. its never happened to me but ive heard stories plus the general public seems to hate bmw's
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  3. #3
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    I've heard of people stealing gas also because the prices are so high... The general public seems to hate anything that is nice, they do not have and cannot afford, so BMWs are on that list I guess.

    95 540i6 M Sport - 95 525it S52/OBD2 - 433k E36 328i5 - X5D that hit a pothole - IG: @justinmurray95

  4. #4
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    Dont all BMW's have a lock on the gas cap/door when you lock them up??
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  5. #5
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    That's some pretty crappy mileage. I'd check the obvious stuff first. IE, air filter, etc. If you or anybody you know has a scanner, link in and check your fuel trims. I'd guess they are extremely rich. Double check O2 sensor response, along with water temp reading and air intake temp. If either of those sensors are kaput, it can cause the car to dump fuel.

  6. #6
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    If you are leaking fuel. You would be smelling it before you saw it on your fuel guage. Like.. when you get out of the car after a drive, while moving through slow traffic, etc...

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by zeit00 View Post
    If you are leaking fuel. You would be smelling it before you saw it on your fuel guage. Like.. when you get out of the car after a drive, while moving through slow traffic, etc...
    so simple, yet so obvious

  8. #8
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    could you just be running pig rich? Are you sure your gas gauge is working?

    Could be the blinker fluid is low too, had that happen several times.
    "'Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death I Shall Fear No Evil For I am 80,000 feet and Climbing."

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by bbaz View Post
    That's some pretty crappy mileage. I'd check the obvious stuff first. IE, air filter, etc. If you or anybody you know has a scanner, link in and check your fuel trims. I'd guess they are extremely rich. Double check O2 sensor response, along with water temp reading and air intake temp. If either of those sensors are kaput, it can cause the car to dump fuel.
    Thanks for the reply. This is the kind of stuff I'm gonna ask the shop I take it to- to look at and to make sure nothing is crazy.

    Quote Originally Posted by zeit00 View Post
    If you are leaking fuel. You would be smelling it before you saw it on your fuel guage. Like.. when you get out of the car after a drive, while moving through slow traffic, etc...
    That is what I figured as well, however having two problems at the same time: My car leaking some type of mysterious... (probably water) fluid and having the gas gauge drop at a noticably faster-than-normal rate... yeah. I panic(ed).

    Thanks for the good replies,
    -Chris

  10. #10
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    You should be able to smell the gas if it doesn't smell like gas than it isn't.
    Check your alternator oil it could be leaking.
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  11. #11
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    You are under warranty, why are you even asking this question? Take it to the dealer for free.

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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by 325i_Dan View Post
    You are under warranty, why are you even asking this question? Take it to the dealer for free.
    No PMs. Email through forum please.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by bbaz View Post
    That's some pretty crappy mileage. I'd check the obvious stuff first. IE, air filter, etc. If you or anybody you know has a scanner, link in and check your fuel trims. I'd guess they are extremely rich. Double check O2 sensor response, along with water temp reading and air intake temp. If either of those sensors are kaput, it can cause the car to dump fuel.
    damn bret... beat me to it...

    do this stuff

  14. #14
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    Big deal...
    I drove my RX-7 for a while with a huge gas leak that puddled on top of the motor and dripped onto the exhaust ... no big whup. It was actually exciting to get where I was going every time...


    CW
    actually advises total safety in car repair, go get it fixed.
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  15. #15
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    But seriously, if your car is leaking gas you'll smell it long before it becomes a problem.
    No PMs. Email through forum please.

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