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Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:30 am

i've noticed this twice now...as you know i've not passed my driving test yet and so i only get to drive my beetle up & down the driveway, i topped up the petrol tank today & gave it a little run up & down the driveway (it's only a couple of metres long), and when i locked up i noticed a long & wide patch of what looks like petrol that seems to have leaked out whilst i was moving. any ideas of what it could be?

it's really odd because the other time that i noticed a leak i put a sheet of wood under the engine to see if anything leaked out, i left it running for a little while & revved up the engine but nothing leaked out :?

Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:51 am

1973 1303S wrote: what looks like petrol that seems to have leaked out whilst i was moving. any ideas of what it could be?
:?

Well, IS it petrol? Smell it. If your nose doesn't work, throw a match down there (just kidding).

Thu Dec 11, 2003 12:45 pm

it's petrol

Thu Dec 11, 2003 12:58 pm

Leak in the fuel filler hose because you've filled the tank up too much? Leak in the vent hoses going to the expansion tank? Leaks that would only happen when the gas sloshes around in the tank...

Thu Dec 11, 2003 5:23 pm

thanks for your help

i went out down the pub with some dubbers tonight & trusty jay suggested that because it has rained heavily, water draining off the car whilst moving may have washed through parts of the exterior engine that are oily? - or something along those lines

this could be the answer - when it's dry i never notice a patch of petrol or oil or whatever. i should be a detective :D

Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:07 pm

Quote: Well, IS it petrol? Smell it. If your nose doesn't work, throw a match down there (just kidding).

LMAO, UncleBob you crack me up. Throw a match down there!

If you're only going up and down the drive, why do you have to keep adding petrol? Rain isn't going to was enough oil off the thing to create an oil trail.

Sounds like you are filling her up to much, and have a bad filler hose. But who knows, I thought those were Super bumpers on that Ghia. Wait that's a different story.

Thu Dec 11, 2003 11:02 pm

I think you have a leak when it's full. Look it over real good.

Fri Dec 12, 2003 3:42 pm

i can only put 5 litres in at a time, & because i keep going out there for a play it needs topping up every so often, the petrol gage is very rarely out of the red, so i doubt i fill it up too much :P