Insane Galvatron Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 My wife's 05 Subaru Legacy ( non-turbo ) developed a gas leak and I found where it's leaking. In the plastic cover that's over ( under? ) the gas tank, there's a little door. In that door is some kind of junction with 4 gas lines going into it. 2 on each side. The metal fittings are extremely rusted and leaking. Thing is, they're so rusted, I'm not sure I can get them out. So I wanted to just buy a whole new junction and 4 fittings and just put the plastic lines over those. Problem is, I have no idea what that junction is called. I can't find a diagram for the fuel system that shows the part. So I don't know what part to order. Please help if any of you know what this is. http://i.imgur.com/xs0nGT4.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I'm almost positive that's the brake line joint connector. I would not drive the car if it's leaking, but that's just me. There was a recall for that. I would imagine you could get subaru to cover the cost of a tow to the dealership. For the recall, if it wasn't leaking they just spray it with a protective coating. If it's leaking, they replace your brake lines and everything. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/05-09-legacy-outback-brake-line-corrosion-recall-204831.html?t=204831 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insane Galvatron Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Considering the liquid coming out of those lines smells like gas, and the lines are plastic just about an inch away from that junction and run up to the top of the gas tank, I'm almost positive those are NOT brake lines. I could be wrong, but then where is the gasoline coming from? It's dry above those lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Here's a diagram: https://parts.bestbuysubaru.com/a/Subaru_2005_Legacy25L-4AT-4WDSedan/_54102_6025645/FUEL-TANK-FUEL-TANK/B13-421-02.html I can't picture in my head what it is you are referring to. Looks like the brake line is rusted out on lower right corner of the pic. Brake fluid does cause paint to bubble and peel like that. Perhaps you have multiple problems unless you say you can pump the brake pedal with the car off and it doesn't fade to the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insane Galvatron Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Well, I don't see this part on that chart. Maybe it is a brake line. I just gotta figure out where the gas is coming from. My wife will call about the recall since those fittings are extremely rusty, but they don't seem to be leaking at the moment. There is gas coming from somewhere in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 The charcoal canister is near the rear driver side wheel, maybe the fuel smell is coming from there? Fuel systems aren't my thing. 08SpecB is a tech, so I know he knows his stuff a lot better than I do. If you have a strong fuel smell inside the car, then maybe you have a cracked fuel pump housing like I had. If there is actual fuel in that area, I'm not sure. I know there are some lines in that area, but I don't know if they're the parking brake cables, or maybe something that connects the fuel filler neck to the charcoal canister maybe? Not sure where or how the fuel filler neck connects to the gas tank, so I attached a picture of that, even though it's similar to what was already posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Is it hard to start after sitting over night? You can pressurize the system by turning the car to the on position. If nothing drips or sprays and it turns over fine every time, it's not fuel related. An extended crank or hard start would indicate a fuel pressure loss in your case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insane Galvatron Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Guys, the fuel is dripping out of a hole in the gas tank cover. Right below that little access hatch that those brake lines(?) are in. It's for sure a gas leak and somewhere near the tank. I guess I'll have to get the car up on ramps and remove that cover to see if it's dripping somewhere else and just running over to there. The car runs fine. The first ( and so far only ) symptom was the gasoline smell. That got me snooping around and there was a wet spot under the car near the right rear tire. Looking above the wet spot revealed a wet spot on that cover, right at that hole. On a side note, I can't find a brake line diagram that shows that part of the car to verify that it is indeed a brake junction all rusted. Other than matching the description of the location of the recall item... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Time to pull the access panel off under the rear seat. Your fuel pump housing may be cracked like apexi suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 #2 in the picture is the joint connector http://parts.subaru.com/a/Subaru_2005_Legacy25L-4AT-4WDLimited/_54106_6022672/BRAKE-PIPING-REAR-06MY-/B13-265-05.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insane Galvatron Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Okay, thanks so much guys. You've been extremely helpful. The part in the picture does look like the one in that chart. So it is a brake line. Right now, it's not leaking. Brakes are good and pedal is firm. It just looks really bad with all that rust. Like it could burst at any moment. She'll check on the recall to see if Subaru will replace those fittings. If the fuel pump housing is cracked, will that cause fuel to leak out onto the ground under the car? It's dark now, so I can't really do anything until tomorrow evening. My thought was hole rusted in the fuel tank. Rust has been a big problem with this car. It spent most of it's life up north ( PA, OH, and MI ). I won't know for sure until I get under there tomorrow. I'll have to follow the wet spot to it's origin. Maybe turn the key on and watch for gas flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 The pump and fill neck tube are on the passenger side so it could be either of them. The fuel system is pressurized so yes, if the pump housing is cracked, it will leak every time you energize the pump. It's much easier to pull the rear seat and the cover to check the housing and lines going to the pump. If everything looks good, then go through the hassle of climbing underneath the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insane Galvatron Posted August 12, 2017 Author Share Posted August 12, 2017 I removed the seat to look at the top of the tank at the pump before I tried removing the tank cover on the bottom. Mostly because those screws are so rusty, I'm not sure I could get them off without breaking them. Anyway, the top of the pump was extremely wet with gas. It also looked like a squirrel or small rodent had been in there at some point making a nest. Lots of dried up grass/twigs and nuts. It was all soaked with gas. Undoubtedly why the rodent abandoned the nest. I cleaned it all up and dried up as much of the gas as I could as it was all too wet to tell where the leak was. Turned the key on, heard the pump kick on, saw no new moisture. Here's the thing. While cleaning it up, I noticed the white thing where the electrical plug plugs in was loose and there was gas under it. I couldn't tell if that's where it was coming from, or if it had just seeped under there. I pushed on it and it went in a little bit and tightened up. It's no longer loose. Then when I turned on the key, there was nothing. No gas coming out that I could see. Is it possible that female plug being loose where it goes down into the pump housing could have been the cause of the leak? My current thought is yes, but it was the rodent that knocked it loose under there. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aperson Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 If you had a rodent living on top of the fuel tank and had a leak you really need to drop the tank and inspect any electrical, fuel lines, and EVAP lines that are on top of the tank. Fuel leaks are not the type of issue to go "well it stopped must be good", please be thorough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 Any updates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insane Galvatron Posted August 26, 2017 Author Share Posted August 26, 2017 I'm 99% sure the gas is leaking around the fuel pump housing. It doesn't leak when pressurized, only when the car is moving. It appears to slosh up to the top and seep out around the pump housing. I haven't tried removing it yet to see, but rockauto has a listing for a "fuel pump tank seal" which I would assume is what I need. Unfortunately, it's out of stock and no other parts store website has it either. I've looked at the pictures of the fuel pumps and they don't appear to have the seal included. The listings don't mention it nor is it picture. So even if I was willing to drop nearly 300 to replace a perfectly good pump just to get the seal, I'm not sure that's an option either. Does anybody know where I can get just the seal? Does the car even have some kind of gasket or o-ring or something there? If no, what's causing the leak. Could I just put a bead of gasket maker on the fuel pump lip between it and the tank to seal that up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted August 26, 2017 Share Posted August 26, 2017 What people have reported on the forum is the plastic fuel pump housing cracks along the flange where it meets the tank. Adding gasket maker or getting a new seal is not going to fix it if your car has that issue. Fuel may leak when the tank is roughly 1/2 full or more. This is not scientific or anything, but the issue seems to be more common on cars that have been in northern or colder locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 Here's my bill from when I had my cracked fuel pump housing replaced. They just replaced the whole assembly which includes the housing, pump, filter, level sensor, all that stuff. When I looked around online, it looks like there are two gaskets that basically look the same. One is black for around $10, which I'm guessing might be nitrile rubber. Then there's a red one which I'm guessing might be silicone, which is around $110. Looks like they used the red one in my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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