fuel filler hose leak and ground connection Qs
June 11th, 2011, 11:39 AM
#1
CF Active Member
Thread Starter
fuel filler hose leak and ground connection Qs
I noticed last time I filled up at the gas station there was a fuel leak in front of the rear wheel. It is only happening when I add gas and does not appear to leak otherwise.
The fuel is leaking from the connection between the corrugated flex hose, coming down from the filler cap, and a metal transition piece inline before the next portion of the line going to the fuel tank.
There is no compression clamp on this corrugated hose.
Is there supposed to be?
I also note there is a ground wire sticking out of the same joint but not attached to anything. I do not see a screw or even a hole nearby that this ground would attach to.
Is the ground wire supposed to be under the corrugated flex hose?
Where is the ground to be screwed to?
2003, Express 3500, left side door option,
2nd owner
The fuel is leaking from the connection between the corrugated flex hose, coming down from the filler cap, and a metal transition piece inline before the next portion of the line going to the fuel tank.
There is no compression clamp on this corrugated hose.
Is there supposed to be?
I also note there is a ground wire sticking out of the same joint but not attached to anything. I do not see a screw or even a hole nearby that this ground would attach to.
Is the ground wire supposed to be under the corrugated flex hose?
Where is the ground to be screwed to?
2003, Express 3500, left side door option,
2nd owner
July 18th, 2011, 6:47 PM
#2
CF Active Member
Thread Starter
bad design ... failure in fuel fill pipe
I did some digging and found the fuel tank filler pipe is rammed through a corrugated plastic hose.
I cut the corrugated plastic hose off the gas filler pipe.
What a huge mess. A few table spoons of rust fell out.
Hello Chevrolet!!!
Gasoline is volatile and is kept mostly in underground (56 degree) tanks.
It chills surfaces that it touches.
You fill the tank, the filler pipe chills down, humidity in the air condenses on the metal (UNDER THE PLASTIC), the plastic jacket traps the water and
as designed the filler pipe rusts out spilling fuel.
Not to mention this is in the wheel well!! being splashed by wet roads.
Did Chevy design the fuel systems for the Challenger!!?
I think it is time Chevy replaced the design Chimp.
Can they really be clueless why people buy Japanese?
--------------
2003 Express 3500 w/ left side door option
I cut the corrugated plastic hose off the gas filler pipe.
What a huge mess. A few table spoons of rust fell out.
Hello Chevrolet!!!
Gasoline is volatile and is kept mostly in underground (56 degree) tanks.
It chills surfaces that it touches.
You fill the tank, the filler pipe chills down, humidity in the air condenses on the metal (UNDER THE PLASTIC), the plastic jacket traps the water and
as designed the filler pipe rusts out spilling fuel.
Not to mention this is in the wheel well!! being splashed by wet roads.
Did Chevy design the fuel systems for the Challenger!!?
I think it is time Chevy replaced the design Chimp.
Can they really be clueless why people buy Japanese?
--------------
2003 Express 3500 w/ left side door option
July 25th, 2011, 9:34 PM
#3
CF Active Member
Thread Starter
Fuel Filler Pipe Replacement
2003 Chevy Express 3500
Left side door option
photo 1- fuel filler pipe with corrugated cover removed.
photo 2- point of leak is at bottom turn in pipe.
Tools:
T-30 torx to remove nozzle end housing
10 mm hex to remove pipe clamp on rubber hose at gas tank
small screw driver to pry out vinyl expansion nail at bottom of nozzle end housing
Parts:
The new part #25755765 ($213 +/-) is actually an assembly of parts from the nozzle end housing all the way to the pipe clamp on the hose connecting to the gas tank. What is not included is the ground to body screw or the nozzle end housing screws and vinyl nail attachments to the body. I bought the part from a dealer and paid the higher price over what was available on the net because the net vendors could not tell me what they were selling. Was it just the "pipe" or the entire assembly the dealer had.
Removal:
While disassembling the rubber nozzle from gas tank the fuel filler pipe broke wide open it was so rusted out. I suggest removing the vinyl nozzle end housing and cutting off the rubber hose to remove the pipe to avoid the possibility of rust debris falling into the gas tank.
photo 3- broken filler pipe
Removal of the mounting screws at the nozzle end housing is straight forward and a T-30 torx was needed for two of the screws. They were not tight so I might have tried the T-25 I had in my kit before buying the T-30.
The pipe clamp is hard to reach with a flat head screw driver but easy with a 10mm socket (I suppose the van isn't metric but it is what I had available - and it was getting dark).
The rubber hose to the gas tank is formed around a male raised nipple to the gas tank. Rotating it back and forth is what broke the rusted fuel filler pipe. I used a small x-acto knife to cut the hose down from the end being careful to hold it up as I went to not cut the tank nipple.
Installation:
Installing the new part assembly required disassembling the nozzle end housing from the nozzle end so the pipe could be fed through the hole in the side of the body. The nozzle end housing is then slid up around it from the wheel well. I loosely attached the nozzle end housing to the body.
photo 4- removed filler pipe assembly
I then put a very small amount of motor oil over the nipple and inside the rubber hose to help slide them together. They went together very easily so the oil may have not been needed.
Install all the mounting screws for the nozzle end housing and body and then tighten the hose at the gas tank.
It took me 2 1/2 hours since I had to go buy the T-30 and then figure my way through the disassembly and cuts and it was dark at 9 PM dark when I finished. Also the 3500 is high up off the ground so I did not need to jack the van up so that saved some time. I would guess this to take and hour with the know how.
------------------------
Addendum June 2016
------------------------
I just replaced the fuel filter and the clean white catch container I used has a frightening amount of black particulate in it.
It is a good possibility that the corrosion of the fuel filler pipe put dirt into the gas tank.
I am now concerned the fuel tank needs to be dropped and flushed.
I am going to be back checking my gas mileage to see if the new fuel filter makes a difference.
Left side door option
photo 1- fuel filler pipe with corrugated cover removed.
photo 2- point of leak is at bottom turn in pipe.
Tools:
T-30 torx to remove nozzle end housing
10 mm hex to remove pipe clamp on rubber hose at gas tank
small screw driver to pry out vinyl expansion nail at bottom of nozzle end housing
Parts:
The new part #25755765 ($213 +/-) is actually an assembly of parts from the nozzle end housing all the way to the pipe clamp on the hose connecting to the gas tank. What is not included is the ground to body screw or the nozzle end housing screws and vinyl nail attachments to the body. I bought the part from a dealer and paid the higher price over what was available on the net because the net vendors could not tell me what they were selling. Was it just the "pipe" or the entire assembly the dealer had.
Removal:
While disassembling the rubber nozzle from gas tank the fuel filler pipe broke wide open it was so rusted out. I suggest removing the vinyl nozzle end housing and cutting off the rubber hose to remove the pipe to avoid the possibility of rust debris falling into the gas tank.
photo 3- broken filler pipe
Removal of the mounting screws at the nozzle end housing is straight forward and a T-30 torx was needed for two of the screws. They were not tight so I might have tried the T-25 I had in my kit before buying the T-30.
The pipe clamp is hard to reach with a flat head screw driver but easy with a 10mm socket (I suppose the van isn't metric but it is what I had available - and it was getting dark).
The rubber hose to the gas tank is formed around a male raised nipple to the gas tank. Rotating it back and forth is what broke the rusted fuel filler pipe. I used a small x-acto knife to cut the hose down from the end being careful to hold it up as I went to not cut the tank nipple.
Installation:
Installing the new part assembly required disassembling the nozzle end housing from the nozzle end so the pipe could be fed through the hole in the side of the body. The nozzle end housing is then slid up around it from the wheel well. I loosely attached the nozzle end housing to the body.
photo 4- removed filler pipe assembly
I then put a very small amount of motor oil over the nipple and inside the rubber hose to help slide them together. They went together very easily so the oil may have not been needed.
Install all the mounting screws for the nozzle end housing and body and then tighten the hose at the gas tank.
It took me 2 1/2 hours since I had to go buy the T-30 and then figure my way through the disassembly and cuts and it was dark at 9 PM dark when I finished. Also the 3500 is high up off the ground so I did not need to jack the van up so that saved some time. I would guess this to take and hour with the know how.
------------------------
Addendum June 2016
------------------------
I just replaced the fuel filter and the clean white catch container I used has a frightening amount of black particulate in it.
It is a good possibility that the corrosion of the fuel filler pipe put dirt into the gas tank.
I am now concerned the fuel tank needs to be dropped and flushed.
I am going to be back checking my gas mileage to see if the new fuel filter makes a difference.
Last edited by tbb2; June 15th, 2016 at 3:34 PM. Reason: New information
July 9th, 2012, 6:56 AM
#6
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July 15th, 2012, 8:06 PM
#7
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fuel fill leak RECALL notice
I am the original owner of a 2003 AWD Express, LH door option and had the same leak issue a year ago. There is also another symtom of the 'check engine ' light coming on. Just last month I received a recall notice from GM on this issue. It has something to do with the LH door option because that was the specified reason. It must be the way they designed around the door opening. I paid to have the problem fixed so they said I would be reimbursed. I would check with your local dealer on this one.
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July 19th, 2012, 11:59 AM
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ontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> If you need assistance with this, please feel free to contact me. Or, if you prefer, contact Chevrolet Customer Service directly by phone at: 1-800-222-1020.Louis
GM Customer Service
July 20th, 2012, 8:14 AM
#10
CF Active Member
Thread Starter
recall
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> If you need assistance with this, please feel free to contact me. Or, if you prefer, contact Chevrolet Customer Service directly by phone at: 1-800-222-1020.
Louis
GM Customer Service
ontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> If you need assistance with this, please feel free to contact me. Or, if you prefer, contact Chevrolet Customer Service directly by phone at: 1-800-222-1020.Louis
GM Customer Service
I looked for the filler pipe recall on-line but have not found anything.
Is the recall for the check engine light or the fuel filler pipe?
