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Gasoline leak

4K views 34 replies 13 participants last post by  greybeard 
#1 ·
A little while back, I started noticing the odor of gasoline both inside and outside my car. I foolishly filled the tank before taking it to a garage to have it checked. When I did, I noted that I had only had a range of 240 miles on the full tank, where my usual is around 300 miles.


So, I took it in. Diagnosis cost $50. Repair estimate is $776.
What the mechanic did: pulled the belly pan to take a look and showed me that the fuel tank was wet from a leak somethwhere on the top of the tank, out of view. He concluded it most likely is the fuel pump or its gasket which is causing the leak.



In either case, to effect repair, he said the tank would have to be pulled.


I've come here seeking views/opinions any of y'all might have on this. Diagnosis likely correct? How dangerous is the car to drive in the meantime? Repair estimate reasonable, and so on.
 
#2 ·
Nothing unheard of for an older generation smart car, or many other cars as well. May be a cracked/leaky fuel line, leaking connection where the pump mounts with tank, or even a cracked tank.

This is a relatively easy job. Overly simplified procedure: Remove the underbody aerodynamic + anti-corrosion shield, follow the industry standard fuel line/tank depressurization procedures, R&R the tank and the damage will be evident. 2 hour job.
 
#4 ·
Well, the service station looked the job up in their book and said it was a 3.5 hour job. And that's with professional equipment, lifts and so on. So I think you're likely being a bit humorous, heh?

In their defense, they did say they were giving me a 'worst case' estimate and that it would be less if the repair required less expense, i.e. not replacing the fuel pump. But the exact problem wouldn't be known until the tank was pulled.

I'm slightly relieved that you don't feel I'm driving a time-bomb or a molotov cocktail on wheels. But, I'm still eager to get the repair done. It makes me uneasy. Sure glad I'm no longer a cigarette smoker!
 
#10 ·
Man that is ultra disappointing. I'd recommend sending in a safety defect complaint to the federal agency concerned - if this is a common problem as Kamaal suggests, then it's recallable.

Definitely get it repaired, as few things are as scary as gasoline- fuelled fires. Keep the bill so when (if) the car is recalled you can get your cash back from the manufacturer. In fact I would ask them to pay now.
 
#18 ·
Man that is ultra disappointing. I'd recommend sending in a safety defect complaint to the federal agency concerned - if this is a common problem as Kamaal suggests, then it's recallable.

Definitely get it repaired, as few things are as scary as gasoline- fuelled fires. Keep the bill so when (if) the car is recalled you can get your cash back from the manufacturer. In fact I would ask them to pay now.

I wasn't singling out smart. I was referring to automobiles in general, across the board. A fuel leak is not uncommon. Especially not a fuel pump leaking or the gasket seal to the tank. Gaskets leak, pumps leak, especially when vehicles begin to age. And some of these smarts are beginning to get long in the tooth. Fix the leak, enjoy the car, and keep driving. A 2-4 hour procedure is not worth all the stress IMO. :nerd:
 
#11 ·
A little while back, I started noticing the odor of gasoline both inside and outside my car. I foolishly filled the tank before taking it to a garage to have it checked. When I did, I noted that I had only had a range of 240 miles on the full tank, where my usual is around 300 miles.


So, I took it in. Diagnosis cost $50. Repair estimate is $776.
What the mechanic did: pulled the belly pan to take a look and showed me that the fuel tank was wet from a leak somethwhere on the top of the tank, out of view. He concluded it most likely is the fuel pump or its gasket which is causing the leak.

In either case, to effect repair, he said the tank would have to be pulled.


I've come here seeking views/opinions any of y'all might have on this. Diagnosis likely correct? How dangerous is the car to drive in the meantime? Repair estimate reasonable, and so on.

This seems to be a not uncommon problem with our smarts. There are two ports on the top of the fuel pump, one of which has been known to leak/break. Sounds like you currently have a leaker... which could easily turn into a gusher. :(

Don't park it in the garage!

Replacement fuel pumps for the smart run $200 - $500, the rest is labor.

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f25/i-m-smelling-gasoline-fuel-pump-port-139449/

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f353/fuel-leak-77546/#post921290

~toaster
 
#15 ·
FWIW, the fuel pump outlet (pressure) fitting cracked on the Applecrate a couple of years ago.

I noticed a strong fuel odor when I stopped in a parking lot. Looked underneath and fuel was literally pouring out from the belly pan. I had to drop the tank to investigate the leak, and as I was removing the tank, the fitting completely broke off the pump. The fittings are just molded plastic.A new pump is the only fix. The job isn't awful if you don't have much gas in the tank. There's a sticky about tank removal.
Also, I think the gasket (green silicone rubber square O-ring) that seals the pump to the tank would be unlikely to randomly start leaking.
 
#16 ·
I believe the fuel pump part number is 4514700294. Here's some internet pricing:

$225
https://www.mbpartsusa.com/oem-parts/smart-fuel-pump-4514700294

$481
https://www.amazon.com/Spectra-Premium-SP5129M-Module-Assembly/dp/B01AWCW8VE

$216 - $667
https://www.ebay.com/sch/pump+4514700294

$246 - $426
https://www.rockauto.com/en/partsearch/?partnum=4514700294

Quite a range. If you are having a shop replace it, it may be worthwhile asking what they are charging for the pump alone and procure it yourself.

~toaster
 
#19 ·
I believe the fuel pump part number is 4514700294. Here's some internet pricing:

$225
https://www.mbpartsusa.com/oem-parts/smart-fuel-pump-4514700294

$481
https://www.amazon.com/Spectra-Premium-SP5129M-Module-Assembly/dp/B01AWCW8VE

$216 - $667
https://www.ebay.com/sch/pump+4514700294

$246 - $426
https://www.rockauto.com/en/partsearch/?partnum=4514700294

Quite a range. If you are having a shop replace it, it may be worthwhile asking what they are charging for the pump alone and procure it yourself.

~toaster
$257 to the door for a smart OEM pump. I'd bet a beer (or two) that's a couple hundred less than I'd get from the garage. I believe they were sourcing from Advance Auto Parts, but don't quote me on that.

I will absolutely ask the garage what their price is for the pump, and tell them what I've found (you led me to).

Thanks! Great tip.
 
#17 ·
If you contact the mothership to request a freebie, you could mention that if they decline to fix this obvious safety hazard for free, that the NHTSA will be getting a safety complaint. They'll probably ignore it anyway but I have had a few "goodwill repairs" over the years from my dealer with cars 10 years out of warranty.
 
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#29 ·
Y'all have convinced me that I should contact someone from smart or MB on this matter. Any specific recommendations, like the dealer I took delivery from, or somewhere up the line? Got a phone number?

Can't hurt.
I hope someone will pitch in on my questions. Or, is this a hopeless line of thought? I mean, this matter is going to cost me roughtly $800. It would be so nice if MB would accept some responsibility and help me out financially. My income presently is $1064/month.
 
#24 ·
The repair time quoted is not just for actual labor, it also includes tool and equipment (cost to purchase - even if already purchased and paid for) charges.



Also if you purchase you own part, the mechanic most likely will do the install and verify it works, with no ongoing warranty if it fails shortly after.
 
#26 ·
... if you purchase you own part, the mechanic most likely will do the install and verify it works, with no ongoing warranty if it fails shortly after.
I've talked with them with my questions. And, the above statement was confirmed. I decided to pay the extra $70+ dollars for the peace of mind the warranty on their work offers.
Unfortunately, the part isn't expected until Friday afternoon, and the work is scheduled for Moanday morning. Clearly, I wish it would be sooner, oh well.
 
#25 ·
This is sort of on your topic. In 2004 Chevrolet issued a recall on Corvette fuel tanks. It only covered some specific vin numbers, about a month of production. Of course my Z06 was in the group. The recall stated there could be a leak in the cross over tube between the two tanks. The recall was good for 10 years from date of receipt. The repair done out of recall was approximately $2300.00. There are still some 2004's floating around with out the recall ever being done. It may be wise to keep checking with the powers that be to see if your issue could fall into that 10 year window.
 
#30 ·
Write a letter to customer service at your dealer with a copy to M-B head office, a nice one about how you are a fan etc but you sure would appreciate some help on it.
 
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#31 · (Edited)
Yeah. I had the same problem with gas leaking. After crawling under the car with an inspection mirror and seeing gasoline on top of the tank, I attempted to drop my tank myself. Once I started to lower the tank, I realized that I didn’t have the car high enough to have room for myself and the tank, so I buttoned it up and called a garage. Started the car to drive it to the shop, but now it was leaking too profusely to drive, so I had it towed. Turned out that the leak was a crack in the nylon(?) output fitting at the top of the fuel tank and when I’d started to drop the tank I’d flexed the fitting and made the leak much worse. This fitting is integral to the top of the fuel pump so you can’t just replace the fitting, the entire fuel pump needs to be replaced. (Thanx, Mercedes) The repair came in at just under $800 like your estimate.
After driving around for a few days, I stopped to get gas and just as I noticed the pump hit 9 gallons, I saw gasoline running across the drive from under my car. There is a seal under the lid of the fuel pump; the mechanic hadn’t seated it properly. Of course they did charge me for the re-repair!
If you have the means to get you car up high enough, the job wouldn’t be too hard for the average diy’er but I’d advise having a helper at least to lower the tank. I was working by myself when I tried, and I could only get my car about 13” off the ground! [My smart had about 130K on the odometer at the time]
 
#35 ·
Yup. Just barely touched the fitting when the mechanic showed it to me and it snapped right off. Seems to me they coulda/shoulda used regular fittings that could be replaced. Still a relatively big job, but a whole lot cheaper. But then they wouldn’t be able to sell as many fuel pumps!
Also, I found a miss print in in my previous comment. They did ‘not’ charge me to realign the seal.
 
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