Old fuel lines have a tendency to crack and piss out fuel as you drive and
as the engine is moving, letting the pipe kink.  If you let the engine go
and keep moving the lines, you would find one that is spraying.  It maybe at
a place where it is rubbing on and edge of something similar.
Now you know how engine fires start...
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rico Sapolich" <JKrevnov@aol.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 8:25 PM
Subject: Re: ??Syncro Fuel Leaks??

> I can smell fuel somewhere in the rear end of my Syncro.  I thought I had
> been getting a whiff of gasoline once in a while, but whenever I would
> investigate it, the smell would dissipate and I could never tell if it was
> from my van or the guy parked next to me.  I have been checking the drips
> left by the van and have found evidence of every fluid except gas.
Tonight,
> when I went out to have my nocturnal smoke, before I could pollute my
> olfactory senses with all that blissful tar and nicotine, I caught a whiff
of
> gas as I walked past the van.  Sniffing like a mongrel in heat, I went all
> over the ass-end of the van.  I know it was not the height of dignity, but
I
> have to find the source.  The smell is very faint and coming from both
> wheelwells.  I CANNOT smell it in the engine compartment and there is no
> evidence of dampness anywhere under the van, around the fuel pump, fuel
> filter, fuel lines, fuel rails, etc.
>
> Has anyone had a similar experience with a Syncro?  I thought I had
distanced
> myself from leaking gas tanks when I switched to a Syncro; at least, I
hope I
> did.