Saw your note----

>after filling up (90 Vanagon) the other day I noticed a little gas
>dripping from the frame surrounding the gas tank.  When it seemed to
>stop I drove from the gas station back to work (all of two minutes and
>0.5 mile), and the drip didn't recur.  Nice odour of gasoline, though.
>Same when I drove home that evening, no drip but smell of gas.  Tried to
>check out the tank and hose connections last night but couldn't see
>anything amiss; of course, you can't see much of anything down there,
>even with a small mirror and flashlight.  Did a little test drive today;
>again no drip but still gasoline odours.

Don't know about a 90, but my 86 has two plastic "expansion tanks" which are
connected to the main fuel tank by small vent hoses.  Several years ago one
of the tanks on mine developed a small crack which left gasoline odors
everytime I filled it, but I never could see spilled gasoline.  The tanks
are under the drivers and passenger doors on mine.  I would look at them
closely before doing anything with the main tank.

Imagine you could repair those tanks with GOOP or some similar adhesive.
But I got my replacement free from VW under the extended emissions control
warranty.

                             John Foster 
JOHN L FOSTER
DEPARTMENT OF POLIICAL SCIENCE
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
CARBONDALE, IL 62901-4501

Tel:  (618) 453-3172 (office)
      (618) 549-7760 (home)
fax:  (618) 453-3253
Email: jlfoster@siu.edu