NEED HELP leaking fuel!!

[mncruiser]

I originally posted this in the general area and someone mentioned it should be in here.

My (new to me) bike is a 2001 FI and it was ridden a few times after I bought it recently with no problems. I filled it up for my first time and filled it to the metal plate inside the gas tank. I filled up to the bottom of the plate and did not go over it.

The bike sat for a week or so and I took it out today for a short run to the bank. I smelled fuel and looked down to see fuel running from the gas cap down the tank. Just a couple streams.
I thought, sh*t! My paint! I get home and as I am backing it into the garage, I see drops on the garage floor and after parking it and shutting off, a puddle (4" diameter or so) forms under the bike around where those black hoses are mid way under the bike. Then it just stopped and not a drip more. I refired the bike up, revved it and not a drop. I thought this a case of overfilling but in my mind I even doubted that. Went to dinner with the wife and was anxious to get home. I started the bike and no drips. I ran around the block twice came home and there was a drip path where I backed the bike in the garage and also under the bike when I shut if off. Same scenario, I restart and nothing, ran around the block again and still nothing.

I am worried I am seeing the beginning of a larger problem.

[blowndodge]

You have high pressure building up in your tank from a possible faulty gas cap vent. My 2006 leaked like a seive until I fixed it to vent properly. If you ride your bike on a warm day and shut it off and open the gas cap, does it go swoosh! like lots of air comes out? If so your cap is not venting correctly.

[mncruiser]

You know I suspected that also, so this morning I followed as much of the vent hose as you can get to and jostled it around to make sure it felt free of any obstruction. I then opened the gas cap and used my compressor to blow it out real well. Went for several rides this morning and the bike does not drip a drop. So since I touched so many things this morning on the bike, I've no real idea what the problem is/was or if it will return. I have to say that I am not anxious to fill up the bike again! Can I just ride around on a 1/4 tank forever?

[Top Cat]

Can I just ride around on a 1/4 tank forever?

Not with the mpg the Nomads get ;)
My bike didn't leak but it did the swoosh that BD mentions. I removed the little wafer thing in the cap and have had no problems since.
I would have to agree with BD on the cap not venting properly. I'm no mechanic but I did stay at a Holliday Inn once

(Continuing this from the previous thresd...)

Originally Posted by wolfman

My 06 has leaked at the cap ever since day one. Leaks all over the tank. Never leaks underneath though. I don't ever get a whistling sound so I don't know if its a venting issue or not.. I just keep a rag handy and wipe the tank until it get down to about 3/4 then its fine.

I assume you do not have a California spec bike, right? No charcoal canister under the left sidecover?

Originally Posted by mncruiser

This morning I went out and followed the vent hose as far as you can, it disappears in no mans land under the tank.

I think that hose is to the "cap area drain". When you lift the cap, see that little hole without an o-ring? (Right next to the cap vent hole which has an o-ring.) It drains any slight seepage or slop when you're filling the tank. The vent hose should be coming directly off the tail of the tank and you have to lift the seat to see it.

Originally Posted by mncruiser

I have seen it said that I overfilled it and perhaps I did. It was my first fill up on this bike and the first thing I saw when I opened the cap was that metal plate thing just inside. My immediate thought was that must be an indicator on how high to fill the tank and so I was careful to fill to where the fuel just touched the bottom. I did not allow the fuel to rise over it. Is this overfilling? Should I fill a certain distance beneath this plate?

Fill it right to the bottom of the plate. I can fill mine a little above, but if it fill it too much above it will flood & then drip out from the vapor recovery canister. (Only California-spec bikes have that canister as far as I know.)

Originally Posted by mncruiser

On the cap. do you have to use the key to close it? It seemed to resist when I tried that so I used the key to allow it to close without resistance? Can you just give it a rap to close?

The key must be in my cap and in the "open" position to close it. If you press the cap down, it will click solidly and the key will turn back to the "locked" position by it self.

Anyhow, I think your cap isn't venting. You should probably read this and see how to fix the vent.:
http://www.gadgetjq.com/whistle_stop.htm