Another Wedge nearly up in flames.
Another Wedge nearly up in flames.
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TVRleigh

Original Poster:

6,553 posts

243 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
Was lucky the Wedge did not go up in flames.

Off to branshatch on sunday, after about 1 mile the car was getting very hesitent, tried a few gear changes, would rev ok then stutter, then had a bad smell of petrol, and the gauge was going down quite quick, it does this though at times and then pop's back up, may have to fit a capasitor.
but it keep dropping. so luckerly there was a petrol station, as no hard sholder on A127.

opened the bonnet, and the valey gasket and inlet manafold was full of boiling petrol.

used some rag to mop it up quick.

Then moved car off big puddle of petrol that it was sitting on, as there was a petrol trail behind it,

Could see a movie moment, when somone drop a cig, and you it follows the fuel trail and the blows the car up.

I then found the loose hose, it was the fuel rair return, and was a bent hose and the bend kept pushing the hose on and the presure was pushing it off.

So tightend it up, and re-checked all the others.

waited 5 mins to make sure any fuel had evaperated.

Then all was fine.

did not know Super is blue. bit of a pain as my anifreeze in blue also. so was not sure if it was fuel or coolant, apart from the smell.

but Im one lucky wedger.

Another reason to fit a low fuel presure light.

Edited by TVRleigh on Monday 3rd September 11:17

L33

3,469 posts

254 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
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Very lucky Leigh!

A fire extinguisher always very useful as well.
I really must get an extinguisher myself

smile

rev-erend

21,622 posts

314 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
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Leigh

Sounds like you was lucky.. glad you pulled over and got it sorted.

Wedg1e

27,038 posts

295 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
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Oh come along chaps, everyone knows that it takes a ludicrous amount of heat or a spark with just the right air:fuel ratio to ignite petrol.
Far more dangerous is a brake fluid leak: the majority of car fires post-impact are due to spilt brake fluid igniting from contact with a hot manifold - petrol under the same circumstances will just flash off. I nearly lost the 390 a few years back after I tried to top-up the clutch reservoir by feel in a dark layby: the reservoir was actually full, it was the piston seal that had gone. The overflowing fluid hit the manifold and straight away I could see perfectly... by the 12" flames that were licking around my sleeve.

TVRleigh(BBWR)

Original Poster:

6,553 posts

243 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
Wedg1e said:
Oh come along chaps, everyone knows that it takes a ludicrous amount of heat or a spark with just the right air:fuel ratio to ignite petrol.
Yes I did know this hence not running away in a panic.

but HD leads can leak sparks. so still posible to ignite a petrol leak, and the the amount a EFI pump can deliver you could be in serious problems if it does go up.

Also still scary when you see a few gallons boiling in the engine bay.