Micra fuel tank leak

[Avocet]

For someone with very poor feel for things, let AI help you:

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Lithium can spontaneously ignite in air if it's finely divided into a powder or dust. It can also ignite if it's heated to 180°C.

The autoignition temperature of jet fuel is 210°C (410°F).

The autoignition temperature of diesel is 210°C (410°F).

The autoignition temperature of gasoline is typically around 247-280°C (477-536°F).

Ahhhhh.... how I've missed you half-understood twaddle... (...like a dose of the clap...)

I see you still haven't got your head round the difference between elemental lithium and the lithium that they use in EV batteries then? Don't worry. It takes longer for some than others....

Anyway, by way of a catch-up, since last we exchanged messages, my EV is just coming up to 50,000 (faultless) miles now, and hasn't set itself on fire yet. At its first service at 40,000 ,miles, it still had 96% of its battery capacity remaining.

Neither of the e-bikes have set themselves on fire - nor, come to think of it, the faulty battery from Mrs. Avocet's e-bike that's still on the end of my desk... next to two laptops, neither of which have set themselves on fire either... nor any of the mobile phones... nor any of the tools in the garage....

...but one day... soon, eh?

 

[Avocet]

After cleaning up, the filler neck looks to be in fair condition. There are spots of roughness on the fill neck funnel where the cap gasket presses against. This will likely to prevent a perfect seal. For now, I will just keep it under observation. Failing of MOT is unlikely even if the tester can be bothered to check. I did not try sanding because removing of adjacent paint will just end up creating more rust and greater problems.

On my car, the neck is yellow zinc plated and doesn't suffer this problem. But the germans used carpy rubber and my gasket is all cracked. Luckily china sells a replacement for £1. So, that't two cars sorted in 1 thread for a grand total of £1. That's well worth the 30 pages.

Yeah, but then there's the cost of your invalidated insurance from using those non-genuine parts....

 

[DiyNutJob]

...but one day... soon, eh?

Not something I have to worry about. Once it goes off, the insurance will find ways to "uncover" it. But, life is a gamble, eh?

 

[Avocet]

Not something I have to worry about. Once it goes off, the insurance will find ways to "uncover" it. But, life is a gamble, eh?

Me neither...

 

[DiyNutJob]

Me neither...

But, you do. You keep talking about it. That shows the potential risks are keeping you awake at night. I would just get rid of them and live in peace.

 

[Avocet]

But, you do. You keep talking about it. That shows the potential risks are keeping you awake at night. I would just get risk of them and live in peace.

In the same way as I keep talking about (say) football? Food? Bikes? That's because when we talk about things, it means we're worried about them, does it? So... for example... you're worried about your paint? Or your use of non-genuine parts? Or haw to jack your car up? Or how often to change your oil?

(Actually, you SHOULD be worried about that last one, but you lack the wit to realise it...)

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Or haw to jack your car up?

Not that again, PLEASE!

 

[DiyNutJob]

Or haw to jack your car up? Or how often to change your oil?

I said nothing about those things for a long time, though.

 

[Avocet]

I said nothing about those things for a long time, though.

Were you worried about them when you did?

 

[DiyNutJob]

Were you worried about them when you did?

Yes. But those things were sorted and there were no more worries. No need to talk about oil when I am on life time oil. No need to talk about jacking when the mot guy said my car was perfect in Dec, etc.

 

[DiyNutJob]

The micra owner confirmed being unaware of the requirement to click the fuel cap. So, the most probable cause of the lost petrol was user error. Although, an air leak caused by light corrosion remain possible.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The micra owner confirmed being unaware of the requirement to click the fuel cap. So, the most probable cause of the lost petrol was user error.

The click, is to ensure the cap seals properly, to ensure the EVAP system can work properly, plus reduce likelihood of fuel spilling via the cap in an accident - nowt to do with losing fuel by evaporation, via the cap.

 

[Avocet]

The micra owner confirmed being unaware of the requirement to click the fuel cap. So, the most probable cause of the lost petrol was user error. Although, an air leak caused by light corrosion remain possible.

Rubbish. The click is simply to prevent over-tightening by the user. It is not necessary to "click" the cap to prevent vapour loss. The pressures are very low. Typically 0.1-0.2 Bar. There are valves to prevent excessive pressure building up, but in reality, on a healthy system, they will barely be greater than atmospheric. The whole assembly breathes through it's charcoal can, so unless the an (or its outlet) is blocked internal pressure will be negligible. Even if you lost the cap completely and just left the filler neck open to atmosphere, you'd be able to leave it several years before you even saw a drop in level on the gauge.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Even if you lost the cap completely and just left the filler neck open to atmosphere, you'd be able to leave it several years before you even saw a drop in level on the gauge.

Rubbish and proven wrong by this thread.

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Gasoline evaporates relatively quickly, often within hours, with the rate influenced by factors like temperature, exposure area, and the type of gasoline blend.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• Volatility:
  Gasoline is a volatile liquid, meaning it readily turns into a gas (vapor) at relatively low temperatures.
  
  
• Evaporation Time:
  A small amount of spilled gasoline can evaporate within 1 to 3 hours, while larger amounts or those in storage tanks may evaporate more slowly, potentially over several hours or even days.
  
  
• Factors Affecting Evaporation Rate:
  • Temperature: Higher temperatures accelerate evaporation.
    
    
  • Exposure Area: The larger the surface area of the gasoline exposed to the air, the faster the evaporation.
    
    
  • Gasoline Blend: Winter-blend gasoline, which is more volatile, evaporates faster than summer-blend gasoline.
    
    
  • Wind: Wind can increase evaporation rates by carrying away the gasoline vapors.
    
• Evaporation in Vehicles:
  Gasoline in a fuel tank can evaporate, especially during hot weather or if the fuel cap is not properly sealed.
  
  
• Evaporation in Storage:
  Gasoline storage tanks often have internal floating roofs to minimize evaporation by reducing the surface area exposed to the atmosphere
  
  
• Weight Loss:
  The evaporation rate can be measured by determining the weight loss of the gasoline over time.
  
  
• Vapor Pressure:
  The changes in vapor pressure and evaporation rate of gasoline can be expressed by the exponential of the weight loss fraction.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I've had vehicles stored for various amounts of time with tanks removed whilst being repaired, hoses etc just left as they are. Never known a fuel tank to get lighter when refitting it.

I've been to places like farms where cars have been stored without fuel caps and they still have fuel in them.

Either your tank has a hole, and therefore a potential leak, or it doesn't. Which is it ?