Fuel leak

Tiny
SHANDOLYN
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
  • 6 CYL
  • 2,600 MILES
I have a fuel line leak towards the engine. What does it take to fix at home?
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Friday, September 1st, 2017 AT 7:11 AM

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Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,699 POSTS
First you have to determine what is leaking. There could be a rusted steel fuel line, a rotted rubber hose, or a rusted hose clamp. Look under the hood, then under the right side, for the highest point you see wetness. If it is wet close to the right hood hinge area, the best suspect is a rubber fuel line between the body and the engine is rotted. If it is held onto the metal lines with crimped metal covers about an inch long, those have to be cut off, then the rubber hose can be pulled off or cut off.

Only use high-pressure fuel injector hose for the replacement. You can buy that by the foot at any auto parts store. Use special fuel injector hose clamps to attach it to the steel lines. Those are a solid band of metal, tightened with a bolt and nut. Those do not cut into the rubber.

If a steel line is leaking, you have to decide if just that section is rusted, or the entire line must be replaced. You can buy steel fuel line by the foot too, or you can cut out the bad section, then replace it with the rubber hose and two clamps. Be aware there can be over fifty pounds of pressure in the system. That can push rubber hoses off metal lines if there is not something for the hose to bite into or keep it from sliding off. I prefer to make a series of notches with a round file right under where the hose clamp will go. They do not have to be very deep to do the job.

If the connections at the fuel filter are leaking, the Chrysler dealer has repair kits for that. They include two straight and two curved fittings, four clamps, and two short pieces of rubber hose. You use two of the fittings that match the old ones. Those do not commonly leak. The repair kit is needed when dirt gets into the quick-connect fittings and makes it difficult to remove them to replace the fuel filter.
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Friday, September 1st, 2017 AT 11:32 PM

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