Car fuel tank

Fuel tank is a container for keeping fuel in cars with internal-combustion engine. As automaker permanently needs gas, petrol or diesel fuel there is necessity in a built-in tank. Fuel tank is made from plastic, steel or aluminium. Many automakers use plastic as it is possible to make plastic tank of different forms. As fuel tank must correspond to the car design, plastic has a great advantage over other materials. Moreover, plastic doesn’t rust.

In most cases a car accident or corrosion leads to the damage of fuel tank. Damaged steel and aluminium tanks can be weld. Plastic tanks, as a rule, need to be substituted. Tank’s dismantling costs very expensive because many other car parts need to be dismantled. More often then damages fuel tank’s cap is lost. When fuelling the car, car owners often forget the cap. In this situation you need to buy another cap. In more modern cars cap is attached to the car and its loss is ruled out.

To repair the fuel tank experience is required. Moreover, it is necessary to pay attention that there is no fuel in the tank. That is why in most cases tank’s dismantling is unavoidable. As petrol and diesel fuel broaden when temperature grows, there must be additional capacity in the fuel tank. If you need saloon air filter, air conditioner compressor, accelerator, coupling bar, mud guard fender, faucet, temperature indicator or another part, you can visit our online shop. Here you will find quickly the parts you need.

How to detect malfunction of the fuel tank

The component should be inspected for damage and leakage. In case of damage or leakage, the component is to be immediately repaired. In addition, measure pressure in the fuel tank. The normal pressure is stated in the technical documentation to the vehicle. If the pressure is below the optimum value, or no pressure is observed, check the component's ventilation system.

The roll-over valve should close at the angle of inclination of over 45o. This ensures uniform engine operation if no fuel is supplied to the engine, and allows avoiding further damage.

You may notice that the fuel tank needs diagnostics by the following symptoms:

• the engine started operating worse;
• the maximum power of the vehicle decreased;
• the fuel consumption has greatly increased;
• odor of fuel in the passenger compartment;
• the engine misfires at low rpm;
• jerks when driving;
• traces of fuel leakage are found on the component and under the vehicle.

The reasons of fuel tank malfunction

Fuel tank malfunction may be a result of fuel system depressurization, failure of the ventilation system, or incorrect operation of the evaporative emission control system. So, if the fuel supply valve or the roll-over valve is worn, excessive fuel vapor pressure is formed in the fuel tank. It can be easily recognized by abruptly unscrewing the fuel tank cap: distinctive hiss will be heard.

Using poor quality fuel and leaving your vehicle with open fuel tank neck for a long time result in clogging of the fuel supply line of the vehicle, ingress of foreign substances, dirt and water into the fuel tank, and in water condensing inside it.

Note that fuel tanks of both types are prone to natural wear: iron tanks can rust, plastic tanks can crack. This is due to the internal and external aggressive environment, therefore, the component should be periodically checked for fuel leakage. Leakage may also be the result of a hole in the tank, it may be the result of a sudden impact when driving on rough terrain, or a road accident.

Repairing fuel tank

Minor mechanical damages of the component may be repaired. Repair should be done in a well ventilated room. The nature of repair depends on the material of the component.

Components made of metal are repaired by cold and hot welding. To avoid new defects, welding points are to be regularly inspected.

A plastic tank is easier to repair, but the result will not last long. Cracks may be soldered, or eliminated using epoxy resin.

To remove water from the component, there is no need to dismantle it. For this purpose, the tank is filled with a special agent that removes moisture, or 300-500 ml of undiluted alcohol.

Replacing the fuel tank

Replacement of the component is a rather complicated task. Note that the tank may only be dismantled if there are no traces of fuel or its vapors.

First, disconnect fuel hoses and pipelines, then disconnect the ventilation hose clamp. Then the fasteners are removed, and the tank is dismantled. Such a task cannot be completed by one person.