New member 2003 Expedition

[nukeemall281]

I am new here and to trying to solve my on car problems. My 03 Ford expedition has a gas leak issue. leex, when you fill it up completely like three quarters away is okay but a full tank will leak out like a quarter of a tank. I had tank completely refinished and shipped back and new hoses and fuel filter and pump, but still leaks. Also new issue it is leaking at the top area seems like. I noticed it when I started putting gas n it and immediately stopped.Any suggestions I am an absolute noob to car care/repair.

Thank you

 

[bb37]

I moved your thread to the 2nd Gen Expedition forum where it will likely get more exposure to people familiar with your vehicle.

 

[acampinoob]

Sounds like you gotta drop the tank and take a look. The straps can be a pain in the butt and the tank isn't available anymore. Your best shot would be to drop it in your driveway with a piece of wood on a jack. If you have a boroscope, it may be worth using it to see where the leak is while it's installed in the vehicle. With that large of a leak, I'd probably just find a used one and swap it out. I know that these tanks have some fittings in the top that can leak and the fix usually involves using RTV sealant or JB Weld to patch up the holes...

 

[whtbronco]

The most common leak on our fuel tanks is from the vents. From the factory they are sonic welded in place and not replaceable. There is a seam that just seems to fall apart. Lots of people have tried various repairs, but plastic welding is the only one that really seems to resolve the issue.

This thread has some great pics of the issue.

Fuel tank leak on '04 Eddie Bauer

Hi All, I am checking to see if anyone else has noticed this issue and whether it is fairly easy to fix. I have a 2004 Expedition Eddie Bauer with the 5.4L. Recently, I went to fill up the tank and while connecting a trailer after fill-up, I had to leave it on an incline pointed downhill. It...

www.expeditionforum.com

I still suggest plastic welding as the most viable repair. Adhesives don't stick to HDPE plastic well. I just use a plastic welding iron from Harbor Freight and ordered some HDPE welding rods from Amazon.

 

[engineer1]

I'll second the plastic weld process. Both of my top vents had cracked and leaking badly. That's how I repaired it, and I had posted some photos and procedures I used about 3 - 4 years ago. Definitely use HDPE welding rods.

 

[razrback]

Hi, ours started doing the same thing years ago. At the time, seems like folks were saying it was caused by seals leaking at the top. Never investigated, we just quit filling up all the way. Since we never smelled fumes, didn’t worry about it. She’s still going strong, over 300k and counting.

 

[AWAR]

Welcome Gen 2 owner!