After filling up yesterday, the usual smell of petrol lasted all the way home - and into the garage - took off the rack and spare and found this!
It's a 2005 Focus engined 4/4 and the filler hose has a breather pipe sticking out to the left and going to a fitting on the top of the tank. Where the breather pipe enters the main hose it has split at the joint, hence the smell. Now plugged with gum!
I've ordered a new one from Melvyn - £97 - ouch! Checked with the factory it's the right one. I can see why it's split - the breather pipe comes off at right angles, but on mine it's been forced downward at an angle simply because it's been left at it's full length (which is too long, resulting in a bend). As it's aged and hardened - and no doubt flexed many thousands of times - it's cracked. I'm even more glad than before that the battery isn't in the rear compartment...there's evidence that fuel has leaked out of the crack onto the surface of the tank.
Now I'm expecting the new one will be quite tough to fit if the rubber is hard. Any suggestions? Will it soften in hot water? I think I could cut the breather hose to fit without a bend, or find a way to support the right angle how it should be. Will I need to remove the filler cap - if so, how? It's the standard lozenge-shaped locking cap (not Aston-style).
