I just filled up my gas tank and gas started leaking out from the sides of the tank (looks like it came from the top of the tank). There is no rust on the gas tank what so ever. The car started up just fine. My gas gauge has not worked since I bought the car (I am not sure if that could be part of the problem). Is the car okay to drive for a couple of days until I get it fixed?

If any one has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.

If it's wet with gas in the vicinity of the straps, even though the rest of the tank looks good, it could be leaking from rust that's developped between the tank and the straps. It's a very common area to rust out. I have a tank that has tiny, tiny pinholes under the strap. They were only visible when I sandblasted the exterior of the tank and painted it all one color. If it's not that, then there's a big circular rubber gasket under the cover at the top of the tank where you lower the pump in. It may be that the gasket has failed and that by filling to the top it leaks.

Beyond the obvious, I can't offer advice on the safety of operating your car with a leaking tank, just remember that it's upstream of the catalytic converter, that runs extrememly hot.

I'll offer some advice. Don't drive a car with a leaking gas tank. Not only does the cat run hot, manfolds have been known to glow red, you can have errant arcing occuring anywhere in wiring systems this old and sparks created by throwing up road debris under your car.

Looking to kinda hijack this thread - Anybody have experence with the liquid gas tank sealers in their Fiero's, good or bad? Does the baffels inside the tank mess things up?

Also I totally agree - don't drive the car considering the location of the tank and the location of the engine/exhaust.

Last summer I was in Bisbee AZ with the 95 Mustang and noticed it leaking from the tank right after I filled it. The filler tube enters the gas tank from the upper side via a rubber gasket. Well that had gone bad and I had a gas drip. I had dual exhausts and one of the exhaust tips wasn't too far away but I figured drive it till it was below the leak, and don't fill it up past 3/4 after that untill I got back to Wisconsin and got it fixed. Well it worked, I didn't blow myself up, burn up my car ect. That leak however didn't seem at all that it would have hit hot exhaust, much unlike a Fiero.

I find it funny when you tell people where the tank is in a Fiero and they seem like its somehow inherently unsafe because of the closeness of it to the passengers. After thinking aobut it, most agree its one of the more rather safer places to put it, with THIS example being the major execption. Much safer than where they had put it in my ex '70 F150 Ford.

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 04-03-2010).]

If it looks like it is coming from the top one of your rubber lines is probably rotten. Been there done that. Good time to drop the tank, replace the lines along with sending unit and pump.

As stated above - fix it before you drive it. There can be a few things leaking. If it is coming from the top - center, you have a couple choices. First is the large O Ring that seals the pick up/ pump/ sending unit, etc. I have seen a few of these leak - exaclty like you stated above. Another leak can be one or more of the metal lines that come through the mount plate. They are soldered to the plate and can leak there. I have one that leaks there right now. If it leaks toward the back but up high then it may be a rubber hose that is connected to one of the metal lines. Usually the large fill hose and vent will be leaking too. My experience is that if one has failed, they all are failing. I would bet it's on top at the O ring or mount plate.

Here's what you are looking for:


What it looked like when I removed the unit:


And the bad O Ring:


You may want to think about replacing the fuel pump while you are in there!

Pat