Optikal

Last Friday I filled the gas tank up during my lunch break and parked it back at work. When I returned to the car two hours later I noticed a nice gas streak on the pavement and gas running down the side of my car!

In addition, the paint on my bumper started to soften and peel away on the corners.

I drove it home... (now realizing it wasn't the smartest thing to do) and washed the side of the car. I retightened the gas cap because that was where the gas was leaking from. But ten minutes later gas started pouring out from under the cap again.

At this point it was getting dark outside and we had my portable spotlight out as we washed the side of the car again. Using the spotlight we noticed that my silver paint under the gas door had turned an even lighter silver from the leaking gas.

I called Honda and tried finding another gas cap. I thought I just had a broken gas cap, but I found out there is a NEW TSB for the fuel filler pipe on 2002 models. I never knew about this and a search on S2ki only pulls up one small reference on this.

The fuel fueler pipe has deformed threads and can ruin how the gas cap seats to the tube. It can actually cause the cap to click prematurely.

Honda took my car back in last weekend and will cover the cost to fix the pipe. The nice thing is they are going to cover the cost to repaint the bumper and the side of the car again. Thank goodness!

WRS2K

So gas spurts out if you don't have the cap on?

Optikal

The gas leaked out when the cap was on. When I opened it, I noticed there was gas pooling at the head of the tube and it just ran like a waterfall.

I retightened it a second time and saw gas dripping like a leaky faucet.

tukluc

Life goes on....dont worry about it.....

Optikal

Thank goodness I don't have to worry about this now... (the Bronco, however, is another matter )

but I bring this to the attention of those with a 2002 because Honda says they are helping me prevent a car fire if I drive this thing with the faulty fuel pipe. It's something to think about...

WRS2K

Appreciate the visibility to this issue, Ananda.

I had no idea, but now if it happens to me and given my luck it will, I'll know what to do.

Optikal

Nice thing is they are going to set me up with a rental car during the time it takes for the car to be in the body shop.

I was really expecting the run around with Honda of Bellevue... but they have been really nice and want to make sure I get this corrected. To their credit the customer service has been good.

Melinda is hoping I get a 04 S2000

mikegarrison

Not normally. The problem is that the threads on the fuel filler tube are not quite right. This means the gas cap goes on and does the "clicky" thing, but it is not actually closed all the way. The normal symptom is a Check Engine Light, not gas leaking out.

The bad filler tubes are on all 2002 and a few early 2003 cars. The TSB is 04-002. I had mine replaced already (and it has worked great ever since). Dealers don't normally keep the fuel filler tube in stock, so best thing to do is make an appt, make sure they special-order the fuel filler tube, and then do the service. In that case it is a drop the car off in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon kind of deal.

Dealers may want to pull up a CEL fuel tank code. Mine insisted on it before they would do the service under warranty.

Note, this is an emission part and is actually covered under a 3yr/50K warranty, not the normal 3yr/36K warranty. Dealer may not be clued in to that though, but if you make them look it up they will discover the truth.

WRS2K

i love it. esp the last paragraph. thx mike!

Optikal

Interesting enough, my engine check light never came on... however, they did some sort of pressure test that leaked. So they decided to cover it under my 3yr/36k warranty.

They did check with American Honda because of the paint work that needs to be done on it, but they never questioned what warranty policy I had. Maybe they overlooked that on purpose.

I would just tell others if they have a gas cap that seems slighty difficult to turn they may have this fuel filler pipe defect. I never gave mine a second thought until I saw the oil slick.