Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Rondelet948 on May 22, 2014, 09:21:15 PM

Title: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: Rondelet948 on May 22, 2014, 09:21:15 PM
When I'm fuelling up my 2008 concours ,once it gets to 3/4 full roughly it will start draining out onto the ground.... from the overflow I assume. whats is going on? The bike is not running and the tank is open so it's not pressure .... Any help ?
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: maxtog on May 22, 2014, 10:10:46 PM
Hole in side of the fuel tank????
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: gPink on May 23, 2014, 03:44:51 AM
pick the bike up off it's side?
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: VirginiaJim on May 23, 2014, 03:58:16 AM
To the OP....have you done anything to the bike around the tank before this started or did it just start out of the blue?  Haven't heard of this one before.  Can you see where the gas is coming out?  I take it it's not coming out of the gas hole in the top.  Oh, and is this a California model?

Federal models have a drain hose on the left side of the tank and vent hose on the right side.  CA models have two hoses on the right side.  The larger hose is the fuel return and the smaller is the tank breather.  All of these hoses can be seen looking down at the rear of the tank looking down with the seat off.  Some of us might need a step stool to see this at the proper angle.  I mention no names, of course.  You need to determine which bike you have and which hose is siphoning gas out of the tank as you fill it.  It's one of those hoses or you'll need to upright the bike or fix the hole in the tank.

It could be possible that one of the hoses has got plugged by debris or an ambitious mud dauber wasp.

Then again, I could be wrong.  I have been in the past, but sometimes I'm right.
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on May 23, 2014, 10:31:27 AM
only place fuel could come from in this scenario is if there is a split seam on the upper front section underside....or mounting tab
no other vents would do this.
Fuel delivery line would leak from the get go, but they seal when disconnected.

take it to a dealer... ??? do you have warranty left???
another reason for GTPP.... ;)
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: Rembrant on May 23, 2014, 06:41:18 PM
Sounds like one of the steel lines inside the tank has a rust hole in it. This happens from time to time.

Is the fuel running out of a black rubber hose down by the side stand?

The fuel tank vent line, and the overfill line, both travel from the filler cap area via steel tubes inside the tank, down to the hose barbs on the back of the tank under the seat. The hoses then run down to the bottom of the bike. The one on the left is the tank vent, and the one on the right is the overfill line (on Non-CA models).

If either one of these steel tubes rust through, and they will, they'll leak fuel out on the ground.

Rem 8)
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: gPink on May 25, 2014, 08:07:44 AM
I wonder what happened to the guy who left the dealership with no oil?  ::)
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on May 26, 2014, 01:58:59 PM
 :popcorn: :popcorn:
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: Rondelet948 on June 12, 2014, 06:05:06 PM
So upon further investigation, it was the overflow steel line that runs through the tank that has split open and allowing the fuel to drain out onto the ground. When I blew the rubber portion of the line out there was dirt and water clocking it. I am going to assume that it froze  during the wonderful Alberta winter and split open. This winter past was a harsh one... Thank you all for your help and those who were not so much help.
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: PH14 on June 12, 2014, 06:18:12 PM
So upon further investigation, it was the overflow steel line that runs through the tank that has split open and allowing the fuel to drain out onto the ground. When I blew the rubber portion of the line out there was dirt and water clocking it. I am going to assume that it froze  during the wonderful Alberta winter and split open. This winter past was a harsh one... Thank you all for your help and those who were not so much help.

Have you fixed the line? Glad to hear you got it sorted out.
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: tweeter55 on June 12, 2014, 06:19:56 PM
Ask yourself "how do I fix it?" Weld it? :yikes:
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: Shoe on June 13, 2014, 09:00:51 AM
So upon further investigation, it was the overflow steel line that runs through the tank that has split open and allowing the fuel to drain out onto the ground. ...............

Please keep us up to date on how this gets fixed. I suspect a fix would require removing the fuel pump from the tank and the fill nozzle.
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: Rondelet948 on June 17, 2014, 09:03:13 AM
Well the only way to fix this is by isolating the line. So I used a rubber plug on the bottom left side outlet with a clamp where the tank hooks to the rubber spillage line. And as for the spillage hole in the top beside the filler opening you need to use epoxy weld on a screw almost the same diameter so that when the fuel in the tank is expanding it will not take the path of least resistance and spue out through that hole.  This does work and is effective and cheep and can be done while on the bike with a "full as can be tank" and it can be removed if need be .  I will add pictures to show this at my next available moment. Hope this can help.
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: AlbertaDoug on June 21, 2014, 10:58:49 AM
So upon further investigation, it was the overflow steel line that runs through the tank that has split open and allowing the fuel to drain out onto the ground. When I blew the rubber portion of the line out there was dirt and water clocking it. I am going to assume that it froze  during the wonderful Alberta winter and split open. This winter past was a harsh one... Thank you all for your help and those who were not so much help.

My question to you is - where do you buy your fuel?
 Might want to change station's with that much contamination in the tank.
Title: Re: Fuel pours out onto the ground when filling
Post by: Rondelet948 on June 22, 2014, 09:55:19 AM
My question to you is - where do you buy your fuel?
 Might want to change station's with that much contamination in the tank.


It's not a fuel line ... It's the spillage line. Because I leave my bike outside sometimes in the evenings anything like rain and dirt that roll over the tank can fall into the cap area then can go through this line to the ground and dirt or bugs can block this outlet causing it to hold debrie and water.  It has nothing to do with fuel.