Re: A4Q Gas eruption

[Alex Kowalski <akowalsk@shrike.depaul.edu>]

John Cooper wrote:
> 
> Just got the wife a bright red A4Q.   Outside of an allen bolt falling out
> of the inside of the dash (holds the clutch/brake pedal mounts up)  it's
> been very uneventful to break in.  But an event occurred that has me worried
> and wondering how the gas tank venting is arranged, and if safely.
> 
> Scenario:  After driving most of the day from Denver CO to Ouray over the
> Continental Divide, we stopped in Montrose (300 mi) to fill up.  After doing
> so, giving one squirt after the click stop to top it up, we drove the last
> 35mi to our destination, my garage just out side of Ouray.  Upon getting
> out, I was met with an intense smell of gasoline.  Yep, further
> investigation revealed gas gushing out the filler and no cap.   Musta left
> it at the station, I thought, but the current crisis was to get the gas shut
> off.  Ambient temp 85 deg F.
> Nothing I found I could do would stop the gushing.  I trapped as much as I
> could in drain pans, with eventually about 3 or gallons erupting.  This
> continued without letup for almost 15 min, until, desparate, I stuck a very
> flexible oil funnel hose way down the filler neck and blew, naturally
> getting a bit in the face.   Then and only then after a last blurp did it
> stop.   But significant gurgling down in the bottom of the filler kept on
> for another 2 or 3 minutes.
> Now, I realize I'm not supposed to leave the filler cap off, but this is a
> common frailty amoung car drivers, and it would seem to me I could, under
> some of the circumstances mentioned regarding static electricity in these
> pages, I very well have burnt the car, my house and garage down with some
> gas left over.
> I have not had the guts to try this again to see if I could repeat, but I
> think I would like to hear from someone out there as to what happened, and
> whether Audi should be notified.  I think what happened could be very easily
> duplicated with someone not so knowledgeable about dealing with such
> misbehaviors.
> Any Comments?   Anyone else had this happen?
> Thanks for any input,
> Coop


I don't know very much about how the gas tanks on A4Qs are set up, but I 
cannot believe that it could be designed to forcibly expel gasoline back 
through the filler neck under any circumstance.  It sounds to me like 
something is wrong with your car's fuel tank. The car recirculates its 
fuel under pressure; maybe a pressure valve that's supposed to vent the 
tank back to atmospheric pressure is defective.  You say that putting a 
long-necked funnel into the tank stopped it...probably you vented the 
tank when you did that. Before that is was pressurized and shooting fuel 
thru the fill neck.

If that's normal, I'd hate to see a malfunction!

Best Wishes,

Alex Kowalski
'84 4KQ