The Lotus Grand Tourers

hi. just curious to know if others have had these probs which i guess are common? firstly when petrol tank is full and you corner or go around a roundabout a bit sharpish - fuel drips from fuel cap? is this common? have just checked cap again, the springy bit and put new seal on but still happens. its not the fuel filler neck tube or outer seal btw. any suggestions please?

also i do know lots of Excel/Eclat/Elite owners are plagued with water leaks into the cabin. my current prob seems to be on the Excel around the inside of the rear screen/cant rails. again have tried sealants etc but still gets damp/wet in heavy rain. difficult to trace where leaks come from. any remedies out there please?

regards. DC.

Hi Dave, not had the fuel issue myself and you've done the obvious bits. You may want to check if there's any sealant missing from between the mechanism and the cap.

Water, that one I know all too well. Try the top of the rear screen where it is supposedly glued (black windscreen adhesive) to the body. I'd guess you'll find a small crack in the sealant and the screen can flex relative to it very slightly. One sure way is to use a strong smelling chemical (alcohol, or similar, I used acetone) and pour a few drops on this area then move inside the car without the chemical, sniff to ascertain if the aroma is present, if it is you found the area, if not, move along to another part of the seal and repeat.

Andy

In my case the cap seals okay but as far as I can figure the petrol comes through the keyhole! Nice bit of design that.

The acetone's a good idea, I guess you could also get someone to hose it from outside while you sit inside....

i bought a fuel cap rebuild kit and my lotus specialist rebuilt my fuel cap for me whilst the car was in for a service and it no longer leaks...

was leaking through the key hole!

it was leaking so bad that on my first track day i got black flagged for leaking fuel all over brands hatch! lol!

lots of kitchen towel and duck tape on the side of the car and it was fine for the rest of the day (untill i had to refuel!)
that was when i bought the rebuild kit

There is a small O ring inside the cap which is supposed to seal the lock mechanism and prevent leaks through the keyhole. It perishes and fails after a while. My solution was to get a bag of plumbers' neoprene O rings in assorted sizes and trim one down to fit. It worked and is still holding up after 4 years.

I've got the same problem as you do with the fuelcover. But when cornering i can see how it's almost as if there were no cap there. and this makes the side of the car get very bad lookning until i wipe it of.

It took me many attempts to fix this on mine. I replaced the small o-ring on the lock barrel, tried to put more bend on the wavy spring washer that's underneath the big rubber washer etc.
Eventually I added a second large rubber washer (i.e. the one that fits over the whole fuel cap) to the one already there, and that fixed it. I've not had any leaking now for over 5 years.

hey thanks guys thats very usefull stuff. actually i replaced the petrol cap lock a few years ago and have suspected fuel coming thru the lock itself too so i think i'll look again at the seal around the actual lock.

as for leaks around the rear screen. thats got me pulling whats left of my hair out! i resealed all around the glass from outside a few years ago so thats why im still puzzled where its coming from. but will check again as u suggest.

appreciate all your advice. this is what these websites are all about and i thank you for that.

anyone passing Milton Keynes in your Lotus..........let me know.

best regards all. DC.

Thanks for the post guys as my Escel petrol car leaks terribly. The large seal is tight and I was beginning to suspect the keyhole.\

I cannot believe just how much petrol leaks out on a sharp right hand bend. I may just seal up the keyhole with some silicon rubber. We do not have the problems over in Africa that you do in UK with petrol theft.