mckellyb

This is really, really unpleasant when it's 17F outside. At least it wasn't windy at the time.

I've figured out the vent line is either plugged or kinked. Does anyone know the best way to access this on an '02? It's AWD, if it makes a difference.

Thanks!!!

It looks like the inner fender liner needs to be removed, as I cannot see anything under the rear floor, looking toward the left side of the vehicle. I hope I'm not right, as I know once I remove it, it's not going back in perfectly.

mckellyb

Holy old thread, Batman!

I finally figured this out. I actually caused this problem without knowing it.

The RX spent 12 months in my mother's garage, stored while we traveled. I've stored motorcycles, snowblowers and PWC's over the years without problems...I've gotten confident in doing it.

Put a Battery Tender on it, change the oil (fresh Mobil 1, of course), put max air in the tires and top off the fuel tank.

It's this last one which bit me. I filled the gas tank to the top, which I'd not done in the past, as we'd lived in Oregon, land of gasoline is too dangerous for anyone but the minimum-wage pump jockey to touch the pump, but max fuel means less space for condensation, which is good.

It turns out when the tank is filled to the tippy-top, or even close, somehow the vent tube clogs. I found if I put, at maximum, a third of a gallon (rounding to the next dollar) in after the pump clicks off, then it's fine. I've had more than a few GM's, so the first pump shutoff usually meant the tank has another 5 gallons of capacity. Habits die hard. But in this case, and in the case of my Suzuki "Grand" Vitara, they both have maybe a half-gallon of viable fluid space left when the pump clicks off.

To dry out the clog, I unscrewed the fuel cap, but left it on the filler tube, then let the car sit overnight. This seems to have done it, though I'm still skeptical this could actually work. Though I have no clue as to what it is which was causing the 'clog' in the first place. Anyway, solved.

Lil4X

Never heard of this! Amazing. Kinda makes sense though . . .

03RX300SH

Hi Kelly B:

I have a similar refuel problem. Curious if you have seen the problem come back after you dried out the vent tube clog?

GarthVader

Can anyone confirm that unscrewing or loosening the cap but leaving it in the filler tube works per unclogging a blocked fuel tank vent tube? I'm having this same problem no matter what gas station I use.

Per this solution, one would assume that the idea is to allow air to pass into the filler tube opening so that the vent tube can gradually drain/clear itself. Are you leaving the little access door to the gas filler tube open?... or shut.

It's winter and the nights are cold here. I'm concerned about condensation forming inside the filler tube if I leave the cap loose and the access door open in the wee hours of the night when it gets into the mid-forties with lots of rain and dampness. We have a carport... not an enclosed garage... though the car is well protected from rain. Would this make a difference?

Can anyone confirm that this solution works?

Happy New Year One and All....

salimshah

If you search, there has been a thread on this. The problem happens due to vent pipe being blocked. You can experience the problem by trying to gule down water while pinching your nose.

Last suggested solution was to use a coat hanger (with blunt tip) and maneuver it down the the fuel filler hole. Taking the pipe off, will definitely work.

Salim

GarthVader

Thank you...

I will search the forums again as you suggest but in the meantime, are you suggesting that one insert a wire hanger down the fuel filler pipe? What is the purpose of this? What do you mean by "blunt end"? Are you saying bend the hanger back against itself so the end is curved?

How far down the filler pipe would you insert it? What are we attempting to do?

What do you mean by "taking the pipe off will definitely work"...

Which pipe?

salimshah

The gas tank has two pipes leading to the filler. One is the main opening and that is used to fill the tank. The second pipe is connected to the top of the tank meets the filler hole ... close to the opening. When you insert the gas pump nozzle, the nozzle goes past the breather tube junction point. As you pump down gasoline, the air inside the tank escapes up the smaller pipe and is aired out.

The good repair is to remove the breather pipe and clean it out. Insitu repair is to ream out the breather tube by inserting a wire down the breather tube. So use a flashlight and look down the filler hole to see if you can spot the breather junction. Coat hanger can ream the breather tube but you will have to maneuver the end to go in the breather tube from the gas tank fill hole.

A sharp end can potentially puncture the breather tube. If you fold it over, it might become too stiff or too fat or both. By folding you can even make it like a fish hook which might make is impossible to pull out.

In retrospect, I would suggest using the trimmer line ... [edger trimmer cut string ... flexible and no sharp end].

The bad thing about the insitu repair is that the junk falls in the tank. So make sure you keep the tank full.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...0-problem.html

Salim