Fuel filler drain

[lotusrepair]

We just picked up the Elan and I noticed water puddling around the fuel filler. It looks like there is a hole for a drain. I have put a thin wire down it but id bottoms out. Is this a drain and if so, is it a tube to somewhere?

Thanks
Chris

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Yes, it is a drain. There is a plastic funnel type fitting (Rebate Drain) that has length of tubing connected that runs down past the filler neck and exits under the car forward of the fuel tank but I have never actually found mine. It may possibly drain into the sill but the diagram from Service Manual V.6 (pg 20 of section LG or PDF page 460) shows it following the other emission tubes back toward the front of the car and into the "tunnel" section of the chassis. Some have been able to clear their stoppage by hitting it with compressed air while others remove the trim covering the rear quarter panel access from inside the hood (roof) stowage area and replace the tube with a nes section and just rout it out under the car.

fuel-filler.jpg

Maybe you could edit your profile to say where you are located. It appears to be Eastern Side of the US, so there might be someone close enough to you that can show you their car as there are owners in NY, NJ, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA and FL that I know of.

Of course, pictures of your new toy are always welcomed.

[rip]

I found the bottom of mine once. I eased a wire up it & it went so far I thought I may see it pop out of the top hole, but then it stopped. When I removed the tray from below the roof storage area, I found out why:
There is an elbow just below the filler cap. This is far too sharp for any wire to follow & also acts as a dirt trap, so it gets blocked & you can't just poke it clear.
As John suggests, you may well be able to blast it clear with a jet of air or water.

[Fredjohn]

I had the same problem. Couldn't get a wire in because of the elbow, but did find the exit. Just behind the door line about a foot in. I blew compressed air in from the bottom, reasoning that the muck is on top of the elbow and nearer to the pipe entrance rather than exit and that the narrower elbow was causing the blockage. So it's best to blow away from the elbow rather than in to it.

Cleared it very effectively, spraying muck all over the wing

Good luck.

[danbrown100]

I know that you fixed the blockage with compressed air but for anyone else with the same problem and without a compressor, I was able to clear mine quite effectively with an old bike spoke. It slid round the elbow with little persuasion

[rip]

I know that you fixed the blockage with compressed air but for anyone else with the same problem and without a compressor, I was able to clear mine quite effectively with an old bike spoke. It slid round the elbow with little persuasion

I don't think so.
The elbow in question is very tight. I doubt I could bend a spoke that tightly with a vice & hammer.
I think you have more likely pushed the elbow clean off the down pipe so all your drain water will now be collecting in the cavity under the hood stowage panel.

[danbrown100]

Doh! I will check it this weekend...

Thanks for the advice,

Dan

[Jon]

I've just replaced mine, after I found that the fuel filler drainage pipe had completely perished - it literally disintegrated when I touched it.

I'm not sure if this was changed on the S2 but there doesn't appear to be any elbow - the pipe was connected straight to the bottom of the drain "rebate" with a sort of plastic jubilee clip. It then goes through a hole towards the upper right side of the fuel tank recess and disappears.

This was pretty difficult to replace - it was clearly fitted before the car was assembled (it was covered in Medina Green paint) - you need to be triple jointed to get into the area it connects! However I purchased some new hose courtesy of e-Bay and after much perseverance I managed to connect it to the drain point (sort of required standing at the side of the car facing forward with my right hand twisted back behind me under the body panel and doing everything by feel - annoyingly I got it on once then managed to pull it off trying to tighten the clip, doh, didn't make that mistake the second time!) and out of the original exit hole.

I managed (just) to actually get my fingers between the rear wheel arch and the fuel tank and hoik the end of new hose out at it poked through the hole and pull it back into the wheel arch area.

Quick cut to the hose so it terminates at the edge of the wheel arch and presto, it now drains nicely from the fuel filler down onto the ground.