Refuel area drain blocked.

[stevieg8571]

Hi.
Everytime it rains, or I wash the car the area around the filler neck gets full of water as the drain that's topped by the small grommet appears to be blocked.
I've tried clearing the obstruction with a small piece of lockwire but the obstruction just bends the wire if I exert too much force, so I've 2 questions;

Firstly, where is this drain routed?

Secondly, what could I put down there to clear it?
would a small amount of sink-unblocker work?

Thanks for all the help,
Steve

[John_W]

Stevie,
this comes up fairly regularly. There's a few threads on the subject, but as a brief run-through:

The drain pipe takes a sharp bend and heads to the ground - you can see it between the body and the petrol tank if you look underneath the car.

I use a length of strimmer nylon and feed it in and wiggle it about until clear. Others have advocated compressed air to give it a blow through or taking the access panels off in the hood bay area (where the petrol tank and petrol filter are) so that you can take the pipe off the elbow and get it properly reamed out.

The strimmer line has always worked for me. Don't use a coat hanger or anything too stiff as a) it won't get in and b) if it does it might damage something. Probably the same goes for the blow idea if there's a significant blockage.

I now await ooo-er-missus comments from all and sundry having handed several cues up on a plate.

John

[stevieg8571]

Thanks for the quick reply John.

I never thought of using compressed air to blow the blockage out and will give it a go. Now I know its routing it'll help to get it done.
I've only ever used softer, more flexible wire than a coathanger to try to shift whatever's in there (the type I use to seal boxes with) as I didn't want to make a new exit!!

Thanks again.

[Stef]

I preferr to give a good blow, always gets the stuff out for me

[Doug]

I preferr to give a good blow, always gets the stuff out for me

[Doc Fizzix]

I preferr to give a good blow, always gets the stuff out for me

Boy, you really have to watch what you say around this place