 | Hoses - The injection system works off a loop that circulates gas
under pressure from the gas tank to the engine and back again. It is very
important for the hoses on the high pressure side of the system to be in good
condition.
There is a supply hose that goes from the fuel pump mounted below the gas
tank and runs up under the left rear fender to a metal tube (A second fuel pump
on the earlier cars) This line runs through a channel in the gas tank
holder and is padded or shielded from chafing. Often when the hose is
replaced the protective shield is either worn out and not replaced. This
can cause the hose to wear through.
The metal supply and return tubes run under the car and are connected by two
rubber hoses to the injection system. These can decay over time and cause
real problems. It is never a good idea to have raw gas leaking on a hot
engine.
(Deduct 6 Points for old or worn gas hoses)
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| Fuel Pump - The fuel pump is a high pressure rotary pump mounted under
the gas tank. An additional pump is mounted under the right rear fender on
early models. Connections to the pump should be check for leaks and quiet
running. In general the fuel pumps are very reliable. A recently
replaced fuel pump can be an indication of deeper problems with either the fuel
or electrical system. The fuel pump is run from a relay that shuts the
pump off when the engine is not running. This is an important safety
feature that can prevent engine fires in the case of a leak. At times due
to other injection problems or a failing fuel pump that is drawing too much
current, people will directly wire the pump to the ignition switch. This
is a fine emergency measure if you get stuck someplace, but should never be left
in place.
(Deduct 1 point for a noisy pump and 10 points for a fuel pump
that has been direct wired.)
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| Gas Tank - The gas tank is made of plastic. While durable it can
become damaged and leak. Often attempts are made to repair the tank, but
these will eventually fail.
(Deduct 12 points for a damaged or patched
tank)
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| Vapor Recovery System - The fuel system is a closed system that
recycles excess gas fumes back into the fuel tank. While this system does
not have any impact on fuel economy it does make the area around the car smell
less like gas. If you smell gas while driving it is probably coming from
this system. Part of the system is a sealing gas cap. The hoses that
make up the system are braided rubber hoses that run from the air cleaner on the
engine through a charcoal filter under the right front fender and back to the
gas tank. There is a Y-connector under the right front fender that can
break.
(Deduct 3 points for bad vapor hoses or the smell of gas.
Deduct 3 points for a missing or bad gas cap)
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| Filters - Generally located by the fuel pump on the tank there is a
fuel filter (under the right rear fender on the early models behind the right
door). Inside the tank a tank screen filters large particles before they
get to the pump. Both should be changed at periodic intervals. Many
people change the fuel filter periodically, but miss changing the tank
screen. The tank screen can fragment with age and destroy the fuel
pump.
(Deduct 2 points if there is not recent record of these items being
changed)
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