Sir/Madam

just been to fill up my diesel fiesta and spilt some diesel on the paint work, thought bugger and when i got home i rinsed it off. i opened the fuel cap as there was diesel running down the paint work and taking greate care not to get any near the actual nozzle slot i rinsed away with autoglym bodywork shampoo. i then noticed that there is a small black hole below the nozzle hole and the water was draining away!

DOES THIS GO INTO THE FUEL TANK?

it seemed starnge that the filler cap (that you press to open) is not air tight so water must get in there right? i have not started the engine since i rinsed off the diesel just incase i need to have the full tank emptied

HELP (please, please, please)

thank you

gaham

I doubt very much a small amount of water would have any effect. The fuel would contain a small amount anyway and a few Millilitres compared to the gallons of diesel is going to be tiny.

i used a watering can on the spilled paint work area and that had warm water and autoglym mixed in, i would think that no more than 50 ml would have gone in but i am nervous that i am going screw the engine etc? i am looking in the car handbook on pages 88/89 and i can see a cross section diagram showing the fuel nozzle area, in the diagram it shows what looks like the small black hole area going into the fuel tank! FFS is nothing gonna go right for me and this car, just spent £65 on getting a scratch removed.

how do i empty the tank? is there a panel on the bottom of the car?

When you put the fuel filler nozzle into the easyfuel filler neck thing you can hear the depressurization of the fuel tank so I think that you've nothing to worry about regards water running into the tank.

That hole doesn't go in to the tank does it? Pretty sure it's just an overflow and the water goes under the car.

many thanks for your replies chaps!

there is another threat about the capless design of the fuel tank nozzle etc and that says what a stupid flaming design it is, which it is.

When you put the fuel filler nozzle into the easyfuel filler neck thing you can hear the depressurization of the fuel tank so I think that you've nothing to worry about regards water running into the tank.

i think that this must be the case as the cap is not air tight and when i was washing it down with the cap closed water was still getting in so this would mean that everytime it rained water would get into the system, SILLY FORD but even SILLIER GRAHAM1979

that little hole is a water drainage. i found out once as i overfilled and loads of diesel spilt out onto this hole, i then noticed fuel on the floor, dripping from the channel, so you have no worry of water getting into your fuel tank.