My 2002 TLS was getting bad mileage and I noticed gas residue on the front side of the tank. It's right in the middle. The gas is coming from the top of the tank somehow. I brought it to my neighborhood shop and was suggest to sell the car because removing the tank would require removing the subframe and rear suspension. He wasn't able to find where the leak is from without removing the tank. Additionally the brake lines are rusted and looking bad. How much does fixing leaks from the top of the tank cost? I was hoping to drive this car for a few more years since the transmission is pretty new and engine is still healthy plus I replaced a lot of the front suspension last year as well.

 

your neighborhood shop is clearly not familiar with the TL and wants nothing to do with it!

chances are you have a leaking gasket where the fuel pickup enters the tank on top
Also possible is a broken fuel line at same location, maybe just a loose hose clamp!

Has the car been in an accident?

Depending on where the brake lines are rusted = cost to replace
Some can be cut and spliced, not full replacement

HELP!!!! Who has been deep into the rear of the car???
- someone here knows exactly how to remove the tank and its probably less than the shop was guessing or telling you= to make you go away
They don't want long labor jobs they have no experience doing, when they can make more money working on cars with simple repairs and services

Maybe one of the techs wanted to buy the car for cheap??? stranger things have happened

look in phone book for a small ad with Honda/acura listed as a specialty, have them look at it, not guess at it!
worst case: you get another TL with bad motor/trans and drop your good parts into it

for now: stop filling the tank all the way-3/4 MAX
if it is the gasket, keeping fuel away from it will definitely help
If its a split/leak in the tank itself, you can apply an epoxy made for this exact job!
semi truck drivers often carry a tube of the stuff!

Do you tend to fill it past first shutoff of the fill nozzle on gas pump?
that's always bad for several parts

 

You are right that this shop probably does not work on Hondas much. Car hasn't had an accident.

I'm picking it up and going to get an second opinion from a Honda independent shop, but I'd like to have a ballpark for a fair price before I go in.

I usually don't top off the gas past the first click unless prices are really good. I stopped when I noticed I would smell gas for a day or so after I topped it off

 

I'm actually having my rear brake lines replaced today... they're leaking from somewhere above the frame of the car so we're going to just fish a new line from front to back. Shop quoted 2 hours (75/h) + parts which are cheap and some new brake fluid.

 

Dabu: make sure the shop TECH knows the special TL bleeding order
LF = driver front then clockwise around the car
LF RF RR LR

Also: when a line has been opened- which yours definitely will be-
you MUST do the first bleed till good, then test drive and apply full effort braking on gravel or wet road- with severe turning of steering wheel= to induce ABS action in the brake system- Pedal must shake under your foot!
From 45mph to full stopped
then normal acceleration to 45 and repeat abs active to full stop

IF there was firmer pedal on 2nd test, there was air in the ABS which has now moved to a caliper- usually LF but rebleed entire system to be safe
Then its fully bled and ready to drive

 

Confirmed with him the proper bleed order and ABS stops (Honda DOT 3 etc.)

Braking feels much better than before.

I'm worried about my front lines now though..

 

^^Don't worry about it. The rest of the lines don't get as much salt/mud exposure, and rarely go bad.

 

if he used DOT3 fluid that is reason to go directly BACK TO THE SHOP
Its DOT4 spec required

DOT 4 can be used in anything calling for dot3, (an older specification)
and many bottles of dot4 say dot 3-4 because they are really DOT4
but you need to know it has the correct fluid in it
says so right on the filler cap DOT4 ONLY!!!!!

 

DOT= USA -Dept of Transportation fluid quality specification
re: boiling points when new and when it has absorbed moisture from the atmosphere

 

Hmm.. it's possible I misheard him, will call asap.

Major issue though.. I got into work this morning and a few drops of brake fluid dripped from the same spot onto the ground..

I wiped the spot with a rag, pressed the brake pedal a few times and no additional fluid came out.. however I'm still worried..

The fluid that dripped was nice and clean, clearly the new fluid not the old dark fluid..

What could be the cause??

 

Said he used DOT 4, my mistake.

It's still leaking a couple drops every few minutes.. the new lines look fine I don't understand where the leak could be coming from.. there's a little "weep hole" on the frame under the drivers side where the drops are coming from.

Taking it back to the shop after work to have them recheck the work.. he said something about the couplings but aren't those only used when repairing a section of the line and not the whole thing?

 

Everything is ok, there was some residual fluid stuck in the "plastic cover" that covers the lines alone the frame of the car.

 

They should have cleaned that up - rogue brake fluid will wreak havoc on paint....Glad it turned out to be trivial though!