How to drain fuel

ChadMC

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Location
TN, USA
TDI
VW Golf GLS TDI, 2001, Blue
I've been making biodiesel for quite a few months now. But this latest batch is running very bad. I need to drain the fuel from my 2001 vw golf tdi. I'm not sure how to do this and need some advice. I tried sticking a tube from a fuel pump I have down the nozzle hole where you fill up. It didn't suck anything out though.

So, what's the best way to get the fuel out of my car? Is there a drain on the bottom of the tank?
 

bheaston

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2006
Location
Bozeman, Montana
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI GLS
your basic siphoning technique should work as long as you don't mind a mouthful of b100.........but it's gotta be easier to stomach than the diesel of the crude variety anyway. If you're careful, you won't get a mouthful, just listen carefully.
 

ChadMC

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Location
TN, USA
TDI
VW Golf GLS TDI, 2001, Blue
i got a hose as far as it will go down. I sucked about 5 gallons out of it. No more will come out. I may just have to burn the fuel. It's still driveable. It just has loss of power and fluctuates when you step on it hard.
 

naturist

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2001
Location
Bro Jerry's hometown, Virginia
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 2005 Jeep Libby CRD, 2012 BMW X5 35d
If you flip up the back seat, you can peel up the carpet under it, and remove the fuel sender unit from the top of the tank. It is easy then to suck out the rest of the fuel through the fairly large hole the sender occupied. This is the way dealerships usually do it when people tow in a misfueled TDI.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Rather than suck on the hose stuck in the sending unit hole, put you hose all the way in until the hose is full of fuel. Stick a finger over the end of the hose to keep the fuel from running out of the hose, then pull the hose up and out of the car into the container. Release the end of the hose and the fuel will flow without sucking on the hose.
 

B100

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Location
Berkeley, Eastbania
TDI
2003 Golf
ChadMC said:
i got a hose as far as it will go down. I sucked about 5 gallons out of it. No more will come out. I may just have to burn the fuel. It's still driveable. It just has loss of power and fluctuates when you step on it hard.
Sounds like a clogged fuel filter.
 

ChadMC

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Location
TN, USA
TDI
VW Golf GLS TDI, 2001, Blue
I'm almost positive its not a clogged fuel filter, because the problem occured almost immedietly after I filled up with this batch of bioD.

I have a fuel pump, so.. no need for me to be sucking anything. I'll try the fuel sender location tomorrow.
 

ChadMC

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Location
TN, USA
TDI
VW Golf GLS TDI, 2001, Blue
naturist said:
If you flip up the back seat, you can peel up the carpet under it, and remove the fuel sender unit from the top of the tank. It is easy then to suck out the rest of the fuel through the fairly large hole the sender occupied. This is the way dealerships usually do it when people tow in a misfueled TDI.
Which part exactly am I trying to remove? Am I going to be removing the entire circled area? Or just one of the fuel lines? I can't seem to figure out how to remove either one.

Do I unscrew the large black plastic outer rim?
 

tongsli

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2000
Location
Baltimore, MD
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 2004, Jetta Wagon TDI PD
ChadMC said:
Which part exactly am I trying to remove? Am I going to be removing the entire circled area? Or just one of the fuel lines? I can't seem to figure out how to remove either one.

Do I unscrew the large black plastic outer rim?
Yes, you have to unscrew the large black plastic outer rim/ring to lift up the sending unit. I use a piece of wood and a rubber mallet. Just make sure "righty tighty, lefty loosey". Light frequent taps work well.

Mark the ring onto the tank to make sure you put it back on and that it's tight enough.

The fuel line connectors have a tab that you need to push in so that they can be released.

Look at this, the tab is the part on top near the edge of the connector:



See where my finger nail is pressing down?? that's the tab you need to press in





L
 
Last edited:
Top