Fuel system question
 

For the stock fuel system, unless you follow the FSM procedure to depressurize the fuel system (i.e., idle engine, disconnect fuel pump connector, wait till the engine sputters out), opening up any of the fuel lines to/from the engine SHOULD result in a spray of fuel, even if the car was sitting for weeks, correct?

Reason I ask is yesterday I undid the fuel return line and then the fuel inlet line to the engine w/o depressurizing the system first (Duh, I forgot), and found by accident that neither line was pressurized. Fuel dripped out of both lines, but that was it - no spray. Car was last run just the day before, so the system SHOULD have held pressure for that long.

This typically means that one or more injectors is leaking down, depressurizing the system over time. Until I cracked open those lines, there was no fuel stench under the hood, so no external leaks. I was planning to send out the injectors for refurb/servicing as I normally do whenever I have access to them, but are there any other places the stock fuel system can depressurize itself internally like this? I suppose if my FP regulator was defective, pressure could vent back to the tank via the return line?

It will eventually bleed back through the pump. Even with a brand new pump it will bleed back through the pump. Depending on the condition of the pump and the filter, this could take a few minutes or a few hours. But eventually, yeah Pete, it will drain back

TTT is right.
The fuel system will bleed down eventually.
I believe the FSM has a spec on which the system should hold pressure for X amount of minutes after the engine (i.e. fuel pump) is off.
It's not going to hold system pressure indefinitely. :eek:


-Ted

Ok, thanks guys. Based on the last time I cracked open a fuel line after forgeting to depressurize the system first, I was expecting to get a high-octane bath, but I think in that case the car was only run <1 hour prior. Was obviously relived I didn't get the fuel bath this time!