# Ariens Platinum 30 SHO leaking gas cap fix?



## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

I have a couple year old Ariens Platinum with the AX414, I have had it to the dealer once for some minor fixes and a leaking gas cap. They fixed the minor stuff and put a new gas cap on it. It is still leaking, they said they would try another cap, I dont feel the cap is the issue. Has one found anything that works? 

Thanks!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Sorry, what do you mean the cap is leaking? Leaking under what conditions? Just normal operation, like from gas sloshing around in the tank? Or when tipping the machine forward for service?


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Leaking all the time, doesnt matter if it is full or not still leaks and runs down the front of the tank. What I normally do is before I start doing my driveway I fill the tank full. It normally takes me at least a half an hour to do my driveway and sidewalks. I will then put the blower in the garage and shut the fuel off and let it run out of gas in the carb. I have also just shut off the engine without running the carb out of fuel, it does not make a difference. It still leaks gas all over the tank down the front of the engine...It looks like it is leaking from under the gas cap.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Do you still have the screen mounted in the tank neck, like the attached pic? I found it better to remove that so the cap sits down better on the tank lip. There is another screen on the fuel shut-off valve in the tank.


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Town said:


> Do you still have the screen mounted in the tank neck, like the attached pic? I found it better to remove that so the cap sits down better on the tank lip. There is another screen on the fuel shut-off valve in the tank.


No I took that out, I found about another 20 mins of run time when I took that out, sometimes it takes me over an hour to do everything and the AX414 is pretty thirsty!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Nickpsd said:


> Leaking all the time, doesnt matter if it is full or not still leaks and runs down the front of the tank. What I normally do is before I start doing my driveway I fill the tank full. It normally takes me at least a half an hour to do my driveway and sidewalks. I will then put the blower in the garage and shut the fuel off and let it run out of gas in the carb. I have also just shut off the engine without running the carb out of fuel, it does not make a difference. It still leaks gas all over the tank down the front of the engine...It looks like it is leaking from under the gas cap.


Do you have a picture? I guess I'm just struggling a bit to understand, and that's not meant as anything negative. I've just never dealt with a mystery gas leak, or a cap that had this problem. 

I guess I've been spoiled by tanks and caps that do their jobs quietly, so I don't have to worry about them  But I do recall hearing discussions of certain Ariens caps that are awkward to use, at least. I think on the AX engines. 

It leaks even just sitting there? Or only when using it, so gas is sloshing around? If it's from the cap, I wouldn't expect the fuel shutoff, etc, to change anything.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Yeah, I'm really struggling to figure out how fuel can go *up* to escape the cap when parked and not sloshing ... makes no sense to me at this point . . . Short of filling it absolutely to the brim and then having the fuel warm up and expand, I'm out of ideas . . .


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

RedOctobyr said:


> Do you have a picture? I guess I'm just struggling a bit to understand, and that's not meant as anything negative. I've just never dealt with a mystery gas leak, or a cap that had this problem.
> 
> I guess I've been spoiled by tanks and caps that do their jobs quietly, so I don't have to worry about them  But I do recall hearing discussions of certain Ariens caps that are awkward to use, at least. I think on the AX engines.
> 
> It leaks even just sitting there? Or only when using it, so gas is sloshing around? If it's from the cap, I wouldn't expect the fuel shutoff, etc, to change anything.





tadawson said:


> Yeah, I'm really struggling to figure out how fuel can go *up* to escape the cap when parked and not sloshing ... makes no sense to me at this point . . . Short of filling it absolutely to the brim and then having the fuel warm up and expand, I'm out of ideas . . .


The fuel level is right about 1/4 tank....The dealer wants to replace the cap again, but that does nothing.... Anyone from Ariens on here I could talk to?:question:


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/B-2128.pdf
Does this help??


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Zavie said:


> http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/B-2128.pdf
> Does this help??


They have already done that and tried it to no help. This machine was bought in 2015. My dealer actually said to remove the strainer as it does nothing. The machine does it when it is sitting on a level garage floor with about a 1/4 tank of gas in it....Not alot of gas but enough that the garage stinks...


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Tank only 1/4 full (so mostly empty), just sitting there on level ground, and it *still* leaks out the cap?? 

I could maybe see if the tank was filled to within 1/4 inch from the bottom of the cap, something like that. The odd tank shape (cap not being at the highest point in the tank) might contribute to unexpected pressurizing, something like that. 

But with the tank almost empty, I'm kind of at a loss for how the gas could climb out. 

There's nothing that hangs down from the cap area into the tank? Something that could provide a path for the gas to soak its way upwards, to reach the cap?

What happens if you remove the cap, and put a plastic bag over the tank's opening instead? Maybe secure the bag with a rubber band if you want, and poke a hole in it. So it's acting like a vented cap. What happens then?


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

RedOctobyr said:


> Tank only 1/4 full (so mostly empty), just sitting there on level ground, and it *still* leaks out the cap??
> 
> I could maybe see if the tank was filled to within 1/4 inch from the bottom of the cap, something like that. The odd tank shape (cap not being at the highest point in the tank) might contribute to unexpected pressurizing, something like that.
> 
> ...


There is a retaining piece for the cap. It is made up of round balls in a string (on my same year machine) one side attached to underside of cap and the other to a metal spring wire attached under the neck of the tank lip. The metal string would hang down into the gas some. But I cannot see how that would wick gas up to cap and out of the tank.

My cap leaked a bit in operation but not while sitting in the garage, and no smell of gas either. Replaced tank with a B&S 6 liter tank and no trouble with the B&S cap which is much simplified compared to LCT cap.


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Town said:


> There is a retaining piece for the cap. It is made up of round balls in a string (on my same year machine) one side attached to underside of cap and the other to a metal spring wire attached under the neck of the tank lip. The metal string would hang down into the gas some. But I cannot see how that would wick gas up to cap and out of the tank.
> 
> My cap leaked a bit in operation but not while sitting in the garage, and no smell of gas either. Replaced tank with a B&S 6 liter tank and no trouble with the B&S cap which is much simplified compared to LCT cap.


Mine has never had that on the cap before, I told my wife to push it outside until I get home as she was starting to smell gas in the house. We will see what it is like when I get home.


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

I remember reading on here a couple years ago of someone having issues like this also, but as usual I cant find the thread. I want to say Ariens replaced the tank with a different style of tank, but again, I cant find the thread.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Nickpsd said:


> I remember reading on here a couple years ago of someone having issues like this also, but as usual I cant find the thread. I want to say Ariens replaced the tank with a different style of tank, but again, I cant find the thread.


Lots of posts on the gas cap in 2015 and 2016. I don't remember any change in the tank being addressed.

There is another issue with the tank that relates to a leaking shut-off valve. The valve is threaded into the tank using a rubber seal of sorts to seal it against the tank. The threaded part can break and the seal can leak. You may want to check that as more likely than the cap leaking while at rest.

The other issue is the rubber O ring gasket between carb body and the float bowl is very small and does not seal well if disturbed. I had to remove the carb to install when I inadvertently loosened the center retaining screw instead of the drain screw.


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Town said:


> Lots of posts on the gas cap in 2015 and 2016. I don't remember any change in the tank being addressed.
> 
> There is another issue with the tank that relates to a leaking shut-off valve. The valve is threaded into the tank using a rubber seal of sorts to seal it against the tank. The threaded part can break and the seal can leak. You may want to check that as more likely than the cap leaking while at rest.
> 
> The other issue is the rubber O ring gasket between carb body and the float bowl is very small and does not seal well if disturbed. I had to remove the carb to install when I inadvertently loosened the center retaining screw instead of the drain screw.


I have looked at that, but its pretty clearly leaking from the cap area on the top of the tank. It defies gravity I guess!


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

I just bumped an old thread about issues with Ariens gas caps. Should be easy to find now.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Nickpsd said:


> I have looked at that, but its pretty clearly leaking from the cap area on the top of the tank. It defies gravity I guess!


Is there any way that sloshing gas during use can get up inside the cap, and then later leak down through the cap somehow, coming down onto the top of the tank? 

Another way of considering this would be whether the leak only happens after use and then stops (with a limited amount of leakage), or does it continue leaking indefinitely?


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## kipsy (Nov 2, 2017)

i have a 2017-2018 platinum 24 SHO, and am on my 3rd gas cap. 1st leaked during first week, dealer picked up and replaced cap. 2 weeks ago noticed gas leaking again from cap area, replaced with one ariens corporate shipped me when i emailed them during 1st week of ownership. with strainer in place it takes alot of effort to get cap to install well.


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## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

Here's some links:
http:///www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/snowblower-repairs-maintenance-forum/133625-2015-ariens-platinum-24-369cc-fuel-cap-leaks.html
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/122746-fuel-leaks-just-me.html
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/102890-ariens-2014-deluxe-28-ax414-gas-cap-issue.html
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/47498-leaky-gas-gap-new-machine.html
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/43425-gas-cap-problem.html


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## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

kipsy said:


> i have a 2017-2018 platinum 24 SHO, and am on my 3rd gas cap. 1st leaked during first week, dealer picked up and replaced cap. 2 weeks ago noticed gas leaking again from cap area, replaced with one ariens corporate shipped me when i emailed them during 1st week of ownership. with strainer in place it takes alot of effort to get cap to install well.


I sold my 2015-2016 platinum 24 SHO it leaked for three years,I now have a 2018-2019 platinum 24 SHO it doesn't leak.
They changed the gas tank on the new platinum 24 SHO there is a lip inside the gas tank that has fixed the leak.


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## kipsy (Nov 2, 2017)

so if i dont use the strainer i should be OK and be able to get cap on easier ?


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Stopped by the dealer again today, and recivied a new cap with a different style strainer and cap assembly, the biggest thing I notice is the gasket on the new cap has to be at least a third thicker than the old cap style. We will see if this works.


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

kipsy said:


> so if i dont use the strainer i should be OK and be able to get cap on easier ?


I didnt notice a difference with the strainer in or out of the tank.


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## Seamus#10 (Jan 1, 2019)

Nickpsd said:


> I have a couple year old Ariens Platinum with the AX414, I have had it to the dealer once for some minor fixes and a leaking gas cap. They fixed the minor stuff and put a new gas cap on it. It is still leaking, they said they would try another cap, I dont feel the cap is the issue. Has one found anything that works?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!


Possible Crack in fuel tank. I had to replace mine.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## Matttya (Oct 25, 2018)

I have the same problem. Bought the machine used on cl in December and used about 3 times with no problems at all. Last time I used it and just at the end of using it today there is a little bit of gas right in the lowered part of the tank by the cap! Happened out of no where and its very strange to me as well. Ill have to try taking out the screen next time see if it helps. It really only seems to impede and cause concern over what my fuel level is really at.


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

Nickpsd said:


> Stopped by the dealer again today, and recivied a new cap with a different style strainer and cap assembly, the biggest thing I notice is the gasket on the new cap has to be at least a third thicker than the old cap style. We will see if this works.



New cap is already leaking again :crying: Not sure what to do, I have resorted to putting the snowblower outside to keep the garage from smelling so bad....


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

RedOctobyr said:


> Is there any way that sloshing gas during use can get up inside the cap, and then later leak down through the cap somehow, coming down onto the top of the tank?
> 
> 
> 
> Another way of considering this would be whether the leak only happens after use and then stops (with a limited amount of leakage), or does it continue leaking indefinitely?


To mention it again, is this a limited-amount leak that only happens after the machine has been moved around/sloshed around during use? Leaking a certain amount of gas, and then stopping? 

Or does the leak continue indefinitely, as long as there is gas in the tank?


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## Nickpsd (Aug 24, 2015)

RedOctobyr said:


> To mention it again, is this a limited-amount leak that only happens after the machine has been moved around/sloshed around during use? Leaking a certain amount of gas, and then stopping?
> 
> Or does the leak continue indefinitely, as long as there is gas in the tank?


If there is any gas in the tank, the top of the tank is wet....


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## legarem (Sep 9, 2017)

For those who still have this problem, I tried a big metal fuel tank cap from a Honda GX390 motor on my AX414 (Platinum 30 SHO) and it fit nicely with it's attached filter screen. The Honda fuel cap has a softer and thicker rubber seal than the LCT cap.


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