Fun experience tonight - fuel line into fuel filter popped off while driving
 

Hi all,

Was driving home tonight (32 miles from work) and, luckily, I was 2 miles from home and going 50mph on some backroads (a bit spirited, but these are wide open backroads). ...

All of the sudden the car died - no sputtering, no coughing, just dead. I cruised into a neighborhood and noticed fuel smell and then a small puddle forming under the car.

Wife picked me up. Came home, loaded the car with a jack, stand, and tools, and went back out. Popped ~10-12 10mm nuts off the plastic underpanel, shoved the fuel line back into the fuel pump, and away we went!

No idea why this happened now besides me giving it some solid WOT - but I've gone 1200 miles since I replaced my fuel filter and driven it plenty hard since then.

Anyway, no big deal - took about 45 minutes to load up, drive there, fix it, and drive home.

Had to share - first time the boxster left me stranded. I gotta blame user error, though I don't know how I could've attached the fuel line to the filter in some WRONG way where it would've held strong for 1200 miles and then suddenly let go. Wonder if I have a bad fitting on that fuel line...

Joe, that's scary with hot exhaust around. I changed mine recently...what a pain in the ass! Once those connectors snap on they are really tight...that is strange that happened to you. I will say when I was changing mine I was some what concerned about getting them on tight. Pretty cool you fixed it on the fly like that...45 min is pretty fast too!

My mechanic made me more comfortable around fuel a few years ago when I drove into his bay and he pulled the fuel rail and it poured all over the block and exhaust manifold. I jumped back and he said, "No spark, no fire. But ya gotta respect it. And if you hear a whoosh, duck and run."

Anyway, yeah, I don't know how it would've held for 1200 miles and then randomly popped off. And it's not the connection on the filter side - it's the one that's part of the fuel line.

Honestly, I could've reconnected it in 15 minutes flat. I took my time cause the boxster was on the side of the road and I had to jack it up close to traffic. I am far from a traditionally handy guy too. Just had to pop off the underpanel and move the center hardline running through the tunnel out of the way. Luckily, I have mediumish hands for a guy - I could just reach up there and snap it on.

I guess it's just one of those random things that can happen. Now to do detail it inside and out :)