I have a 1990 518i (yes, I KNOW!!). I had new rear brakes fitted today and the mechanic pointed out that I was losing fuel.

I had a look under the car and saw that a small amount of fuel is dripping (or sort of hanging really ), from a metal hose that runs along the side and underneath the fuel tank, must be about 10mm diameter. I am not one hundred % sure, but I think that the problem is where this hose is clipped onto another rubber one, which thendisappears upward toward the front of the car.

As you have probably guessed, I am a complete novice, so could anybody tell me what this hose is for, and what would be involved in replacing it?

Also, I am wondering if this leak might have something to due with my rough starting problem, which is:

When I start the Car in the morning, the idle drops to about 500 revs, then rises to about 1500 before stabilizing at around 800. After that, I have no problem and the car runs just fine. I have a similar problem every time I restart the car, even with the engine hot, although it is not as noticeable. I live on the Mediterranean coast, so extremely cold weather is unlikely to be a problem.

Any advice gratefully received