Is it safe starting a car with leaking gas tank?

[Gleason]

Ok, first off. MY car is not registered or insured at the moment, so there is no driving it on the road until march sometime when i get it insured. I've run into a problem thou. The gas tank is currently leaking [ not sure where exactly, as ive yet to get under the car thanks to NYs shitty weather and where it is parked] . I think it may qualify for the Gas tank safety recall, but i cant find that out until im allowed to drive down the road legally to a dealership.

I want to start it up again just because it has been sitting for like 3-4 weeks with no start and i feel sad for it .

Do you think its a safe idea? could a small spark easily ignite a fire in my car? Any areas in particular i should be looking to see where the gas is leaking from?

If it does seem to be leaking from where the recall specifies, should i wait until i insure it and drive to dealership or should i have it towed via triple AAA and have them fix it?

A local DSMers around me had his car burn up from some electrical short or something.. I have a gas tank leak somewhere and too me it would seem the potential for a fire would be even greater with a gas tank leak than an electrical problem.

Any tips, suggestions, or ideas are greatly appreciated.

[PS i did a search and only found about 3 threads and none touched on this topic ]

 

[JST2FST]

My CRX had a leak in its gas tank and i drove it with no problems.

 

[Quasimondo]

You can start it up, just have a fire extinguisher ready.

 

[oldman]

Ha this would be one of the few situations that justifies a pilar mount extinguisher.

 

[illuminatus]

My corolla developed a gas leak as well. Had to drive it for months too

 

[92redman]

Just don't toss your cigarette butt out the window.

 

[Gleason]

Thanks for all your input. Heres an update.


The car has been sitting in our driveways 'turn around' and its sloped down to the lawn. So about 1/8th tank of gas has leaked out over the course of the past 3 weeks and has completly killed a 3 foot by 3 foot area of the lawn. The weather was real warm today, and my dad was kind of pissed the car was killing the lawn off, so he told me to move it out back onto our stone area where the camper sits in the summer. This way the grass won't get killed. Drove the car thru my muddy ass lawn [ AWD owns, and this car just ####ing grips, even in real deep mud, i was suprised....no tread on the tires and only one tire spun for like 3 seconds when it sunk into 7 inches of mud. ] ...the car drove fine, no fires or anything. But now I have to wait until may [ instead of march ] before registering the car as my dad doesn't want to drive it accross our lawn again[ its all moist and soft so it left marks..he wants to wait until May because the lawn should be hard again by then.

*sigh* . I want to drive it so bad.....first i want to repair it[oil change, timing belt, plugs+wires, brakes, get CEL readouts] and then drive the sexy beast .

 

[T is for TURBO]

Just don't toss your cigarette butt out the window.

Im not trying to be smart ass or anything, but a cigarette is not hot enough to ignite gasoline...