DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT MANDATED WHEN AN APPARENT FUEL LEAK CREATES FUEL IMBAL AND FUEL EXHAUSTION ON #2 ENG. INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN.

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FE ADVISED ME AT ABOUT 28000 FT MSL IN OUR CLB TO 31000 FT MSL THAT WE SHOWED A LOSS OF FUEL QUANTITY FROM #2 FUEL TANK AND A 'LOSS OF FUEL' CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED; WHICH INCLUDED A CHK OF THE WINGS FOR ANY SIGN OF FUEL VAPOR. THIS CHK WAS NEGATIVE AND THE LOSS OF FUEL SEEMED TO STOP AFTER EACH ENG WAS FED FROM ITS FUEL TANK. AS A PRECAUTION; A DIVERSION WAS MADE TO EWR AND ENG #2 WAS SHUT DOWN USING THE 'PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN' CHKLIST ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG DUE TO FLUCTUATING FUEL FLOW. A NORMAL 2 ENG LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY. #1 AND #3 FUEL TANKS CONTAINED ABOUT 7000 LBS OF FUEL EACH; BUT SINCE I WAS NOT SURE WHERE THE LEAK WAS; I DECIDED NOT TO OPEN THE XFEED VALVES AND FEED #2 ENG. AFTER SEVERAL CHKS BY ACFT MAINT; NO LEAK WAS FOUND. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION; IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE FE PROBABLY LEFT TANKS #1 AND #3 XFEEDS OPEN ON TKOF; WHICH CAUSED ALL 3 ENGS TO FEED FROM #2 TANK. NEEDLESS TO SAY; I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE A BETTER SCAN OF THE FE'S PANEL PRIOR TO TKOF FROM NOW ON.