AN MD-11 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE LEFT TRANSFER VALVE INOP; AND EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FUEL ANOMALIES INCLUDING IMBALANCE.

Narrative

ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT; WE HAD THE L XFER VALVE DEFERRED ON THE FUEL SYS; AND WERE OPERATING THE FUEL SYS IN MANUAL PER MEL PROCS. DURING THE FLT WE HAD NUMEROUS FAULTS WITH THE L TANK ON THE FUEL SYS; SUCH AS: TIP TANK TRAPPED FUEL; L TANK QUANTITY INDICATOR; L TIP TANK LOW; ETC. THESE ALL SELF-CLRED. ON DSCNT IN THE ZZZ AREA; WE RECEIVED FUEL IMBAL. APPROX 5 MINS BEFORE THAT; I HAD CHKED THE QUANTITIES AND THEY WERE WITHIN TOLERANCE OF BALANCED. THE FUEL IMBAL ALERT DID NOT APPEAR UNTIL THE L TANK SHOWED 5000 LBS LESS THAN CTR TANK AND R TANK. I CONTINUED TO FLY WHILE THE CAPT RE-BALANCED THE FUEL. THIS AMOUNT WAS TWICE THE VALUE OF OUR LIMITATION TOLERANCE. WHEN THIS ALERT APPEARED; I DID DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT AND THE ACFT SEEMED SLIGHTLY R WING HVY WITH ZERO TRIM ON AILERON AND RUDDER. I DID THIS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO CONFIRM THE QUANTITY INDICATORS ACCURACY BY FEEL. WE BALANCED THE FUEL MANUALLY; AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG AS SCHEDULED IN ZZZ. PERHAPS MAINT SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE FUEL SYS MORE CLOSELY BEFORE THEY DEFERRED THE L FUEL XFER VALVE OR RESEARCHED OTHER PROBS WITH THE FUEL SYS HISTORY. THE ACFT SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF PROBS WITH THE FUEL SYS.