Petrol Smell

[Steve1]

Hi Peep's

Just notice after last couple of days a strong smell of petrol (vapours) in the cabin.... A bit worried.... still haven't done the exhaust yet but that has been like it for a while... Fuel comp. seems to be ok as well...

have I already answered my question i.e get that exhaust done or is it something more serious

Look for to your expert replys... please forgive if I don't reply to you straight away as I have early starts but I value all your comments

Cheers Steve

[bigsi]

hi steve , this needs to be moved to the right section.

however first things first, have you checked all the fuel line connectors to make sure they are tight? also check the pipe that links the both tanks, i know on the s3 it runs behind the firewall window in the engine bay and this going can cause the same fuel smells.

[Steve1]

hi steve , this needs to be moved to the right section.

however first things first, have you checked all the fuel line connectors to make sure they are tight? also check the pipe that links the both tanks, i know on the s3 it runs behind the firewall window in the engine bay and this going can cause the same fuel smells.

Cheers bigsi

If it makes any difference the smell is strongest few hours after the engine has been switched off....So tomorrow morning the cabin will stink..

[CarlC]

Steve,

My money is with BigSi on this one. If you remove the tank covers either side of the engine bay via the six or so screw on each side you see some crap nasty sergical tubing running from the the fuel fillers (IIRC) and across the firewall bulk head tucked behind the carpet trim. If its a true petrol stink then this is the cause. You may also want to check your gear shift gater and surrond by simply removing the tunnel cover in the cabin. Ensuring this is properly sealed will help greatly reduce general engine stink as well as any fumes entering the cabin.

Best of luck.

[Steve1]

Steve,

My money is with BigSi on this one. If you remove the tank covers either side of the engine bay via the six or so screw on each side you see some crap nasty sergical tubing running from the the fuel fillers (IIRC) and across the firewall bulk head tucked behind the carpet trim. If its a true petrol stink then this is the cause. You may also want to check your gear shift gater and surrond by simply removing the tunnel cover in the cabin. Ensuring this is properly sealed will help greatly reduce general engine stink as well as any fumes entering the cabin.

Best of luck.

Cheers Carl...I will be on the case tomorrow

[Stefan Ertler]

Hi Peep's

Just notice after last couple of days a strong smell of petrol (vapours) in the cabin.... A bit worried.... still haven't done the exhaust yet but that has been like it for a while... Fuel comp. seems to be ok as well...

have I already answered my question i.e get that exhaust done or is it something more serious

Look for to your expert replys... please forgive if I don't reply to you straight away as I have early starts but I value all your comments

Cheers Steve

Steve

I had the same problem some months ago. It turned out to be a leaking injector. If you check yourself, you see nothing as the petrol has evaporated. I then had a friend checking as I turned the key. When the injection pump started working you could see the petrol squirting out of one of the injectors. It became more as I started the engine. Petrol literally was pouring out of it.

Check if your injectors are new ones as sometimes you are being slipped refurbished ones.

Cheers

Stefan

[Steve1]

Steve

I had the same problem some months ago. It turned out to be a leaking injector. If you check yourself, you see nothing as the petrol has evaporated. I then had a friend checking as I turned the key. When the injection pump started working you could see the petrol squirting out of one of the injectors. It became more as I started the engine. Petrol literally was pouring out of it.

Check if your injectors are new ones as sometimes you are being slipped refurbished ones.

Cheers

Stefan

Cheers Stefan. The smell is strong after the engine has been switched off, so when you return to the car say half hour later thats when its bad.... Good job I don't smoke

[martynv]

Hi Steve,

If you haven't already come across it we've been discussing fuel smells in the following thread:

http://www.glcforum.com/esprit/forums/inde...?showtopic=9289

Martyn

[DanR]

Worse case scenario could be the rusty tanks syndrome.

Blasting exposed one pin hole but more were opened when I played the oxy flame over the area.

Initial check

Welding repair

WARNING: WARNING WARNING:

I hope nobody tries to do any welding or any other process that introduces a spark or flame without firstly ensuring the tank is sealed and filled with an inert gas.

Edited July 12, 2007 by DanR

[iainskea]

Similar topic here: http://www.glcforum.com/esprit/forums/inde...287&hl=fuel

helped me out - especially the illustrations. Models change but the systems stay the same.

I picked up some pipe from a go-cart shop.

Iain

Edited July 12, 2007 by iainskea

[Steve1]

Similar topic here: http://www.glcforum.com/esprit/forums/inde...287&hl=fuel

helped me out - especially the illustrations. Models change but the systems stay the same.

I picked up some pipe from a go-cart shop.

Iain

Just a thankyou to everyone for your research... I'm now hoping its the breather hose, as my a breather hose coming from the small chargecooler water tank is perished, like on LEW page...If its one of the tanks, then oh dear, better start saving still got the wife's Elan though

[Stefan Ertler]

Just a thankyou to everyone for your research... I'm now hoping its the breather hose, as my a breather hose coming from the small chargecooler water tank is perished, like on LEW page...If its one of the tanks, then oh dear, better start saving still got the wife's Elan though

Fingers crossed, mate !!

I would have to fall back on a Peugeot. At least you can ride in style

Have a good one

Stefan

[Steve1]

Fingers crossed, mate !!

I would have to fall back on a Peugeot. At least you can ride in style

Have a good one

Stefan

Hello mate, After checking tonight and taking out the breather hose the worrying thing is it looks ok.. Theres no splits but it has gone yellow and stained in some places. But now I have narrowed it down to the passenger side and the smell is coming from the top near the filler cap... The other side hardly has no smell...But I will get a new hose first, but I'm now convinced its the N/S tank :crybaby:

[iainskea]

Hello mate, After checking tonight and taking out the breather hose the worrying thing is it looks ok.. Theres no splits but it has gone yellow and stained in some places. But now I have narrowed it down to the passenger side and the smell is coming from the top near the filler cap... The other side hardly has no smell...But I will get a new hose first, but I'm now convinced its the N/S tank :crybaby:

is the smell always there? or only on full tanks - I had a leak when the tanks were above 3/4 full, and yup - a rust hole about 3 inches down on one side.

Iain

[Steve1]

is the smell always there? or only on full tanks - I had a leak when the tanks were above 3/4 full, and yup - a rust hole about 3 inches down on one side.

Iain

Hi Iain, Yes mate the smell is always there, well it seems to be..Its the left hand side tank and is coming from the filler tube. It gets really strong in the cabin after the engine has been switched off... driving it isn't to bad, although its not right

[iainskea]

Hi Iain, Yes mate the smell is always there, well it seems to be..Its the left hand side tank and is coming from the filler tube. It gets really strong in the cabin after the engine has been switched off... driving it isn't to bad, although its not right

You are on the right track - tackle the easy-fix items first, the fuel breather line. It is surprising how many cars have resolved the smell when this line has been fully replaced. The glue that was used had a hardening (and an eventual cracking) effect on the tube. Also, since the smell is mostly there when engine is off - maybe the tanks are not venting correctly - blocked/faulty inline valve on the breather tubes.

Another simple fix is the petrol cap gaskets - another common causal factor.

Last is the tanks and there is a few threads on removal/fix.

Iain

[jpspeedy]

I had same problem, first replaced the vent hose that goes between tanks and the small vent hose on the passenger side all appeared bad. still had smell went bad and tighten the clamps on the large filler hoses both sides and fixed the problem. jp