Strong petrol smell in car!!

[dazza2393]

Hi folks.just msging on here for a bit of help.wen im driving the car stinks of petrol!!ive lifted the back seat up and examined the fuel pump on the top of the tank.there are no leaks!also checked the fuel filter and there are no leaks or anything!all the pipes are drip free wen engine is running and all the pipes on the engine are drip free but the smell is enough to make you feel high!!ha.any solutions or people who have had the same wud be a great help!!thanks!

[Envoy CDX]

Probably a split rubber pipe around the inlet manifold somewhere.

[bigmitch]

check seals on the injectors mine has done this

[Cavalier342]

Hairline cracks in the fuel hoses in the engine bay can give out strong smells.

[dazza2393]

Thanks lads will check it out!thing is its coming from the rear of the car cos it stinks in the back!

[Cavalier342]

Is the petrol filling cap on properly? Check for leakages from the filler pipes in the rear driver's wheel arch.

[Envoy CDX]

Thanks lads will check it out!thing is its coming from the rear of the car cos it stinks in the back!

Rubber hoses have probably perrished where it meets the metal pipe, that or your fuel tank seams may have gone. does it do it more so with a fuller tank?

[RNROBBO01]

i had the same problem when driving up north for hours, when i stoped i had my around the fuel tank, the top of the tank was really rusted, and a tiny bit of fuel was coming through. then had to deal with it all the way back down

[dazza2393]

Has anyone got a How 2? On removing a fuel tank?also dies anyone know where i can get hold of the steel pipes what connect to the rubber pipes on the fuel pipong system as mine are heavily corroded or can they be just removed and cleaned up and put back on?thanks

[Envoy CDX]

Has anyone got a How 2? On removing a fuel tank?also dies anyone know where i can get hold of the steel pipes what connect to the rubber pipes on the fuel pipong system as mine are heavily corroded or can they be just removed and cleaned up and put back on?thanks

No how2's on this as of yet.
You'll need to get all 4 corners of the car up in the air really to do this (in my opinion) however, look over Robsey's WIP there maybe more information in there for removing the tank.

[gsi pie]

had this on my xe couldnt find a leak any were

only buy chance i put my hand on the fuel rail and it was wet at the end the little rubber ring was nafted

[dazza2393]

Cheers mate will check that one.only thing is the smell is really strong in the back seats area and only happens when im driving.weird!

[Envoy CDX]

Cheers mate will check that one.only thing is the smell is really strong in the back seats area and only happens when im driving.weird!

Probably the rubber hose from the pump to the fuel filter has rotten.

[dazza2393]

Thanks mate.will check it again but looks fine.no drips or dampness!its doing my head in!!lol

[dazza2393]

Thanks mate.will check it again but looks fine.no drips or dampness!its doing my head in!!lol

[dazza2393]

Is the tank difficult to drop as there aint much room near the pump to get my hand in?

[Gaz]

its a sod its doable, undo the pipes and take the straps off, its not simple but it is doable.

[Squig]

Get the back of the car as high as possible... the higher the car the easier lowering the tank becomes. Remove the middle and back sections of the exhaust, then remove filter (if external is used), then using a jack, and some wood so you don't dent the tank, support the weight of the tank and remove the straps.

After this your on to removing pipe work, if you need to completely remove the tank

[dazza2393]

Im driving the car now and no petrol smell!!omg!wtf?any ideas?

[Robsey]

Cheers mate will check that one.only thing is the smell is really strong in the back seats area and only happens when im driving.weird!

I had the stench of fuel when the sunroof was open and I was driving along.

Sunroof shut, and there was no smell until I got out.

The chief suspects are: -

External Pump Models - Rubber pipes split or weeping at their connections to the pump or the filter.

Internal Pump Models - Metal pipework or rubber hoses rotted / perrished between the pump and the filter.

In-tank models have a long steel pipe that runs around from the front of the tank, around the off-side and to the rear of the tank where the filter is located.

Tank seams are rotted - that's what was up with mine.

Fuel lines are scabby and rotted, rubber linkage hoses have split at their joints with the metal pipes.

Rubber seal under internal pump flange is split / damaged allowing petrol vapours to escape.

Throttle body leaking at flanges or hoses

Fuel filler cap seal is crushed too thin, or not sealing

The breather hoses from the tank up to the filler neck are split or heavily cracked - had this on my Mk 2 cav many years ago.

Tank vent valve connection loose / leaking in the engine bay

think that is all of them - lol

[dazza2393]

might seem a bone question but where is the fuel tank vent valve located?

[mk4rhys]

i have the same problem, been trying to find it but cant, so gave up lol, it happens sometimes after i put some fuel in but is worse when i put over £20 in, but everything looks dry from under the car and its at the back end, it dosnt always do it either which makes it worse,

[Cavalier342]

Read Robsey's suggestions above...

Suspect it could be the filler cap isn't sealing properly, or one of the pipes that connect to the tank is corroded heavily, or the tank itself is letting vapours out. It may not be leaking from the tank but the vapour will still be there.

[Gaz]

mine was the filler cap too, when you put it on you need to feel the rubber contact the neck and then when it latches it should feel tight, if it doesnt and it just slips on easily its probably the seal, you can try bending the locking tags in a touch to make it tight, sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt.

[Cavalier342]

New caps are only a few quid anyway from most online sources