When driving I noticed a preaty strong smell of fule in the cabin of my 240 earlier this week. Now I had just got the car and had it filled at a gas station and a buddy of mine said that it might just be that the dude filling the car didnt stop where the pump goes click and tried to get it to a even dollar. Now if that were the case would I be smelling fule in the cabin while driving? I have noticed now that I have driven the car about 70KM the smell has gotten alot better but I am also worried about the chance of having a fule system problem.
What I have done so far is went into the hatch and pulled the electrical protection plate off the fule pump to see if there was any problems in the sending unit. While the car was running there was nothing odd going on there. I then went under the car and went along the fule lines and did not see anything broken or anything dripping from them, but they do seem like they are corroded. I also checked out the gas tank itself now since it is a 15 year old car I expected the tank to not be in new condition and did not see along the seam of the tank and problems the only thing I saw was along the side of the tank under where the filler is there is a stain which when I smelt was gas, its not wet at best its kind of tacky. Would this be the result of a bad fillup or somthing worse? Is there anywhere else I should be checking in the fule system for a problem? Thanks to anyone that can help me out. Oh and the the tube connecting the filler to the tank is dry as well from what I know.
your fuel injector seals are leaking, common problem on the SOHC’s.
take your nose and see if you can pin point the location where the smell is the worst, Like Matt said check the injectors and id also check in the trunck, maybe somehow the seal broke from the fuel pump, and that would cause you to smell fuel as well…but i doubt it if you havent replaced your fuel pump
Ok now since I am still a bit new to the SOHC engine maybe you can help me out as to what I need to do to check out the fuel injector seals. I would also be interested to know if this is somthing that is costly to repair?
just to left of the head you can see the fuel rail, right above the intake manifold. If fuel is leaking is usually runs down the injectors and pools in the little indentations in the intake manifold, it will be easy to see. Cost to repair? Depends, if its a cracked injector, they arent very cheap, if its jsut bad seals, the seal kits are like 4.50 each, but you may have to try a few times before they seal properly.
Kk thanks i will take a look hopefully its just the seals. :?
Ok just let the car run for a min or so and then checked the injectors and looked at the fule rail. Its bone dry there, the engine also dose not idle rough or anything and is not high so where do I go from here? The only other problem I know of with the engine is one of the diodes has failed I think on the alternator since when you put it under a high load the batter charge light comes on dim. Oh and as for the fule pump like I said I checked in the hatch with the cover off and the car running and its dry there to, the sending unit is also quite new.
hmm, so you looked below the fuel rail and there was no gas laying in there? hmm, maybe ur gas tank is rotten on top and leaking when u fill it all the way?
well I just took the car for a 15 min drive and the smell is compleatly gone so for now untill I can get the car up and take a really good look I just wont fill the car ALL the way up. Thanks for all your help I am happy that it dose not seem to be the fule injectors wipes brow that would not have been fun.
Probably just some fuel vapour from a small spill or bad fillup.
Ya thats what I am going to hope/asume. When I drove it just after the car was filled (by a girl that looked preaty new but not judging her because she is a girl) the smell was preaty foul. I had to pull over for a min for some fresh air but I guess that can be quite normal if you have fuel fumes filling your cabin. I should mention that the reason I think it was this bad is I have a hole that needs fixing right above the gas tank where gas would have spilled so it was just comming right up into the hatch if anywhere. Thanks for your help I would have never thought to check the injectors but now I am happy that they look good, I did put a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in though just to be good to them.
I sometimes get a slight gas smell in my car after tanking up. I get really good gas milage and never find any gas in the odvious places so I write it off to ghosts.
Ya the smell seems to have gone away to a degree, I do in fact think that I have a problem with the tank. I have taken a closer look and the only place that the car has a gas smell comming from is near the rear tire so I have taken the opinion that either a. the gas that was spilled if any is really potent stuff lol or b. there is a hole or something wrong at the top of the tank. The rest of the fule system is fine.
when i had this problem it was my sending unit/ pump had rusted out and it would only smell when the tank was full… it would usually go away after driving a bit and having the level drop…
It’s your injectors trust me. I had this exact same problem last year but I never fixed it. It kinda just went away, don’t ask me how cause I have no idea. Before winter like last October I had noticed the smell was real strong. I followed the fuel lines all the way to the injectors when I saw a lake of gas on my intake mani. Now when it got cold the leak stop I think the cold weather sealed the crack. And it hasn’t leaked since. And my gasmileage has been getting better ever since winter ended. I’m just waiting for it too come back so I will know that it is fixed or not. But as for the moment it is running perfecto.
Well I know its really not the injectors, the engine in the car was used by my friend for last years drift comp. The injectors were changed at that time and the seals. I have found that its just exhaust gas since the smell in the car is the exact same from the tailpipe.