Keep smelling petrol

JustAnotherSaver

This has been going on for a few month now i'd say. Certainly a few fill ups and i fuel up approx every other week.


I reverse up to the house and as i'm walking around the rear i can certainly smell petrol. The problem is there's no obvious markings on the driveway.
I keep tabs on my fuel consumption/MPG and looking at it it seemed to drop off slightly mid/end September but then that seems to have happened the year previous and i just put it down to the change in weather/temperature.


I imagine it must be weeping somewhere if there's no sign of it on the floor. How can you locate a weepy leak, if one even exists?

born_again

Exhaust fumes?

DUTR

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

This has been going on for a few month now i'd say. Certainly a few fill ups and i fuel up approx every other week.


I reverse up to the house and as i'm walking around the rear i can certainly smell petrol. The problem is there's no obvious markings on the driveway.
I keep tabs on my fuel consumption/MPG and looking at it it seemed to drop off slightly mid/end September but then that seems to have happened the year previous and i just put it down to the change in weather/temperature.


I imagine it must be weeping somewhere if there's no sign of it on the floor. How can you locate a weepy leak, if one even exists?

Could be the HP fuel pump.

JustAnotherSaver

born_again wrote: »

Exhaust fumes?

I doubt it. Not unless they're still lingering over 24 hours later :rotfl:

DUTR wrote: »

Could be the HP fuel pump.

Where would i be looking and what would i be looking for? Just something that's looking wet? Car is an Astra G by the way in case that helps any.


Also, i haven't spilled any petrol in the filler cap area and it's been a couple years since i changed the fuel filter.

AdrianC

"Walking round the rear" - filler cap, exhaust pipe?

What age of car are we talking about?

When was the last MOT, and what did the emissions come back as?

rubble2

Had a similar problem last year, turned out to be a leaking union/joint on the fuel line filter. Easy and cheap repair at our local garage.

JustAnotherSaver

AdrianC wrote: »

"Walking round the rear" - filler cap, exhaust pipe?

Yeah around that area - the rear of the car, not the front.

What age of car are we talking about?

2001

When was the last MOT, and what did the emissions come back as?

October and i'm not sure. Must've passed though.

rubble2 wrote: »

Had a similar problem last year, turned out to be a leaking union/joint on the fuel line filter. Easy and cheap repair at our local garage.

I'll take a look though i don't smell it as strong when i get to the point where the fuel filter is. I usually have access to a pit but just not at the moment. The smell is stronger at the rear of the car (the fuel filter is more central-ish - just in front of the rear wheel) but like i say, i see no patches on the floor. I also can't really pinpoint it once i get to the rear.

EdGasketTheSecond

Could be a split breather hose. You won't see anything on the driveway as petrol evaporates off quickly and leaves no trace. Very difficult to trace; I had a split breather hose on the fuel tank but the splits were not visible until the hose had been removed. I only found it because petrol would spew out when I filled right up.

facade

You are going to have to look for the leak I'm afraid.


One car I had leaked because mud lay on top of where the spout came out of the metal fuel tank and it perforated through rust. The cap never held pressure or slight vacuum after a run- there should be a slight hiss when you remove the cap after a run.


Another developed a very slight leak in the fuel return pipe under the car that allowed a minute jet of fuel to spray out when the engine was running.




The fuel system on a modern car is completely sealed and you should not be able to smell petrol. (air enters via a one way valve as the tank empties, and any vapour is caught in a charcoal filter )

oldernonethewiser

I had a leak which took ages to find. A very small hole and fuel was dripping onto parts of the engine so it never appeared underneath the vehicle.



Didn't have a huge effect on the MPG but was worth investigating and getting the hose replaced.

DUTR

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I doubt it. Not unless they're still lingering over 24 hours later :rotfl:


Where would i be looking and what would i be looking for? Just something that's looking wet? Car is an Astra G by the way in case that helps any.


Also, i haven't spilled any petrol in the filler cap area and it's been a couple years since i changed the fuel filter.

Mine is under the bonnet, every now and then I used to get a howling noise/hum, once I discovered where the pump was I could see fuel seeping out, from what I now understand, get the original one refurbed as that is married to the car PSI n all that.