smell of fuel in the car

[e30-EVN]

hi guys, ive had a look at my fuel lines under the bonnet and they all look good, it doesnt do it if i put 10 or even 20 quid in.....

went for a drive earlier and fueled up £30, drove a 54 mile round trip and all of a sudden when i pulled off at a set of lights it absolutly stunk of fuel in the car!! the smell was over powering enough for me to have to drop all the windows to clear it....

the car had new fuel tank, fuel lines and pump last year so what could be causing this?

my dad said it smelt stronger at the rear of the car....

T I A

[Ajsingh]

Maybe pull the back seat out & have a look at how secure the sender is... Maybe loose & fuel slosh could be causing a slight leak...

[Topblag]

filler neck perhaps ?

[Brianmoooore]

I'll go for a broken O ring sealing the fuel pump or level sender to the tank.

[bmw9818]

i take it youve got a m50 from your pic, ive got an m40 but i used to get massive fuel smell from inside the car, used to come from the vents alot,

but i literally sorted out my fuel problem today i had a prod around getting ready to strip the inlet off, i prodded a pipe connecting to the fuel rail, shimmied it and turns out the jubilee clip was slightly loose, enoguh for fuel to seep out under pressure, the car was off and as i moved the pipe about fuel sept out, it was invisible before as it was hidden but i had a proper look and found the problem, all the pipes etc were replaced approx a year ago when the hgasket was done,

just check your fuel system coming into the engine i suppose, when the hgasket was done it was a rush job as we needed the car pretty quickly, so you might of left a clip loose or its worked its way loose...

my car smelt funky all around as well, rear passengers could smell it, could be your seal around the sender as well as said

[e30-EVN]

i changed the fuel pump a few weeks back so i know the seal is good there,,, however.............. a mate (who is not very good) pulled the level sender out so im guessing he's knackered the seal!

the smell is reall bad guys.. free high lol but its not about that!

i take it i can buy a new seal from bmw then?

[magpie]

i had this and a new o ring seal between pump and tank sorted it as said above ^

[e30-EVN]

its an m52 thanks mate!! lol

i pretty much threw the m50 in the bin, was crap in comparison

i had a look under the bonnet and it all looks good, i may have another butchers tomorrow while the engine is running so that the fuel supply is under pressure.

[e30-EVN]

mick mate, im on it lol........ how much from the stealers?

[magpie]

no idea i had a good spare one still attached to a spare pump.

fookin spare parts everywhere

[e30-EVN]

hahaha, anymore??

[E30BeemerLad]

I ordered one the other day (it's at the dealers waiting for me to collect) but I have no idea how much it is, £2-3 max.
I get the same symptoms as you Ant.

[e30-EVN]

foookin hell lee,, you are copying me with these little symptoms lately aren't you hahaha............

thats good to know anyway mate, i will order myself 1 tomoro.... atleast i wont get flames up the windscreen lol,,,, just wont smoke in the car hahaha

[E30BeemerLad]

Mine has done it for 6 months, I just take my time to do anything about it

[e30-EVN]

Same here, I just try not to put over 20 quid in unless I'm goin on a run somewhere hahaha....

Time to get it done though I thinks lol

[chrex]

mine does it but its down to me taking the tank off that sits above the rear right-hand wheel. The mountings broke and it dropped down onto the tyre, which rubbed through the plastic. Took it off and there is a bit of a smell on hot days/hard cornering when the tank's pretty full.

[daimlerman]

I would be looking carefully at the largest of the breather pipes,the one that connects to the top of the tank by the pump.
I have found several cars where the pump end of this pipe has cracked,allowing liquid gold to escape.I have found each time that trimming the last inch off the pipe had found decent rubber,so this is a free fix!

[e30-EVN]

Right cheers for that malc, I will trim mine down aswel as change out the level sender seal aswel...

The large vent valve pipe seemed ok to look at but I will try this anyway

Thank you

[clipper]

I would be looking carefully at the largest of the breather pipes,the one that connects to the top of the tank by the pump.
I have found several cars where the pump end of this pipe has cracked,allowing liquid gold to escape.I have found each time that trimming the last inch off the pipe had found decent rubber,so this is a free fix!

Mine had the exact same syptoms as the OP and it was the big braided vent pipe too, but at the other end where it joins the filler neck stub.

Again a quick trim an a jubilee clip and sorted.

[e30-EVN]

From the pump under the back seat where does it go?? I can't get my hand in the whole....

[Green]

Doesn't it go to the filler neck?

[Brianmoooore]

From the pump under the back seat where does it go?? I can't get my hand in the whole....

Goes into the steel tube that cuts across the right hand edge of the rear seat pan, along with the two smaller plastic tubes, then behind a cover half way up the damper, and onto the filler neck.

[e30-EVN]

right i shall investigate this lol............

thanks again lads