E30 Zone

Hi,

I can smell petrol in the cabin when the engine is cold on my E30 325i conv. The MPG is down as well.

some help please

check the fuel lines?

errr, some details please!

What have you checked / changed etc,

No one will be able to diagnose your problem with out a few clues.

could be fuel lines, petrol tank, filler neck, etc etc etc

i have recently changed rocker cover gasket, full suspension and exhaust

If it's only with a full tank = filler neck.
Otherwise, the pipe from the filter to the injector rail's where I'd start looking... That could also explain why it's only when cold - would evaporate too quickly off a hot engine!
Or it could just be overfueling loads - any evidence of that?

Ziggy wrote:Otherwise, the pipe from the filter to the injector rail's where I'd start looking... That could also explain why it's only when cold - would evaporate too quickly off a hot engine!

This pipe always goes - you may as well replace it anyway. It perishes and gets porous - very difficult to see the leak until you get it out - then millions of cracks are visible...

thanks guys, i,ve found where it was leaking from. i have now fixed it and the smell has gone and the economy is back. LONG LIVE E30 ZONE

jazzleeds wrote:thanks guys, i,ve found where it was leaking from. i have now fixed it and the smell has gone and the economy is back. LONG LIVE E30 ZONE

So tell us where it was! Someone who's got the same problem will find this thread if they search for it...

Just on this topic, how hard is it to change that pipe? Is it a garage job as I had a faint smell of petrol when washing the car tonight but its not the filler neck and I couldnt see any wet patches anywhere.

Adammcf wrote:Just on this topic, how hard is it to change that pipe? Is it a garage job as I had a faint smell of petrol when washing the car tonight but its not the filler neck and I couldnt see any wet patches anywhere.

p1ss easy mate

Cool. Are they flexible at all or stiff and easily damaged by bending?

Adammcf wrote:Cool. Are they flexible at all or stiff and easily damaged by bending?

If it's just the filter-> injector rail one (which it probably is!), get a length of fuel hose from halfords (can't remeber the dia off hand but it's the one that looks like the existing stuff!). 1m's probably enough, but it's cheap so you might as well get 2m... They sell goodyear hose for about £3/m, wheras it's at least £10/m from BMW IIRC - your choice.

Just pull the old one off, marvel at all the cracks, cut the new bit to length, then enjoy feeding it up under the inlet mani. Bit fiddley but really not difficult. Best to cut / block / empty the fuel supply off somehow first, or just put up with it pissing all over the place (I did)!

It's just rubber hose, so the old one'll probably be easily damaged by bending, but the new one won't!

Start the engine, pull out fuse 11, let engine stall.
Fuel pressure will be gone.

it was the injector rail pipe which had a little crack near to the end. i cut of the damaged part and pusted the pipe back on. it did the trick.

[quote="Ziggy

Just pull the old one off, marvel at all the cracks, cut the new bit to length, then enjoy feeding it up under the inlet mani. Bit fiddley but really not difficult. Best to cut / block / empty the fuel supply off somehow first, or just put up with it pissing all over the place (I did)!

It's just rubber hose, so the old one'll probably be easily damaged by bending, but the new one won't![/quote]


Couldnt you tape/join the old to the new at the lower end and pull the whole lot thru the manifold? Might be a bit easier ( having said that.. can someone please post a pic of this pipe as I may need to do mine!

Ziggy wrote:get a length of fuel hose from halfords (can't remeber the dia off hand but it's the one that looks like the existing stuff!). 1m's probably enough, but it's cheap so you might as well get 2m...

8mm diameter and 1m is enough to do one pipe, with a bit left over. May as well get 2m and do both while youre there though.

One of mine was a real git to get off the FPR, ended up cutting it back with a stanley knife.

Brianmoooore wrote:Start the engine, pull out fuse 11, let engine stall.
Fuel pressure will be gone.

Damn your knowledge of e30 electrics simply amazes me !