Petrol Smell

[cube320]

Hello i have a 89 325i cab, and can smell petrol from it.

It smells more when i start it, but i can even smell it when it has been parked up and i walk past it, and it only comes from the engine bay area.

I have checked for leaks and wetness but can not see any thing. I dont think its leaking because i get about 70-80 miles out of £20 which i think is about right

I have added a picture to show where it smells more from. From here it even smells if it has been parked up for two days.



The only other running problem is when i start it first thing in the morning and drive off it sometimes is a bit jerky. But this stops after about 0.2 miles.

Has any one got any ideas of what it could be. Is it running rich? is it the fuel pump?

Thanks

[danbear]

mine does this. i think the coolant temp sensor is fooked on mine causing it to over fuel. Maybe this is the reason? I cant see any leeks etc.. and i'm getting about the same mileage if i put £20 in the tank.

[cube320]

mine does this. i think the coolant temp sensor is fooked on mine causing it to over fuel. Maybe this is the reason? I cant see any leeks etc.. and i'm getting about the same mileage if i put £20 in the tank.

Thanks ill try that.

Is this what i need?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/BMW_3 ... 559d5&TMPS

[mrLEE30]

yes this is the part you may need, but before spending 16quid take a multimeter set to read ohms, remove the leads from the temp sensor (it lives next to the brown sensor toward the front of the engine under the inlet manifold)

the sesnor should be around 2500ohms when engine is cold and 300ohms when hot.

I cant see any leeks etc.. and i'm getting about the same mileage if i put £20 in the tank.

leeks are easy to spot under the bonnet as they will be about a foot long and green. leaks on the otherhand are hard to spot unless they are large. check closely around the area in your pic, and if you are unsure then have someone who knows to check the fuel pressure regulator, fuel delivery pipes, fuel injector rails and the injectors. leaking fuel will lead to an engine fire = bad!

[danbear]

hahaha cheeky get. Didn't notice i spelt it like that Thanks for the info

[Brianmoooore]

The problem is most likely to be perished fuel hoses under the bonnet. There are two rubber fuel hoses that come up from the rear left of the engine compartment, and go to the fuel rail near the top front of the engine.
Bend these hoses, and you will probably find that they are a mass of cracks.
Based on my own experience: life of original BMW hose = around fifteen years. Life of aftermarket replacement hose = around three years.
The cold running problem is quite likely to be a faulty 'blue' coolant temperature sensor, although it might pass the simple resistance tests mentioned above. I once bought an E30 very cheaply that had a similar fault when partly warm. A replacement sensor cured it.

[ucpsale]

The clip to the fuel hose front of the rail has sprung a turn and is lose, new clip needed.

[Finto_316]

i had a smell of petrol from the engine

i had a look at the petrol tank
there was aleak from the petrol tank
i tightened the jubilee clip and theres no leak since
hope this helps

[juddye30]

**Quote*** The problem is most likely to be perished fuel hoses under the bonnet. There are two rubber fuel hoses that come up from the rear left of the engine compartment, and go to the fuel rail near the top front of the engine.
Bend these hoses, and you will probably find that they are a mass of cracks.



i found a similar problem, as i started stripping the manifold down i found vacum hoses perished and the small 2" piece of braided fuel hose was leaking only when it was under pressure