13 replies to this topic

[carts60]

Hi All,

 

The car has been sat over winter in the garage and the smell of fuel is crazy. 

Having given the lines a full once over from front to back and with the engine running etc there are no leaks and I've basically sourced the issue to the fuel breather hose which in my case comes off the tank and exits under the car, running along the subframe.

 

I assume because its an 'open' vent with no filter etc it just releases fumes constantly causing the fumes to constantly be evacuated.

 

Is there a way to stop this without circumventing the intention of the vent? 

Add an in-line filter? Add a non mini valve of sorts?

 

Any suggestions?

[Carlos W]

How warm is it in the garage?

 

Is the boot floor dry?

[carts60]

Freezing in the garage - same temp as its been outside.

 

Yes boot floor is dry - no leaks

[Its a min]

I had a similar problem with mine. It turned out that the overflow/breather pipe had split where it connected to top of the petrol tank and was practically hanging off. The petrol fumes were filling the boot and making their way into the car.

 

Hope this helps.

[bpirie1000]

I trust the floor is dry when it is running...- sticky float in carb...

[carts60]

To be clear, the fumes I can smell are in the garage rather than in the car which is why I am so sure its the breather as the hose exits outside the body of the car, pumping the fumes into the garage.

 

Also concerned due to the fire hazard seeing as petrol fumes are just as flamable as the liquid - if not more so.

 

I'll have to check the top connector but I think its fine.

 

@bpirie - yes, floor is dry when running - carb functions perfectly. Not getting any overflow from the float bowl or otherwise.

 

If I can't get to the bottom of it i am going to try a charcoal filter or something similar to try to capture (or at least mask) the fumes. If that doesn't work, maybe try another method such as routing the breather back into the filler neck.

Edited by carts60, 07 February 2017 - 09:15 PM.

[monkey]

Routing it back to the filler cap would render it pointless as the system would pressurise

[GraemeC]

The issue would not be pressurisation, but the creation of a vacuum as the engine used the fuel. This would lead to fuel starvation as the pump would start to struggle to suck the fuel from the tank.

[monkey]

The issue would not be pressurisation, but the creation of a vacuum as the engine used the fuel. This would lead to fuel starvation as the pump would start to struggle to suck the fuel from the tank.

"Vacuum" that's the word I was looking for! I knew I didn't mean pressurise lol

[whistler]

You used to be able to use vented petrol caps years ago which would negate the need for the tank breather pipe. Anyone know if they are still available?

[Midas Mk1]

All fuel caps are vented except injection ones iirc (green internals rather than red)

[whistler]

All fuel caps are vented except injection ones iirc (green internals rather than red)

Then the tank doesn't need venting then or does it?

[jaysmini1983]

I have had a simular situation. I had my fuel line remove at the carb for about the 2 weeks as the car is currently of the road.

I noticed a bad smell of fuel and it turned out it was leaking from the open pipe end and onto the floor.

so i reconnected it and did the clips up tight.

anyway came home from work last night thinking it smells really bad, now it had pushed the hose off from the outlet of the fuel pump and was dripping onto the concrete floor.

tightened it all up last night, check before work and leak free.

funny thing is it not been used since xmas so i can only guess expansion/contraction due to the temperature.

 

any ideas?

[JXC Mini GT]

 

All fuel caps are vented except injection ones iirc (green internals rather than red)

Then the tank doesn't need venting then or does it?

 

Grateful for advice on whether I can remove the tank vent pipe if I have a vented filler cap as I seem to get the odd drop of fuel dripping out of the vent pipe after parking up after some spirited driving.