22 replies to this topic

[LukeH]

Hi,

I've had my mini a few days and since I picked it up, i've noticed a fairly strong smell of petrol inside the car! The engine runs fairly badly (lack of power and seems to be mis-firing around mid-revs) I intend to change the engine fairly soon but in the meantime I want to sort out the petrol smell and hopefully get it running a bit better.

To do this, I intend to check the fuel line for splits/breaks, check the carb for leaks and check the fuel cap but can anyone suggest anything else that I might need to check?

Thanks, Luke.

[mike998]

yea, check the breather pipe off the petrol tank, mine fell off once and made the car smell of petrol for a few days after filling up with fuel.

also if its running badly maybe you are over fueling, also causing the fuel to travel down the over flow pipe from the carb and that may cause a smell?

mine always smells a little bit like fuel ever since i first got it and there is nothing wrong with it.

[jtmcgowa]

Check your fuel lines from the pump up to the carb, carb to overspill for signs of wear or splits. Mine smells occationly and is perfectly normal apart from this week it wasn't going up hills to well and died on me.

When I opened the bonnet I found the fuel pipe into the carb had disconnected and had obviously been loose for a while. Spending ten mins with a light and screw driver can stop you breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Also jubliee clips and new hose won't break the bank as even if its not faulty is wise to replace every now and then.

[LukeH]

yea, check the breather pipe off the petrol tank, mine fell off once and made the car smell of petrol for a few days after filling up with fuel.

also if its running badly maybe you are over fueling, also causing the fuel to travel down the over flow pipe from the carb and that may cause a smell?

mine always smells a little bit like fuel ever since i first got it and there is nothing wrong with it.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out.

I don't mind a slight smell of petrol afterall it's 27 years old, so smells/rattles are to be expected but this really is strong, to the point that I was getting a headache whilst driving it yesterday for 20 mins.

Cheers.

[Holly]

my car used to do this Smelly mini was the pipe in the boot not clipped tight enough! sorry i not very technical

[LukeH]

I'll take a look tonight when I get home from work and report back. Thanks for the suggestions, I didn't expect so many so quickly!!

[Bungle]

thats the vent pipe that mike998 said to check holly

[ginger_monkey]

Getting it rolling roaded so it runs well will help. Are there any holes in your boot? If so the fumes could be coming in. When you open a window that can actualy draw fumes in through the boot area. Also that good old vent pipe. Or even worse a rust hole in your tank. Might be worth taking the tank out and having a look round the bits you can't see.

[strebblo]

I had the problem with the vent pipe too, but before I found that, I found another problem which was the float bowl of the carb (HS4) had a hole in the side of it! The pipe that joined it to the main body of the carb also leaked. S/H carb fixed that problem for about £25.

[LukeH]

I think I've found the problem and it's as the majority of replies sugessted.....the vent pipe from fuel tank inside boot, it's snapped in half!!

Now I just need to get myself a replacement and fingers crossed, no more fuel smell.

Thanks for all the help.

Luke.

[Dan]

Don't use Jubilee type clips on fuel line, they cut the rubber and it will not be long before you are back in the same position. Fuel line clips are different.

[strebblo]

Dan - Just out of interest, do you know how long and in what sort of configuration the fuel tank breather pipe should be?

I just took a 60cm piece and looped it up under the parcel shelf with the clip that lives there - is this right? It's given me no problems since, but I wondered...

[taffy1967]

Most Mini specialists now supply windscreen washer tubing for the fuel tank vent pipe, instead of the hard rubber which was more commonly fitted and was prone to cracking.

I think Somerford Minis supply the narrow plastic tubing that was fitted around the mid 1980's, but that doesn't always hold too well on the fuel tank and it's a bit pricey too.

The vent pipe itself should be long enough so that it fits down the hole in the boot floor, which is protected by a rubber grommet to prevent any fumes from entering back into the car. The vent pipe needs to be long enough to run beneath the boot floor.

I've got the original old vent pipe that I replaced if you want to know the exact length?

Edited by taffy1967, 29 November 2007 - 04:14 PM.

[strebblo]

Oh! I just ran a 60cm pipe and clipped it under the parcel shelf in a sort of shape. Nevermind, it seems to work ok!

[LukeH]

I am having difficulty getting hold of replacement tubing locally so I was wondering if I can use any type of tubing i.e. something that is not rated for use with fuel?

Luke.