Gas smell

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bLac K aBriOleT89
Posts: 175
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2004 3:17 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: North Miss / Memphis, TN

Gas smell

Post by bLac K aBriOleT89 »

Hi guys,
I've been driving the cabby almost every day since april, and like two-three weeks ago I starting smelling gas in the garage every time I got home from work. This week, it has increased to the point whenre I can smell it all the time, even inside the cabin.
Any clues where to check for leaks and how? I was thinking the faster/most effective way in doing this would be using a lighter and moving the flame around the injectors, fuel pump and all the hoses, but there's some hard to reach places and could be potentially dangerous. :screwy:

Any clues?
1989 Graphite Black Metallic Cabriolet

2005 BMW X3 3.0i - Sapphire Black Metallic

2002 BMW M3 - Steel Gray-Coupe, 6 sp
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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
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Re: Gas smell

Post by Briano1234 »

from the front or rear.

rear:
check the vent tube, gas cap, and charcoal canister.

front, charcoal canister, vacuum lines, and feed lines from the fuel pump.

I would bet on the canister. It happened to me a few weeks back, and I greased the seal on the gas cap.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
User avatar
bLac K aBriOleT89
Posts: 175
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2004 3:17 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: North Miss / Memphis, TN

Re: Gas smell

Post by bLac K aBriOleT89 »

Danke Brian, Where that canister located?
1989 Graphite Black Metallic Cabriolet

2005 BMW X3 3.0i - Sapphire Black Metallic

2002 BMW M3 - Steel Gray-Coupe, 6 sp
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Gas smell

Post by Briano1234 »

under the drivers side fender, remove the inner fender and you can see it at the front.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
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gull
Posts: 817
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Location: Auburn, WA
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Re: Gas smell

Post by gull »

Check the fuel pump area too, with the engine running. Sometimes the Bosch pumps will get pinholes right through the case from corrosion. They stop leaking when turned off, making it a tricky one to find.

Don't overlook the gas cap. Mine had a worn out seal (it was cracked) and I could smell gas around the back of the car every time I parked it. Because of the way the gas circulates in the FI system of these cars, the gas in the tank actually gets warm as you drive.
VW fan who fell to the Honda side of the force
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CalAltaDubber
Frozen Guy in the Northern Country
Posts: 2012
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:10 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
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Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Re: Gas smell

Post by CalAltaDubber »

I had a similar issue a few years back. I could smell gas whenever the car was parked. Turned out to be a leak in the fuel tank.
Phil

'87 Cabriolet, "Topless Bunny"
'88 Cabriolet, "Posh Bunny"
'04 Golf
'12 Golf Wagon TDI
'69 Manx type Dune Buggy (New Toy)

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User avatar
bLac K aBriOleT89
Posts: 175
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2004 3:17 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: North Miss / Memphis, TN

Re: Gas smell

Post by bLac K aBriOleT89 »

gull wrote:Check the fuel pump area too, with the engine running. Sometimes the Bosch pumps will get pinholes right through the case from corrosion. They stop leaking when turned off, making it a tricky one to find.

Don't overlook the gas cap. Mine had a worn out seal (it was cracked) and I could smell gas around the back of the car every time I parked it. Because of the way the gas circulates in the FI system of these cars, the gas in the tank actually gets warm as you drive.
Looks like you nailed it. I located the leak coming directly from the fuel pump. The problem now is going to be try to identify where is it coming from (hoses, accumulator, pump itself) to really know what I have to do about it.
1989 Graphite Black Metallic Cabriolet

2005 BMW X3 3.0i - Sapphire Black Metallic

2002 BMW M3 - Steel Gray-Coupe, 6 sp
User avatar
gull
Posts: 817
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:30 pm
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Re: Gas smell

Post by gull »

CalAltaDubber wrote:I had a similar issue a few years back. I could smell gas whenever the car was parked. Turned out to be a leak in the fuel tank.
There was a recall on Cabriolets for leaking fuel tanks.
VW fan who fell to the Honda side of the force
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CalAltaDubber
Frozen Guy in the Northern Country
Posts: 2012
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Re: Gas smell

Post by CalAltaDubber »

gull wrote:
CalAltaDubber wrote:I had a similar issue a few years back. I could smell gas whenever the car was parked. Turned out to be a leak in the fuel tank.
There was a recall on Cabriolets for leaking fuel tanks.
Yup there was.
This particular car was recalled and tested 10 years before the leak developed.
Phil

'87 Cabriolet, "Topless Bunny"
'88 Cabriolet, "Posh Bunny"
'04 Golf
'12 Golf Wagon TDI
'69 Manx type Dune Buggy (New Toy)

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Calimus
Grand High PooBah
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Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 11:40 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
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Location: Cartersville, Ga

Re: Gas smell

Post by Calimus »

Can vouch for the recall. The Crabby Cabby had a leaky tank when we got her. Local VW dealer didn't want to deal with it, so we had to haul her to a dealer 70 miles away. They were happy to do the recall and even detailed the car inside and out when they were done.

As for the leak Jaun, pull the foam off the pump and see if it's the line coming from the accumulator and into the pump. It has like 2 bends in it and is very prone to rotting out. Sorry to hear about the leak, but glad to hear you've been running her.
16' Challenger ScatPack
05' Yamaha FJR1300
02' Honda VTX 1800C
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