Need some input please...

[Autocross7]

(88' Turbo Esprit HCI)

Okay, got something a bit strange (but maybe not unusual)...

When I get into the 4000rpm range and then shift into nutral or let off for a moment, and I have the roof open of off, I get a very faint fuel smell. I do not get it if I am 'normal driving' - say shifting in the 3000ish rpm range and 'stopping normal', and the roof must be open or off so this is not a smell entering from the seat belt cuts...

I brought this up at a little gathering of car crazies yesterday. It seems that a couple people remembered something about the HCI system getting 'lazy' after some age in a Ferrari and it not being able to close the fuel off quikly during hard driving - causing a momentary richness in the system... determined to not be a real issue...

Anyother ideas? The fuel tanks are good, the tube over the rear window is new... as stated, this only occurs when hard driving and letting off quikly...
Bad check valve someplace?

Thank you for any input...
Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[deecee]

Hi,
Almost Positive....There is a Breather Line (3/8" PVC) that goes from one Fuel Filler Neck to the other that has cracked or is loose.

Remove the Side Panels that surround the Rear Side Glass and you see that the line which is routed from side to side beneath the lip of the rear hatch.

Regards,
Daryl

[Autocross7]

Thanks for the reply, I thought this might be the case as well... but I replaced this when I bought the car and the tube still looks new down from one end to the other... this really is strange...

Thanks,
Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[cnh1990]

I'm not sure if your car has this check valve or not but on 89 and later there is a check valve going to the charcoal canister that has been known to fail after many years. On my 90 it was located near the timing belt top front of the engine. a round flat looking thing. Trace the vac line back from the canister. Also from the filler neck to the canister and the canister to fresh air has the same yellow hose as the cross over that cracks.

One other thing. I used to get fuel smells when the rubber shift gaiter under the leather on has disintergrated. This one is easy to spot as the leather gaiter is no longer supported by the rubber gaiter underneath and drops down the shifter. It seems that when the window or roof is cracked open it creates a vac that draws smells in.

Calvin

[deecee]

I would then suspect that the problem is the intake manifold gasket.

The turbo spinning down would resulting in excess pressure in the intake and any flaw in the gasket would result in what you've described.

Regards,
Daryl

[Autocross7]

Thanks guys... I'll check both of these. I had the shift boot out a year or so ago... but... that was a year or so ago!:^)

Drive topless!!!
Cameron