my car stinks...

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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

60 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
quotequote all
Literally, of a mix of petrol , exhaust fumes and oil. I can smell it when accelerating away, and when stopping at a junction. When idling hot, there is no smell at all under the bonnet, but sitting in it or standing behind it really stinks of fumes and petrol. When driving it smells more like just exhaust fumes, especially if you give it a bootfull.

The local garage (who I trust completely) have had the car up on the ramps and can find no exhaust system leak at all, and it's just passed an MOT with no issues (and with the decat pipe on). Just before the MOT I fitted a new cambelt, water pump, radiator etc.., and replaced a slightly melted fuel injector on cylinder 1.

I've also tried removing the firewall CAI kit and putting the OEM one on, tried every combo of heater controls, and replaced the 2 gearshift boots, but it still stinks.

The only thing I've not checked is the CAS timing as I'm waiting for a new strobe light, so I'm really hoping that its just the CAS timing is way out, but I dont see how it could pass the MOT like that. It is drinking fuel though. Beyond that remote possibility the garage and I are both stumped as to what it could be.

The only known fault (aside from the stench) is that the valve seals let a little oil through when its not driven for a while.

Anyone have any suggestions of what could be the cause?

Car is a 1994 1.8 Eunos btw.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 23 June 20:55

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

60 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
quotequote all
One other option - when I did the cambelt I also cleaned out the inlet manifold, and so I had to disconnect the 2 fuel pipes to remove the manifold. Like a dimwit I forgot to note which way they were connected before I removed them.

If I reconnected them the wrong way around, could that cause some sort of overfueling issue or backing fuel into the inlet system or something similar?

pewe

659 posts

225 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
quotequote all
Complete flanker but is the petrol cap the original or does it have an after-market one fitted?
Mine had an easy-fill cap - just push the hose in and fill - these are notorious for leaking fumes.
Just a thought.....
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe

feef

5,206 posts

189 months

Tuesday 24th June 2014
quotequote all
Check the two rubber gear stick gaiters under the leather-effect trim. With the main one of those torn or non-existent, you're opening up the transmission tunnel directly into the area around the gearbox and exhaust.

CaptiV8ted

819 posts

217 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
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Is it sump / breather fumes? Perhaps it would be worth a check to see if any pipes / hoses are split around the pcv system or anything that shuld feed back to the original air box.

Have you installed an oil catch tank? The breather gases from hoses smell similar to what you have described.
When I turbo'd my MX5, the kit came with a breather filter that meant you could bin the hose coming off the right hand side of the cam cover (to the air box). I ran it for a bit, but it stank. So I have now routed a pipe from the cam cover to the rear of the air filter, smell gone.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

60 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
CaptiV8ted said:
Is it sump / breather fumes? Perhaps it would be worth a check to see if any pipes / hoses are split around the pcv system or anything that shuld feed back to the original air box.

Have you installed an oil catch tank? The breather gases from hoses smell similar to what you have described.
When I turbo'd my MX5, the kit came with a breather filter that meant you could bin the hose coming off the right hand side of the cam cover (to the air box). I ran it for a bit, but it stank. So I have now routed a pipe from the cam cover to the rear of the air filter, smell gone.
The engine layout is standard apart from a custom cold air induction with K&N filter drawing air from the space below the windowscreen (through the firewall). I have completely replaced the OEM airbox with a new metal duct, and the air flow meter plugs into the end of it in a round hole (as it does into the OEM airbox).

This is a 1.8, and as far as I know I have all the hoses connected up and none are split. The cam cover hose is still connected to the plastic trunking in front of the throttle body.

But as I say, there is no smell at all under the bonnet, but quite strong petrol or exhaust fumes in the car when accelerating or slowing down.

Both rubber shift boots have been replaced in the past week as that was my first thought, but no change in the smell.

Pertrol cap is the standard orange one.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 25th June 13:40

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

60 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
Right, sorted now, its a corker this time....the problem was the boot lid brake light. Reseated and tightened up and the smell is now gone.

As a precaution i removed the petrol tank access panel and checked it, all fine under there, and then covered every hole in the rear bulkhead with gaffer tape.

Smell free now again it seems smile