Dino 3 Posted February 5, 2006 (edited) This started yesterday about 2 minutes from getting home after having the cage fitted. This morning the car wouldnt start. So as the reserve light was on last night I thought maybe the smell had something to do with the fuel pump and an empty tank I filled up the jerry can put the fuel in and the car still wouldnt start. I checked connections etc etc etc and still to no avail. I ended up calling the bloody AA to find the problem. He had issues tracing it too until I suggested we try another coil as I had one spare. Bingo the car started! The AA man thought that the smell of fuel last night was a red herring. So off I went for a joy ride in my new caged up beastie and about 40 mins into the drive the stench of petrol is back I pull over turn engine off and check the usual suspects - the fuel lines/jubilees in the engine. No its not any of them and you cant smell fuel as much in the engine bay as you can at the rear of the car and inside the cabin. I couldn't see any fuel leaking either Any suggestions? Thanks Dino Edited February 5, 2006 by Dino Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonmurgie 2 Posted February 5, 2006 I take it you've pulled the cover off and checked the top of the fuel tank with the fuel pump and pipe fittings? I take it you've no problems starting the car now, your just left with the fuel smell? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hengti 2 Posted February 5, 2006 It's not a pleasant a thought, but sometimes fitting a roll cage can 'pull' the shell in - could this possibly have disturbed the tank/pipes and introduced a leak? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars Posted February 5, 2006 Is it over fuelling for some reason and by putting the cage in has made the boot not shut as well and fumes are entering the car? I reckon it is Stavs plan to assist with you to give up smoking! she has put Optimax in your fish food cannister on the dash Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mi16nut 0 Posted February 5, 2006 Do you have a full tank, or at least over half? Mine had the breather on the top of the tank pop out & it would seep out when sloshing about. I initially thought it was the hoses from the pump to the pipes underneath, but it still persisted after replacing them. You'll have to drop the tank to check the breather, so I'd eliminate everything else first. Definitely sounds tanks related, especially as you've had the cage fitted. Maybe disturbed hoses? Filler hose can dislodge/ come apart. Mark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars Posted February 5, 2006 Caption Competition "I'm sure the smell is coming from here!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dino 3 Posted February 5, 2006 I take it you've pulled the cover off and checked the top of the fuel tank with the fuel pump and pipe fittings? I take it you've no problems starting the car now, your just left with the fuel smell? Car starts ok now with the replacement coil. Fuel smell is very strong. Fuel pump and pipe fittings will be my first port of call tomorrow when I get a chance to have a proper look after work. Do you have a full tank, or at least over half? Mine had the breather on the top of the tank pop out & it would seep out when sloshing about. I initially thought it was the hoses from the pump to the pipes underneath, but it still persisted after replacing them. You'll have to drop the tank to check the breather, so I'd eliminate everything else first. Definitely sounds tanks related, especially as you've had the cage fitted. Maybe disturbed hoses? Filler hose can dislodge/ come apart. Mark. Funny enough its on less than a qtr. Lets hope its not the breather as I dont want to mess around dropping the fuel tank as I hear they are quite delicate? It's not a pleasant a thought, but sometimes fitting a roll cage can 'pull' the shell in - could this possibly have disturbed the tank/pipes and introduced a leak? Yeah I think you may be right mate - its too much of a coincidence to ignore. I reckon it is Stavs plan to assist with you to give up smoking! she has put Optimax in your fish food cannister on the dash Always the comedian is My Yorke!!! Caption Competition "I'm sure the smell is coming from here!" This is *ALMOST* funny Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonah 1 Posted February 6, 2006 Don't know what cage you've got but to fit mine (SD Challenge cage) I removed the tank entirely as I was welding the feet in right above it. Do you know if this was done when your cage was fitted? Plenty of opportunities there for pipes to leak where they've been reconnected! Pretty unlikely IMO that that fitting the cage has caused a leak entirely by coincidence, it certainly shouldn't change the shape of the shell - to do this there would have to be massive preload in the cage. The shell would flex far more just under normal driving, and besides the tank is pretty sturdy anyway and won't split without a fight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hman205 1 Posted February 6, 2006 They haven't drilled through the tank while fitting the cage have they or a line know a company round here who drilled through some lines on my mates saxo while fitting a cd changer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dino 3 Posted February 7, 2006 (edited) Doesnt seem to be leaking from the rear end of the car. Had a mate (Andy) come over who works for the AA as with something as serious as this I didnt want to take any chances. He couldnt really find any evidence of a leak anywhere near the tank or the pipes BUT we found a leak in the usual place - the fuel pipe coming off the fuel filter. Funny thing is I checked there both times the car stank of fuel and it was bone dry. Another coincidence?!? Andy reckons the overbraided fuel lines are no good and that I should use some Neoprene hoses instead with a decent clip rather than the std jubilee I was using. At the end of the day it was the jubilee clip that failed (the second one so far) but I have a sneaky suspicion that this might not be the end of this problem. There must be something untoward at the rear of the car as the handling is scary at the rear now and that simply cant be just from having the cage fitted but more like fuel leaking onto the rear wheels perhaps. I will find out tomorrow I suppose when I buy and fit the new fuel pipe and clips. Wish me luck Edited February 7, 2006 by Dino Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony 1,000 Posted February 7, 2006 Definately use proper fuel line clips - jubilee's are no good for fuel lines! Was the fuel tank removed when the cage was installed or not? If it was then I suspect one of the lines/breathers was disturbed, and if it wasn't, then prehaps the heat from the welding has warped something (tank is only plastic remember). Tank is easy to drop and check though, but try to run the car low on fuel before doing so to make the job easier On a seperate note, that's not *another* coil that's failed on your car is it Dino? It only killed the last one 6 months ago on the way back from the 'Ring... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dino 3 Posted February 7, 2006 Definately use proper fuel line clips - jubilee's are no good for fuel lines! Was the fuel tank removed when the cage was installed or not? If it was then I suspect one of the lines/breathers was disturbed, and if it wasn't, then prehaps the heat from the welding has warped something (tank is only plastic remember). Tank is easy to drop and check though, but try to run the car low on fuel before doing so to make the job easier On a seperate note, that's not *another* coil that's failed on your car is it Dino? It only killed the last one 6 months ago on the way back from the 'Ring... No I put that one back on and it lasted all this time!!! Am gonna sort the fuel lines in the engine bay first and see if anything leaks at the rear of the car. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonmurgie 2 Posted February 7, 2006 So why are jubilee's so bad for fuel lines?! I'm using them on mine... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SPGTi 2 Posted February 7, 2006 Have you checked the fuel filler pipe ? This is exposed and joined with a big jubilee clip. This is disconnected when the tank is dropped. Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maturin23 10 Posted February 7, 2006 (edited) I think jubilee clips fitted to narrow bore pipes tend to pinch the hose when they're done up really tight. The design of the fuel hose clips spreads the tension through the whole of the clip. Edited February 7, 2006 by maturin23 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT205 42 Posted February 7, 2006 Anyone got a picture or can describe a 'fuel line clip' as I have a non-jubillee style clip and that came off too - could have been very nasty if the exhaust manifold had managed to ignite it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony 1,000 Posted February 7, 2006 Anyone got a picture or can describe a 'fuel line clip' as I have a non-jubillee style clip and that came off too - could have been very nasty if the exhaust manifold had managed to ignite it Something like this - seals all the way round the hose, rather than on just 90% of it like a regular jubilee does. Motor factors sell them for pennies - I think a bag of 10 cost me about £2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Thomson 6 Posted February 7, 2006 Aeroquip hoses 'sweat' to a certain degree. One of my mates has a 106 stage car which always stinks of fuel - and he reckons it's just the fuel lines sweating a bit of fuel. Nothing to worry about. He's a professional rally preperation chappy and reckons that the WRCs he looks after do exactly the same thing. Or... you might have a hole burnt through the tank if it wasn't removed before the cage was welded in. Fuel would piss out whenever you go round a corner but you wouldn't notice anything when it's parked up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dream Weaver 2 Posted February 7, 2006 I also use jubilee's on my fuel lines, couldn't find any 10mm petrol clips, only the 6mm ones. So the 6mm hose has proper clips, the 10mm hose has jubilees. No problems with them so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars Posted February 7, 2006 I had a similar issue with the stench of fuel, mainly after cornering in a spirited way, Only when I brimmed the tank did I find the leak after the petrol started pouring out over tesco's forecourt. Turned out to be the filler neck spill hose in the weel arch had a hole in it. Might be worth checking out. I also use jubilee clips and not had any problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT205 42 Posted February 7, 2006 Something like this - seals all the way round the hose, rather than on just 90% of it like a regular jubilee does. Motor factors sell them for pennies - I think a bag of 10 cost me about £2 Cheers Anthony - mine isn't like that it's like a ring with both ends bent up and a nut and bolt through it (no locking nut though) I'll be getting a proper one Dave Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base-1 17 Posted February 7, 2006 Aeroquip hoses 'sweat' to a certain degree. One of my mates has a 106 stage car which always stinks of fuel - and he reckons it's just the fuel lines sweating a bit of fuel. Nothing to worry about. He's a professional rally preperation chappy and reckons that the WRCs he looks after do exactly the same thing. Agreed, all the cars at work have a disctinct smell - kind of a fuel/oil/exhaust mix, funnily my car smells the same but I think thats because you can smell fuel from the carbs and it leaks oil! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
