STRONG FUEL SMELL.....HELP!!!!

[ANDY34]

Hi Guys
Having a problem with the Cerb stinking of petrol,its a fuel smell not a fume smell-when i drive with the windows open the smell of petrol is strong at low speed,when i wind the windows up and turn the cold fan on to circulate the air the smell goes away at all speeds and does not return if the windows stay closed.With the engine running when you look under the bonnet there is no smell of petrol at all,look under the car,no drips and no smell,but open the boot and the smell is very strong,also with the engine running when i listen in the boot,the back wall under the fuses(sorry to be crude)but it sounds like someone is having a pee against it -that is the best way to describe it,is this normal? This smell has only just started so i do not think its just coming from the filler cap,also the carpet is dry,if i wipe my hand over it,it doesn't smell.Any ideas?

Thanks

Andrew

[ridds]

Sounds like the fuel tank return line if it's making noise like dripping water in the boot. There's a line that runs up the transmission tunnel so pull the helmet holder out and look behind the seats.

[ANDY34]

Thanks for that,should it be under the fuel level,does it need pushing back in or do you think it might have ruptured.

[ridds]

I expect it will be a very small hole in the hose. If it had ruptured fully or fallen off you would know about it!

[BliarOut]

Do you have flexible fuel lines running between the bulkhead and the engine the same as the Griff/Chim? If so replace them as a matter of course as they perish!

[ANDY34]

OK thanks for that i will have a look.

[ANDY34]

Have had a look behind the seats and nothing,sound of running water is coming from the top RHS inside the fuel tank itself.

[ANDY34]

Just had a bit of a poke about and there is a pipe going into the back of the fuel tank opposite the point where i can hear the running noise,so the running noise may just be the returning fuel hitting the front face of the tank,also the pipes are dry and there is no fuel smell behind the seats.

[ridds]

Next place are passenger side rear wheel arch and the under the expansion tank for the coolant.

[GT6k]

When mine did this is turned out to be an injector o-ring. Once the induction pipes were off one was slightly wet at the top, the leak was only a slight weap but the car smelt rally badly.

[ANDY34]

The car does not smell of fuel unless the windows are down,a guy at work -who knows a lot about cars -but nothing about TVR's said check the fuel purge pipe,where it emits the vapour and could it be blocked,what do you think?

[ANDY34]

The thing that's got me is it doesn't smell under the bonnet,under the car,inside the car(with the windows up),the only place it smells strongly is in the boot,or inside the car with the windows down.

[FUBAR]

Mine is the same at the moment, most noticeable with lots of fuel on board. Getting it looked at next week.

[FarmyardPants]

To the OP have a look under the car at the back. On the nearside you'll find the pump and some interconnecting fuel pipes, it's common for these to perish and weep fuel. It only takes a bit of fuel to give a strong smell..

[Mad Mark]

I don't think it's been mentioned already but check the two jubilee clips that are just under the fuel cap in the boot.
Mine came loose last year and had a similar effect.