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Fuel smell
OK I think I may have a fuel leak, Newage 2002 WRX.
Just after starting (5mins or so) I get a strong fuel smell in the cabin which then goes away after about 10mins. This does it every time I use the car from cold, any ideas? |
Could be about to orange light, could be over fueling slightly. Changed anything under the bonnet recently?
I guess you've checked all the plumbing etc etc? |
Could just be fumes blowing in from exhaust on cold start.
Additional fuel is pumped in when cranking from cold, which you can sometimes get a wiff off. Especially if reversing v.soon after starting. |
My 02 Bug suffers from fumes inside whilst i'm sitting idling at traffic lights or in traffic, you sure its not just the exhaust fumes or is it a petrol smell?
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Random one but my bro's old nissan did the same, it turned out to be a hole in the center exhaust pipe!!
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I don't mean to worry you, but the last time I smelt petrol............was in Martyn's car.
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I'm gonna take a proper look tonight, the source of the smell is definitely petrol (unburnt) and is coming from the right hand side of the car from the header tank area, is there a breather that could come off in this area but not affect running? I've got the Subaru manual out and am going to take a good look but I'm not having a good run at the moment with the car! The bolt that attaches the alternator to the tensioner has now snapped buggering both belts! It's held on with a crappy mild steel bolt (all the RAC man had) until the proper bolt arrives so fingers crossed! |
doh, doesn't sound too good :(
hope you find the source of the petrol smell without freezing your arse off out there! |
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They are top feeds so should be easy enough to tell if leaking once you have moved a few cables and things away. Pot No.3 injector is further back towards turbo. |
Cheers for that Scott,
From info on Scoobynet it looks like this is a known fault on the Bugs with the fuel pipes, common for a slight leak when it gets cold and the pipes stiffen. It was a warranty fix but not a safety recall, I'll take a look and get James at GRD to take a look when fitting the new injectors on monday (maybe an excuse for billet fuel rails!). |
did you get this sorted Nick?
If so, whats required? I started to notice the same damn thing yesterday and i checked it out today and the fuel smell is definately coming from the area around the header tank like on yours..... |
Still not sorted it! Aparantly it's just a case of replacing the fuel lines but this means removing the inlet manifold and replacing the gaskets. I'm waiting until I can afford to go to a parallel fuel rail setup and tumbler deletes as I only really want to take the manifold off once. My current plan is to get the perrin billet fuel rails and a set of TGVs whjich I will modify to tumbler deletes myself and also port them to the gaskets. Unfortunately this will mean another remap to remove the CEL this will generate and also to compensate for the improved flow.
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Strange but had the same on my bug today....fuel smell from header tank area. Had a good look and found nothing, fuel lines etc all ok!!!
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The cold weather has broken all the bugeyes :rofl:
I had a good dig around on mine and i've worked out where the leak is coming from - the smell got quite bad if i just flicked the ignition on/off a few times without starting it (so the fuel pump primes each time). I can see why its a pig of a job to sort from where the pipes are :( |
What was it then Steve?
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My bro's Bug eye has done exactly the same thing!:shock:
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http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/attach..._smell_tsb.jpg Anyone fancy contacting Gatwick Subaru about a group buy on the modified fuel lines/hoses? :mrgreen: I was reading about it on a thread on scoobynet and the intake manifold has to come off to do it, so new gaskets as well.... |
Great find, will check that against my engine number tomorrow....then maybe gatwick will be getting a call.
If you have main dealer service history maybe worth checking with them to see if it's already been done |
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Let me know if you find anything out from Gatwick :) |
Your right, a service bulletin is not a recall and is not done at Subaru's expense unless the car is still within warranty, a bulletin is something which they release (to the dealers) if things become a known problem so that the techs are aware of the problem and what work needs to be carried out when required.
Will call them tomorrow, will keep you posted. |
Strange how it only effected this model as even Classics have rubber hoses joining the metal ones under the intake.
Maybe they switched supplier or used cheaper rubber. |
hopefully not another cost cutting excerise, but at least you know what the problem is and how to fix it rather than throwing money at it hoping it fixes it
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Have tryed afew times today to get hold of Dave at Gatwick, and he has been busy everytime. Spoke to parts to get some prices and for the pipe, hose and inlet gaskets it works out to about £175inc vat (trade price that is) :doubledown:.
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not really sure what to do about this one - there are threads popping up on scoobynet where other bugeye owners are all having the same issues - its as if the extended cold spell has just exaggerated the problem a lot.
some people just saying they've not bothered fixing it, but i don't like the idea myself - any kind of fuel leak sounds dodgy to me. but its an expensive fix if the problem goes away for another year once the weather starts to warm up in a month or so..... |
When i spoke to them today, they told me they have never sold those parts before......surprised me!!!
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i'll have to have a chat with Tone soon (facebook tells me he's stuck in Paris at the moment!) as he does all the work on my car nowadays, and see what he reckons. is it the sort of thing you'd do yourself? |
I'm going braided on mine (group buy on surrey) :doubleup:
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cheers, whats required with this fix instead? will it just connect up from the fuel rails back to the fuel filter?? (i haven't actually looked at where the metal fuel pipe connects up to at the other end so not sure whats needed to do this. :confused:
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Haven't bothered looking myself yet (it's abit cold), presume its just a case of removing the old metal pipes and hoses and replacing them with braided hose.
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Is anyone thinking of getting braded
fuel lines? |
Yep :doubleup:
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I've had a good look at it and the subaru service manual (let me know if you want a copy) Theproblem I see with going braided is getting it connected to the standard solid fuel lines unless you have some kind of flaring tool. I'm planning to get some billet fuel rails and switch to a parallel fuel rail setup which may mean a new fuek regulator - the Perrin kits are actually quite reasonable and the instruction on the perrin website very detailed and informative and these use the standard regulator.
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i was thinking about this too - i've traced the metal fuel lines back to the fuel filter and beyond - it doesn't look too complicated to do but i know what you mean about the connections Nick - and its not the sort of thing where you want a hose popping off!
With the rubber hoses, you can clamp them down with the standard hose clips - will you still be able to effectively do this on a braided line or will the stainless steel braids restrict how tight you can actually clamp the hose? |
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You can just remove the centre sections and replace with braid lines and finishers or go parallel which will meen a FPR . If any one wants to join the group buy then let us know as it will be ordered next saturday morning as i am hoping to see if i can get a better deal first at auto sport show on friday. Finishers i have found in black rubber/ plastic with stainless steel clamps at £11 for 10 If you want billet fuel lines have bort some of ebay from japan for £50 including delivery |
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Should only really be a pair of inlet gaskets and about £4.00 for a 1M length of fuel hose from any motor factors. Looking at the info above and from my own memory of the Classic connections, the fuel hose lengths are only about 80mm. |
I just priced up the part numbers that are used on the service bulletin....hence the reason i'm going braided.
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But saying that, its a 2002 car so the current hoses have lasted 7 winters already - surely replacing the hoses and leaving the pipework the same should last just as long! |
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Cheers. How is the money side being sorted? |
Have added your name to the group buy on surrey . do you need t's for parallel set up
Money you can give us on collection . I'm not far in horsham |
Cool, will need t's for parralel for a classic. Thanks
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Price in for hose £8 a Metre
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The labour they charge to do the whole job was £216 inc vat and the quote including all parts came to £301 inc vat - which was less than i was expecting. |
well winter can come back if it wants too now, i'm free from fuel smells at last! at least thats one thing off the list to get fixed :)
got to drive a '09 mitsubishi colt to work today...... urgh...... went round a corner and nearly slid the gearstick up my arse, damn seats are like a park bench! |
Sounds like they've not improved them since the 08 I had last time mine was up there, at least it wasn't the Hyundai that I had the time before!
Mine still smells but I will be picking up the Perrin Fuel rails at the weekend!! Also got a new manifold on the way from eBay so I can do the tumbler delete and get it all painted up ready to refit at half term. |
sounds good Nick :doubleup:
gave mine a good run this morning, the power curve feels a bit smoother now - not sure if the fuel leak was causing slight issues with the delivery to the fuel rails or something.... happy its sorted. suspension is next! |
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