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Strong smell of fuel


SneakyMcC
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I mentioned the other week in the "Musty Aircon" post, that I’m getting a smell of fuel soon after start up. mad.gif

I’m guessing now, but since we had the A/C disinfected in our car, the smell has changed to a smell of petrol instead of the weird solvent smell from before the work was carried out. I guess the weird smell was the germified a/c unit and the petrol. confused.gif

The weird smell also started immediately after the cambelt was changed. Does anyone know of fuel lines that are close to anything that the cambelt change might have disturbed, or a common course of leaking petrol?

Mines a 3.7 A8 of 1996 vintage.

Thanks gang beerchug.gif

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Hi Sneaky,

my car suffers the exact same symptoms and has for about 6 months on and off (cambelt was also changed around that time!!), I generally only the get the smell of fuel on start up and the following mile or so, then it goes away. I've checked every fuel line up front and can find nothing, she's been back to the dealer twice for them to have a dig round and again they have found nothing at all, a mystery!!??

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Hmm, pressure regulator maybe? There's a few gaskets in there, which may be a bit old and brittle? That'd be my first thought. Next, injectors, fuel lines?

Thinking the 'auto choke' may have something to do with it, since it dissapears when the engine is warmed up?

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You could be right Sven, the choke would make sense as generally it only does it when cold. Sneaky, I'll have a look in the Bentley manual tonight and post a pic. The dealer is "John Fox Audi" their in Nottingham 0115-9789293. Usually their pretty good and no they didn't charge to have a look round but I do have a good rapour with them.

cheers

Ben.

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Don't you guys ever look at audipages? confused.gifsmirk.gif

Check this article out.

fuel1.JPG

Normally this fitting will leak when it's very cold out....but it could also leak when it's warm.

There is another very similar fitting under the air cleaner cowl just outboard of it. That one also leaks.

People have cut the fittings out and just put hose clamps on them, which has worked sucssesfully.

If you get the strong smell in the cabin, and it's not just after filling the tank up....then it's probably these fittings which are specific to pre face lift cars. Post face lift cars have different fittings.

If it started leaking after a cam belt change, then it's probably because the mechanic was leaning on them, it's hard not to do when putting the cam locks in place in the back of the motor. Then the fittings will get deformed internally and start leaking.

Look for the white residue on the lines and if you see it, it's leaking....guess where it falls on? The exhaust manifold! FIREdevil.gif

You don't want that.

Check it out and tell me what you find.

pw

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Dealer called to say they've received the mail (and PaulW's post). But there A8 techy has not come across this prob before UHOH7.GIF Is this dealer speak for "we're determined to have some diagnostic labour from you regardless to whether we know what the likely cause is" FIREdevil.gif

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Had a rummage under the bonnet (fanx 4 the pics guys) this evening. Could find no obvious marks as you described, Paul, but found that part of the think pipe from the airbox to the induction system(?) was not seated properly and the jubilee clip had not been tightened.

I think that the wide pipe was barely seated on the underside. I was unable see or feel down there but looking at the angles, I’d guess it wasn’t. Reconnected now so fingers crossed.

Please attachment...

post-2854-137914276141_thumb.jpg

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Well, it's been a week since I put that hose (part of the induction system) back on. Apart from the very next morning (wife said she thought she could smell fuel, but from the car in front smirk.gif) we've had no smell of petrol smile.gif

Prolly still to soon to party, but I'm getting pretty close to shouting yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! grin.gif

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I know I keep saying how bored I'm after 4yrs with our old 8. I just returned from a quickish jaunt to Southend-on-Sea to drop my vat return in, and feck me, after being forced to be driven in and drive an old Saab (from the same year)today, what a fecking treat the 8 still is grin.gif

Shocked me how planted around some of them round abouts she still is (long as you stay off the loud pedal, o'course!).

Got to go to Birmingham tomorrow in the fecking, fecking, fecking Saab mad.gif

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Yes, your absolutely right. I've never had a car I enjoy so much, that gives both, speed, handling, comfort and prescence. Even when I had a new A8 2.8 loaner I was glad to get in the old 4.2. I'm sadly only looking to get rid because she's trying her best to bankrupt me......A load of us went to the motor show in convoy a few weeks ago, my mate took about an hour of video footage of my motor cruising down the M42, still looks good, particularly the new wheels, even for an 8 year old motor, the shape doesn't look outdated at all. Who knows, when I return to the German fold it might have to be an S8............... smile.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

Well, it's been a week since I put that hose (part of the induction system) back on. Apart from the very next morning (wife said she thought she could smell fuel, but from the car in front smirk.gif) we've had no smell of petrol smile.gif

Prolly still to soon to party, but I'm getting pretty close to shouting yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Am I tempting fate by saying "still no smell of fuel" slap.gif

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