OldGray320i
OldGray320i Dork
6/8/18 9:10 p.m.

Out and about,  wife and I stop for dinner, too crowded, come back out to go somewhere else, and HUGE smell of gas vapor. 

 The car did this a year or two ago, but randomly, and mostly going up above 5K feet.  I thought exhaust was too hot (thin wall tubing behind resonator) cooking gas tank.    Wrapped exhaust, happened one more time, not again.

Until now. 

Seems heat related, never happened in winter. 

What check valves or return lines or electronic components would just dump BAD gas vapor into the cabin?

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 MegaDork
6/8/18 9:15 p.m.

Mine does in on occasion  when parked with a mostly full tank, fill side slightly lower than the passengers side. Never been able to find it.

OldGray320i
OldGray320i Dork
6/8/18 9:41 p.m.

I'll have to look at a diagram this weekend, see what components are where. 

It was like spilling a gallon of gas inside the car. 

No external leaks, fuel hoses out back were replaced, I don't get it. 

Woody
Woody GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
6/8/18 10:10 p.m.

Click here and scroll down

Miata Wintercrosser Page 4, fuel smell

 

 

OldGray320i
OldGray320i Dork
6/8/18 10:25 p.m.

In reply to Woody :

I know I changed the little return hose, thought I did the filler hose too, but I'm wondering now. 

I want to say I did, as there was a bit of rust on the neck, so I cleaned and shot a little Rustoleum on it. 

You can smell a bit of it in the gas smell.

This is the strongest it's ever smelled, though, by far. 

OldGray320i
OldGray320i Dork
6/8/18 10:52 p.m.

Talk to me about purge valves.

One under the hood I've never checked, the one in the canister at the bottom rear of the car functioned with 12v applied last year. 

kilgoretrout
kilgoretrout Reader
6/9/18 12:25 a.m.

I had that same problem ages ago, when I had a Miata. If I remember correctly, there was a gasket under the fuel pump assembly that caused it. I replaced that and it was good to go.

TurboFocus
TurboFocus Reader
6/9/18 3:31 a.m.

you dont know gas smell until your carb is shooting out fuel, similar to a hose, all over the hot components of the engine bay LOL that'll work out a sphincter for sure

 

Anyways, there are generally only a few parts to a fuel assembly. start there, take off some of the fittings where an o-ring would be and check for torn/rotten rubber. next would be all the gaskets in the pump area like Kilgore mentioned. it might also not be enough to take a cursory look under the car/with a mirror and or phone to check for damage, physically disassembling the components and getting a good and proper look has showed the damaged components previously unseen I don't know how many times before. the Opel has shown me this more times than id like to talk about and its an easy to see open book car.

 

thats how id start.

OldGray320i
OldGray320i Dork
6/9/18 10:49 a.m.

In reply to kilgoretrout :

 Wouldn't it be a little more constant and consistent if it were a gasket?

OldGray320i
OldGray320i Dork
6/9/18 10:55 a.m.
TurboFocus said:

you dont know gas smell until your carb is shooting out fuel, similar to a hose, all over the hot components of the engine bay LOL that'll work out a sphincter for sure

 

Anyways, there are generally only a few parts to a fuel assembly. start there, take off some of the fittings where an o-ring would be and check for torn/rotten rubber. next would be all the gaskets in the pump area like Kilgore mentioned. it might also not be enough to take a cursory look under the car/with a mirror and or phone to check for damage, physically disassembling the components and getting a good and proper look has showed the damaged components previously unseen I don't know how many times before. the Opel has shown me this more times than id like to talk about and its an easy to see open book car.

 

thats how id start.

 Pretty much what it smelled like. 

Did a lot of what you said on back half of the car a year or two ago, but not the under-the-hood end; this will be next.  Replacing vacuum and vent lines wholesale is cheap, and often there are little splits in hoses one does not always see.

Hoses and gaskets are cheap. 

kilgoretrout
kilgoretrout Reader
6/9/18 1:16 p.m.

In reply to OldGray320i :

I can't remember exactly (this was like 10yrs ago), but I don't think my was consistent, so I wouldn't rule it out.

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