Have you considered a coolant leak? I know its odor is sweet, not pungent, but still worth checking.

Friends:
Noticing that my 2ooo 2.7 smells like turpentine or fuel inside the passenger compartment. Pretty strong. Actually smells more like paint that gasoline to me. Ideas? Cautionary tales? Funny stories?
All input welcome.

babamoto

... if the smell is stronger next to the battery.
If it is then you may have an issue with the tank's seal (under the battery).
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Pedro y MarkW:
As always, thank you. Still checking it out.

babamoto

installs into the tank under an access panel that is under the battery box. The fuel pump is (should be) sealed at the tank and then the access panel provides a bit of a back up seal, but of course is not meant to take the place of a properly sealed fuel pump.

If not a fuel pump seal leak there is of course several gas lines that run/from the fuel pump.

There could even be a leak with the fuel tank filler tube or the fuel tank ventilation system.

Now if the smell is present only after you start the car it might still be a fuel/fuel vapor leak -- you have to eliminate these first -- but it could be the cabin's air intake system inhaling some exhaust gas fumes.

Some cold start mornings if the wind is light and just right the smell from the exhaust -- a mix of gasoline and paint thinner/turpentine smell -- in the cabin can be strong enough to make my eyes water and make me vow to next time to shut off the cabin air intake fan before starting the engine.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

Thanks, Marc.
There was the smell of fuel in the cowl area of the front trunk. It worsened considerably during a short drive, and now is reeking up the garage. Nothing obvious, no signs of leakage/moisture of any kind.
Question: What is/how do I examine the fuel tank ventilation system? It it under the battery box as well?
Engine is running fine, but I'm worried.


babamoto

Possibly the heater's plumbing now that the weather's cold.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2010 07:05PM by Laz. (view changes)

OK, Marc, I hear ya. It's dangerous. I'm calling my Indy repair shop.
Is this a common thing, or is it a rare blessing?
Anyway, thank you for the warning, man. It's much appreciated.
The smell is getting stronger and stronger, and it is definitely fuel.

babamoto

PS Thanks to Laz too.

if an automaker's vehicles get a rep for auto-igniting (no pun) and turning a perfectly fine vehicle into a sheet metal flambé that's a pretty bad rep to overcome.

So thankfully fuel leaks are rare. But fuel systems and their components of course age and a fuel leak as a car gets older becomes more likely.

I was taught that at least with modern cars with the engine off should one *NOT* smell gasoline and with the engine on or off one should not smell anti-freeze.

(Dropped the Turbo off at the local Porsche dealer this AM for an oil/filter change. Walked by it and smelled coolant. Checked the car's coolant level and sniffed around and couldn't smell any anti-freeze from any of the possible sources. But there was a Cayman parked behind my car.

I went inside the dealer and spoke with the service manager about the coolant smell and he told me the Cayman was in for a water pump. He said he too smelled the antifreeze smell from the Cayman.)

Sincerely,

MarcW.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2010 03:24PM by MarcW. (view changes)

See how dry and dusty this area is?

This is what no fuel leak -- at least from around the fuel pump, the locking collar that holds the fuel pump secure in the tank, the fuel lines that run from the fuel pump to the external fuel lines, etc. -- looks like.



Ummm the leaves are there for decoration.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

Quote
babamoto
Thanks, Marc.
There was the smell of fuel in the cowl area of the front trunk. It worsened considerably during a short drive, and now is reeking up the garage. Nothing obvious, no signs of leakage/moisture of any kind.
Question: What is/how do I examine the fuel tank ventilation system? It it under the battery box as well?
Engine is running fine, but I'm worried.


babamoto

the fuel pump or one of the fuel pump lines/fittings.

To get at the fuel pump you have to remove the cowl access panels, the battery cover, the battery, the battery box, and the panel that covers the access to the fuel pump.

Now, if there is a smell of fuel there is almost certainly a flammable mixture of air and gasoline so you need to know what you're doing. Fuel leak diagnosis is not for the amateur mechanic. One can get into deep doo doo PDQ. There is always the risk of gas fumes explosion which can set the car, the garage, the house, even you afire.

There are gas fumes present and you're faced with removing the battery and cowl access are panels, disconnecting the battery and removing battery, then removing the screws that hold the fuel pump access panel secure.

At anyone of these steps almost certainly there'll be a static electrical discharge.

You are in a very dangerous situation.

My advice is to get the car to a qualified shop via a flat bed truck and let an expert dig into this for you. Even the fuel tank ventilation system presents a risk and to access it requires going up inside the passenger front fender via the wheel well liner. It occurs to me too that if this ventilation system leaking the check engine light should be on. But that the check engine light is not one is not proof positive there is no ventilation system leak.

If you want to proceed -- and I urge you to not proceed on your own but get the car to a shop -- you need to get the car out of doors, with a fan blowing to keep fume buildup down. I'd keep the cabin windows down to prevent any gas fume buildup in the cabin.

My WAG is that if there was a gas leak it would be evident once the fuel pump cavity under the fuel pump access panel under the battery box was exposed.

However, it could be there is a fuel leak from a fuel line that runs from/to the fuel pump and the leaking line is only visible from underneath the car. If you're lucky you might see some fuel stain under the car or on one or more underbody panels under the car. But this presence of gas stain is not guaranteed. It does not take much gasoline to make a big stink and the liquid gasoline could turn into fumes before it manages to reach the ground under the car.

If there is leakage around the pump it may be simply the fuel pump's threaded locking collar is loose. There is a wrench for this but someone within the last few months managed to loosen this and tighten it by some other means. Or it can be a fuel line coupling/connection or fuel line. I can't recall for sure but I don't think the fuel lines from the pump to the chassis fuel lines are sold separately. I have an old fuel pump on my office floor (in a box) and they do not look like they are sold separately. Also, I saw the new fuel pump and these short sections of fuel lines were present on the new fuel pump out of the box.

Really, unless you are very sure of your automotive skill in this area you should leave this to the experts. There is no shame in doing this. It is just good common sense.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

Well, after agonizing ovah this fuel leakage/intoxicating cabin fumes, it turned out to be... a leaky fuel filter dripping 91 octane onto the body panels under the car and creating a molotov cocktail situation the protesters in Tahrir Square might be hip to.
Apparently, it wasn't changed @ the 60K maintenance. Hit 118 on the northbound 405 on the test run following the filter replacement. Haha. Pls don't burn me alive

the flame you were expecting.

Sincerely,

MarcW.