Petrol Smell in Cabin

[2207]

Hi Guys,

Any ideas why I get a petrol smell in the cabin I can't see any signs of a fuel leak and it's usually only smelt when I turn the aircon on?

Any assistance would be great, thanks

[blower]

Does is only smell first thing from a cold start, or are you smelling it at other times, even after the car has warmed up?

[2207]

yes, usually cold starts and if the heating is used when the car is driven for a short while. it's only ever when the air con is used tho

[blower]

Does sound like you have a leak in or around the engine bay.

Take the engine cover off and have a sniff round the engine bay (be careful if the engine is hot), if it smells of petrol then there is a leak somewhere.

[2207]

thanks for helping out mate, I removed the engine cover and I can smell petrol, do you think it's worth taking it to a garage or are there further checks I could do?

[AlanH]

I know this sounds stupid, but is your petrol cap on properly?
Please don't take that as an insult, a mate hadn't done the petrol cap up properly and was getting petrol smells in the car


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blower]

I know this sounds stupid, but is your petrol cap on properly?
Please don't take that as an insult, a mate hadn't done the petrol cap up properly and was getting petrol smells in the car

Reasonable suggestion - i had a broken seal on my petrol cap and would smell petrol around that area until i replaced the seal - but didnt get a smell from the internal air vents.
Any petrol smell coming through the air vents, even after the car has warmed up is a sign of leaking petrol in the engine bay area.

Pretty certain you have a petrol leak in the engine bay - you should not be smelling any petrol there.
It could be leaking from the fuel hose to the high pressure fuel pump, or from the fuel pump to the fuel rail, or from the fuel pump or fuel rail itself.
It's most likely to be a rubber fuel hose to the pump or the return line from the fuel rail. You can try following the hose to the high pressure fuel pump and checking for leaks....its easier to see leaks when its running but only do this on a cold engine (just so you don't burn yourself on a hot engine or run the risk of it all igniting in your face!)

Best get it to a garage if your not handy with dismantling stuff in the engine bay, any substantial fuel leaks in the engine bay could cause a fire if it hits the hot turbo or exhaust down below.
I would refrain from doing any real driving until you get it to a garage.

[2207]

thanks for the replies, I've had the car checked out and no leaks found, I haven't really smelt it strongly over the last few days so not too sure what the issue was but seems sorted now.

[Spannerdave]

HI...a few weeks ago this happened to me . It was the home secretary who first noticed it. A few days later we were nicely settled in the fast lane on the A1 when there was a dramatic loss of power, limp mode, and bellows of white fumes out the exhaust. To cut a long story short one of the injectors had gone. I was advised to have all four replaced at considerable cost.

I had only a week before had a new manifold fitted (the common flap thing problem on 2Ltr engines) so over those weeks spent a fortune, lost confidence in the car, and have now sold it.

Unhappy end to five years enjoyment of the car....!!

Might be a good idea to have VW check it on the computer..

All the best...Dave

[blower]

One other thing it could be is something wrong with the EVAP system.

FSI/TSI cars have an activated charcoal canister on the right side of the engine bay, near the front by the headlight.
This canister filters petrol fumes from the tank, absorbing the petrol vapour and venting the remainder to inside the engine bay / atmosphere.

There is a solenoid valve that regularly opens to 'purge' the canister, drawing fresh air through it and then into the intake manifold - effectively clearing out the absorbed petrol fumes, and allowing the canister to do its job properly.

If this solenoid valve malfunctions (gets stuck, stops opening etc), then the canister will never be purged, it will reach saturation point and then you will start getting a strong smell of petrol in the engine bay and hence through the air vents.

The Engine ECU can detect if the EVAP system is malfunctioning and will log a fault code, if you have not had the car scanned yet then it could be worth while to do so. A malfunctioning EVAP system will produce a variable petrol smell - depending on how much driving has recently been done, and how full the petrol tank is.

[CleanDiesel]

It could also be a sign of it running rich or a cylinder misfiring/not fully igniting.

Does your engine have an oil breather running between the rocker cover and the throttle body? I know VW like to set them up that way and they get very brittle. Would just be two easy clips to take off and actually take it off to check (if you have one) as they usually corrode and crack underneath.