I smell gas!

[nuwde]

I'm not even gonna ask if something is wrong. I'm just gonna ask what I should do or check for.

When my engine starts, I can sometimes smell gas near the engine even when the hood is down. When I pop the hood it's strong. When I am in the front 2 seats I also smell it. It will go away after a few minutes every time. There is no leak under my car that I am aware of. I assume it's some hose or valve that needs replacing or tightening. Any ideas? Greatly appreciate it!

Edwin

[Mas (UK)]

just a couple months back over your side of the pond. Whenever we were driving down the road there was a distinct fresh petrol smell in the cabin, especially more so when the fan was on. It's obvious to say that any noticeable petrol smell entering the cabin is a serious risk and requires immediate attention. But looking in the engine bay I didn't immediately see a big red arrow pointing to where the problem was. Since petrol is so volatile, it evaporates pretty quicky without leaving marks around the leakage site. So the Columbo in me decided to sniff around ... literally. What I did notice was abnormal strong petrol smell from around where the injectors sit along the cylinder head. But still couldn't see any petrol leaking. The problem was obvious after I did the same but with the engine running ... since the fuel system and injectors are under high pressure when the engine is running, I could now see petrol dripping off the common rail bar connecting the injectors and dripping onto the back of the cylinder head. In the end, it turned out that the little rubber seal around one of the injectors had rotted away over the years and was letting fuel p*ss out the side.

Worth checking around the injectors with the engine running.

Good luck!

Mas

[632 Regal]

I'm not even gonna ask if something is wrong. I'm just gonna ask what I should do or check for.

When my engine starts, I can sometimes smell gas near the engine even when the hood is down. When I pop the hood it's strong. When I am in the front 2 seats I also smell it. It will go away after a few minutes every time. There is no leak under my car that I am aware of. I assume it's some hose or valve that needs replacing or tightening. Any ideas? Greatly appreciate it!

Edwin

[Gman]

Wheh I smelled gas earlier this summer on my 535 it turned out to be a loose (vacuum) hose coming from the charcoal canister to a connector near the bottom of the intake manifold. Note: Another symptom from the vacuum leak was a jerking hesitation when shifting gears under hard throttle and a rough idle. Tightened it up and both the smell and hesitation went away! Hope this helps.

[Elekta]

two rubber hoses along fuel rail, each around 3inches longs. Give a turn or two on the clamp that's dripping. If you replace the hoses, use the right size hose and good clamps. Usually appears on cold mornings. Open the hood when you first start the car and find the culprit. You won't find it if its warm.

Just happened again on the 535 yesterday and I replaced both the hoses and clamps last year.

cold weather = shrinkage.

[nuwde]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Can you tell me where to look? Not sure what the fuel rail is. I have a 92 525i

Thanks!

[Al Gray]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Can you tell me where to look? Not sure what the fuel rail is. I have a 92 525i

Thanks!


I have a 1992 525i also. Take the plastic cover off the top of the engine. There should be two plastic circles that you need to gently pry off with a screw driver. Once you remove those you will see two bolts that hold the cover in place. Remove the top cover and you will see the fuel rail that will be on the drivers side of the engine. It is about 2 feet long and has short 3 inch hoses at the front and rear of the rail. Buy some fuel line ( I think its is 3/8 inch and some new hose clamps. Replace the hoses and clamps. Check for leaks and make sure the clamps are tight. If this fails to solve your problem, you may have a possible leak from the O rings on the fuel injectors. There are two O rings per injector. O rings are inexpensive and their replacement is another procedure that I won't go into at this time. Try the fuel rail hoses first to see if that solves your problem.

Al Gray

[nuwde]

Thanks for the info Al. Do you have a suggestion of where to buy the fuel line and clamps? I am looking at BMA online and they have different fuel lines with mm lengths. Also, don't see any hose clamps. I could probably go to the dealer, but it'd be more expensive. Just wanted to see my options. Thanks!

Also, yesterday morning, I found green liquid dripping from under the engine. It's the first time I've seen that. Is that my coolant?

Edwin


I have a 1992 525i also. Take the plastic cover off the top of the engine. There should be two plastic circles that you need to gently pry off with a screw driver. Once you remove those you will see two bolts that hold the cover in place. Remove the top cover and you will see the fuel rail that will be on the drivers side of the engine. It is about 2 feet long and has short 3 inch hoses at the front and rear of the rail. Buy some fuel line ( I think its is 3/8 inch and some new hose clamps. Replace the hoses and clamps. Check for leaks and make sure the clamps are tight. If this fails to solve your problem, you may have a possible leak from the O rings on the fuel injectors. There are two O rings per injector. O rings are inexpensive and their replacement is another procedure that I won't go into at this time. Try the fuel rail hoses first to see if that solves your problem.

Al Gray

[Hernan Ortega]

check the fuel regulator