Fuel smell when cold & loose spark plug!

[Dutch24V 0]

I've noticed in the mornings, when cold, I can smell a slight fuel smell.

It lasts for about 5 minutes and then goes. I had a little look this morning and it found a very small, fine condensation like fuel film on the first 5 mm of the fuel rail, immediately after the join of the top fuel pipe and the rail! When the engine has warmed up enough (and hence the rail) this stops and no more fuel seeps through and the smell goes.

 

I presume this is NOT normal? Also the clips for the fuel pipes are the stupid springy ones and there's only one on each pipe!? They are also beginning to cut into the fuel pipe just a tad! I think I'm going to order some new OE fuel pipes and let VW fit them just to be on the safe side.

 

Just to check though what clips are best for clamping the fuel pipes to the rail. I presume the use-once clamp things with a protective under strap (to stop them cutting into the pipes) that do not come loose an need to be cut off will be the best bet?

 

Also, when checking around this area I noticed in the sunlight a gleaming sparkling coming form the bottom of the HT lead on plug 2. It seems I did not tighten the plug up tight enough when I last checked it (about 2 months ago now :oops: ) and oil has been seeping through the thread!! ...might help to explain my excesive oil consumption a little bit. Doh...

 

Dutch

[dr_mat 0]

Every car with a large engine produces a certain amount of fuel smell when cold. It should be coming from the exhaust though .. There's massive overfuelling on cold starts, particularly with big older engines. Newer ones are better but still do it to some extent.

[Dutch24V 0]

I notice that the newer (post '92) american VR's have an air pump that runs on cold starts to prevent it from running too rich!?

 

Why didn't we get one of these then?

[rmn 0]

make sure your fuel lines on the side of the block are ok, they tend to ware through on vr's!!!!!!

[Dutch24V 0]

Thanks for the advice rmn.

 

These are the ones I'm going to get replaced soon though so hopefully the C won't spontaneously combust!!

[Claret Badger 0]

Every car with a large engine produces a certain amount of fuel smell when cold. It should be coming from the exhaust though .. There's massive overfuelling on cold starts, particularly with big older engines. Newer ones are better but still do it to some extent.

 

 

is that true?

 

SOURCE or LINK please . . . .

[rmn 0]

Thanks for the advice rmn.

 

These are the ones I'm going to get replaced soon though so hopefully the C won't spontaneously combust!!

 

no problem, happened to me!

[Dutch24V 0]

no problem, happened to me!

 

Your C didn't burn I hope?

[rmn 0]

not a c, but lots and lots of work going into a very expencive rebuild now

[dr_mat 0]

Every car with a large engine produces a certain amount of fuel smell when cold. It should be coming from the exhaust though .. There's massive overfuelling on cold starts, particularly with big older engines. Newer ones are better but still do it to some extent.

 

is that true?

 

SOURCE or LINK please . . . .[/quote:4b09d]

 

You haven't noticed it? My VR does it. Mate's 328i does it. Every car I've ever seen started from cold smells of fuel for a short while (to varying degrees). You try walking off a business park in the afternoon. Every big executive saloon that comes past whiffs of petrol..

And it's obvious from the MPG calculations that it's heinously inefficient from cold starts. This is a well known truism.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Paul, your fuel lines have gone porous at the ends. As an interim fix, snip a cm off the end and resecure with fuel hose jublilee clamps from VW, or new spring clamps. I'd personally replace the hoses completely.

 

I had fuel whiff issues too and it was those going porous and also where the rubber hoses and rigid plastic chassis hoses converge, the connections there were a bit old and porous too.

 

It doesn't smell at all now.

 

Dr Mat is right in that you'll get an fuel rich exhaust smell in the mornings, but neat petrol smells signify a leak, plain and simple....nothing to do with cold morning over fuelling.

 

P.S another classic is the airbox rubbing through the carbon canister hoses.... check those too....

[Claret Badger 0]

Every car with a large engine produces a certain amount of fuel smell when cold. It should be coming from the exhaust though .. There's massive overfuelling on cold starts, particularly with big older engines. Newer ones are better but still do it to some extent.

 

is that true?

 

SOURCE or LINK please . . . .[/quote:ce1f7]

 

You haven't noticed it? My VR does it. Mate's 328i does it. Every car I've ever seen started from cold smells of fuel for a short while (to varying degrees). You try walking off a business park in the afternoon. Every big executive saloon that comes past whiffs of petrol..

And it's obvious from the MPG calculations that it's heinously inefficient from cold starts. This is a well known truism.[/quote:ce1f7]

 

 

just bearing in mind what your signature says . . . . . .

 

I had to question -but mine does have a slight whiff of fuel in the am.

[Dutch24V 0]

Sorry to hear that rmn - must have been a nightmare watching her burn up!?

 

Hmmm, sounds about right as they're over 10 years old now. I'm just going to replace ALL the rubber fuel lines me thinks to be on the safe side - and fit them with fuel line jubilees!

 

I had the Airbox totally out Tuesday eve. for refitting my helmet resonator 8) ... and I had a quick look at the CC lines and all looked OK at a glance. I also replaced a clip that holds the top part of the airbox to the bottom as one of mine was missing!

 

Cheers,

Dutch

[fla 9]

I'd personally replace the hoses completely.

 

VW or any other supplier who does them more cheaply?

[Dutch24V 0]

...something as important as fuel lines - VW OE ones all the time.

Sod expense as a burnt up VR would be just a little bit more expensive to put right!!

 

Dutch

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I replaced the lines with VW ones, they cost £50 for those 2 little lengths, but they're cut and shaped precisely for a neat fit. I am happy to pay extra for something that looks right, rather than bodged. I replaced all the clips and jubliee clamps etc aswell. Never get a whiff now.