[Rala]

Well I finally got rid of the gas odor in my 78 Spider. I have been battling this for better part of a year. It wasn't bad at first, more of an annoyance. Although mama banished the car to the driveway. I tried all the usual. Replaced all the fuel hoses in the trunk, the gas cap, filler hose, took apart the vapor canister, changed the sending unit gasket when I put in a new in-tank pump, etc,etc.
It was worse after stop and go driving in town. No bad on the open raod. It finally got bad enough to spot the source. It is the electrical connections on the fuel gague sending unit.

Gasoline and electicity what a great combination.

Replaced the sending unit and all's well, but I don't think I'll ever be allowed in the garage again.

 

[TorW]

It is the electrical connections on the fuel gague sending unit.
Gasoline and electicity what a great combination.

Not much chance of a spark, really, but still

I had a trail of fuel following me for quite a while, before finding out that my dual electric fuel pumps were leaking through the electrical connectors. Each pump draws 3A while running ...

 

[aftaab]

I've got a strong fuel smell in the trunk of my 84 Spider. It's also in the ****pit of the car. I don't have a great deal of mechanical knowledge, but I'd like to be able to fix the problem without taking it to my mechanic unless necessary. How would I go about checking the electrical connections on the fuel sending guage? Where is it?

I had the fuel pump changed earlier this year and apparently the line leading to it was a water line, not recommended for fuel so I suspect that I will need to change all the hoses. I'd appreciate any info I can get on locating the leak and repairing it and making sure that I get rid of all potential problems regarding fuel.

 

[Zunige]

I've got a strong fuel smell in the trunk of my 84 Spider. ...

Hi Aftaab,

Any minute leak (from a less than tight clamp, or even a loose gas cap) will produce a very strong gas smell... The good thing is that these are not hard to fix and once they are, you won't have to worry about this for many years. I would start with the hoses and vapor recovery system inside the trunk. (It's inside the compartment where the jack is.) The yellow and white valves may also need to be cleaned. There have been a few threads covering this, and I've listed a few below. Do read through them, and you will find that each one has some great posts and these will give excellent insight and confidence to do a good job. (If you decide to change your hoses, I can also vouch for Greg Gordon's kit, and the info on his website.) Anyway, here are some threads that you may find useful:

• Fuel Smell in a Series 3 SOLUTION
• Gas Smell
• Fuel smell...solved... but missed?
• 1985 spider graduate...smell of fuel
• I smell gas!
• Fuel tank plumbing issues

Best regards,

 

[aftaab]

Hi Aftaab,

Any minute leak (from a less than tight clamp, or even a loose gas cap) will produce a very strong gas smell...

Thanks so much Enrique! I will go through all the threads and get busy in my quest to learn everything about my Spider which I'm enjoying thoroughly by the way! I'll definitely give you a call soon and tell you of all my adventures with Zingara as she's been part of many weekends away since March and is slowly and surely having all parts replaced or upgraded.

Aftaab

 

[Alfacliff]

does your cas cap "whoosh" when removing it after driving? mine did, it turned out to be a plugged up oil vapor seperator. didnt get rid of all the gas smell, but helped. hoses got rid of the rest.
cliff

 

[aftaab]

No whoosh sound from the cap. However, I did get in there and tighten whatever I could. The clamps holding the thick hose that covers the gas filler neck were quite loose. I was able to tighten each screw about 10 revolutions each. Where the fuel comes directly out of the tank (there are a few electrical connections there), one of the screws didn't match the others and was too long so there was no option for a washer or tight seal. I've replaced this as well.

The end result of this is that I no longer smell fuel in the ****pit, but the smell is still lingering in the trunk although not as strong as before. I don't know if it is just residual. I'll wait a couple of days and see if it has dissipated. Either way, the hoses are old and in poor shape so I will be replacing the lot as I want to make sure that the fuel system is completely safe.

 

[Zunige]

...The end result of this is that I no longer smell fuel in the ****pit, but the smell is still lingering in the trunk although not as strong as before. I don't know if it is just residual. ...

Keep your fingers crossed... There is a good chance that the lingering smell is just residual, 'cause the tinniest leak always makes it to the ****pit, and there's no doubt about the smell... If you haven't done so, it is a good idea to service the valves, when you change the hoses.

Best regards,