Hello all,

The wagon has a fuel stink from the main fuel pump area under the car but no leaks anywhere. Where should I start???

Richard

87 245 DL 360,000 km
82 242 GLT 121,000 km

Great post Richard. I had noticed the smell of fuel from my car after a trip. Exactly where you had described. I looked in the engine, on the ground (near the fuel filter/pump), and in the trunk (at the drain), but no sign of leaks. Thx for bringing this up.
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Michael 'Street'... one AZ '85 244DL 188K miles

You might not see a puddle, but look for signs of dampness. A tiny drop of fuel will create a dark smudge in the grime but will create a huge stink.

Examine the fuel return line. These are famous for rusting through and "weeping" long before they leak gas. In particular, look toward the rear where it loops up and over the rear axle. You can replace the entire steel line with Neoprene fuel hose, since that line has no pressure.

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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

that's the line that is steel and rusted through that caused headaches for me too... and am still considering it as a possible culprit in my idle problems after a new fuel filter and new AMM (my recent problems.)

I patched mine with the largest gas line hose available but it's too thick now to fit in standard clips holding it up....so I just wound it around the other fuel lines.

Again there are Three fuel lines on my car.... and I thought the other two non steel lines were the supply and return with pressure at intake injector system both in non metal lines (much thinner than the steel line (O.D.))... and I thought the rusty one was some sort of vapor return line... but if cut will siphon gas outta the tank...(how'd I know that?... a potential nightmare doing that one night when I clamped off the wrong line..... without taking rear wheel off to see what I was doing... Recommended: adequate jackstands and take the rear wheel off to do this on the ground...)

a dirty job, but needs to be done.

Ignore the following as this is my problem, not yours:

(I've got all kinds of Questions about my fuel system....for one: when I depressureized my system... the fuses in my fuse box didn't seem to do the trick as the one's listed maynot have been the ones to the fuel pumps?.... the book and and my car differ on this.... among many questions as I am dealing with my car's bad idle after getting a new rebuilt AMM (and it was getting bad before my
AMM went bad....so I don't blame it ...yet. )

I know the list: check fuel pressure....(don't have the tools yet..)
clean throttle body... well, need maybe next weekend for that.
check vacumn pressure....again no tools yet for that... but buying tools is probably cheaper than my overpriced local mechanics that seem to try to sell me the wrong solutions...)
ignition timing.>>>? this is different than the new timing belt I think I need...isn't...it ?
anyway. at least my car runs now.

one other thing: someone said, intake manifold gasket could be leaking a little and said it was an 'easy' job...and indications that Man.? said was if the idle gets better after warming up engine that's a good indication of manifold gasket problems (losing vacumn or pressure?) (easy?? not what the mechanics say...)

"Again there are Three fuel lines on my car..."

One is the supply from the tank (tank pump) to the main pump. The second is the return line, from the back end of the fuel pressure regulator -- it simply dumps the gas back into the tank. The third is a vent, which goes forward to the charcoal canister.

You can use ordinary Neoprene fuel hose to repair the steel return line. Usually if a little of the steel line has rusted through, the rest is like Swiss cheese and very fragile. It's best to replace it from way up front to way down back -- about 8-10 feet, or so.

"...the fuses in my fuse box didn't seem to do the trick..."

Those fuses work for a European 240, but not North American. It's more reliable to unplug the main pump under the rear seat, driver's side.

"...someone said, intake manifold gasket could be leaking a little and said it was an 'easy' job..."

Relatively easy. But before tearing it apart, try tightening the manifold nuts.
--
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

I'll check that 'charcoal cannister' and whether my steel line is coming from there. I noticed the cannister this morning as I plugged up the hole in my air filter box going from the exhaust to the air filter and removed the permainently closed front end air intake flapper...which is supposedly temp. controlled?