Date:         Wed, 27 Sep 2000 10:37:42 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Sachs <donsachs@TELUS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Sachs <donsachs@TELUS.NET>
Subject:      90  Vanagon fuel/mix smell
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Hi Folks,
I'm a newbie on this particular list, but figured someone out there may have
seen this problem.  Here goes...  I have a 90 Westy.  I traded up from my
1994 about two years ago.  The 1990 runs great, idles perfectly, gets about
20 - 21 mpg on the highway and uses very little oil (<< 1 liter between
changes) (heads done by a previous owner at a dealer).  Here is the problem.
There is a slight, but constant fuel smell (it actually smells more like
fuel air mix than raw fuel) eminating from an area behind the little black
oil breather tower just to the left and behind the alternator.  You can
smell it when the engine gets up to operating temp.  It then takes several
hours for the smell to dissipate - almost like all the fuel vapour in the
manifold has to evaporate???  When the engine is warm you can sniff it on
the passenger side rear wheel well (but the strongest smell is over the
engine where I described).  There is no sign of any leaks anywhere and like
I said, the engine runs beautifully.  My mechanic is quite good, he was the
VW dealer mechanic in town here before the dealership closed, and he can't
find it.  He says this van runs better than any one he has ever driven.  I
really wouldn't care about the leak except that I have a toddler and a baby
who routinely sit back there and eventually small amounts of odor enter the
back seat area on long trips - this is obviously bad for little kids.  Also,
when you camp it takes about 3 or 4 hours for the smell to dissipate after
the engine is cooled off.  The smell has gotten stronger over the last 3 or
4 months since I first noticed it, but still not enough of a leak to find
it.  Here is what we have tried so far:

1.  dropped the fuel tank to discover that the prevvious owner had replaced
it - in great shape - no rust, all fittings tight.
2.  repaired the lines and valves on the two little overflow fuel tanks on
either side of the body.

3.  replaced the the little fitting where the fuel line comes through the
firewall, and the fuel lines from the firewall to the engine, the fuel lines
on the right side (I think that's cyl 1 and 3 right?) both to and from the
injector rail.  Also replaced the o-rings on these two injectors as he had a
couple of spares lying around.  Checked the operation of the little fuel
pressure valve - seems fine.
4.  replaced the four little rubber hoses and clamps at the top of the
intake manifolds going into the intake air distributor.

Then I really started grasping at straws....

4.  I replaced the little rubber o-ring at the base of the oil breather
tower.  He said it wouldn't make a difference and he was right - but hey
only $5 and a half hour of my time...

5.  replaced the hose from the oil breather to the air intake.
6.  even replaced the charcoal cannister and checked the valve since my
mechanic had another used cannister lying around he swapped me for free....
7.  Also replaced the rubber gasket around the engine hatch just to cut down
on the odor a bit - no change.

Still have the smell - aaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhh!

My mechanic suggested taking a propane torch (unlit of course...) and
running the gas all along all the fuel lines, manifold, air intakes, etc...
while the engine was idling.  If there was an air leak then the propane
should be sucked in and the idle speed would increase.  I tried this and no
change.  My brother in law has a 1991 and his has no smell whatsoever so I
know I am not crazy...... and my engine runs better than his.... :-)  It
seems to me that if there were some really small leak in the intake air
distributor - perhaps underneath where I couldn't get the propane -  that
this might account for the smell.  Then again, these engines are extremely
sensitive to air leaks, especially at idle, and mine idles perfectly at
about 875 rpm.  I also thought that perhaps the intake manifold gasket might
be leaking on that side, but again my mechanic says if that is so the
engines usually run poorly (and the smell really doesn't seem to be coming
from the gasket, more toward the right center of the engine).  I might
change the gasket anyway since it is an easy and cheap job, but first I
thought I would put out this plea for help.....

So if anyone out there has any ideas or has seen this problem please send me
some advice.



Thanks in advance,

Don


Don Sachs
Forest Research Ecologist
335 Victoria St.
Kamloops, B.C. V2C 2A3
250-372-0055
donsachs@telus.net


[text/html]