I have noticed a strong scent of gas inside the cabin after I have driven my 320i and turned off the motor. I cannot find any signs of gas leakage on the ground but I know that it has to be going some where. Also, the fuel usage seems to be a little high. This is my first project car, but I have calculated that the car is averaging 20 mpg. Does anyone know what would contribute to these signs?

could be the seal for an injector. one of mine were leaking, i have 6 new ones coming in on the 26th.

If it is inside the cabin mostly, my guess is that one of the vent hoses on top of the tank is rotten at the connection or the gasket that seals the intankpump/sending unit is bad.

One of the hoses from my sending pump broke and it was spraying fuel on the ground. From below the rear seat. Pull your rear seat out and check you hoses.

I had the same problem, it was the gas tank hoses. Mine leaked fuel when I topped off the tank, so that's an easy way to check. Replaced all the tank hoses, no gas smell, no leaks.

For your consideration: Any time I top off my tank, I leak fuel like a sieve. I have to rotate my choice of filling stations to keep from attracting too much attention.

From what I've guessed, I'm going to have to drop the tanks to fix the hose. Man, that's going to be no fun.

Even after the leaking stops, the fumes are bad. I know better than to try smoking in such conditions.

I'm going to suggest that your problem is similar - as user "32047" has the same problem. Might be a recurring defect.

Peace. :)

I had the same problem, it was the gas tank hoses. Mine leaked fuel when I topped off the tank, so that's an easy way to check. Replaced all the tank hoses, no gas smell, no leaks.


Is there an easy way to replace these hoses without dropping the tank? Or is it easy to drop the tank. I don't have access to a hydraulic lift, so I may have to farm the work out.

Yes Mr Ekshin/Idamoore it's a very common problem. It's really not that tough to remedy the toughest part for me was finding the correct fuel lines. Just run the tanks almost dry before you go to do the fix. the tanks themselves are light. You don't need to take the tanks out completely. Once you've taken out the mounting bolts for the tanks they drop down about 6 inches, then you can access every thing you need via the access panel under the rear seat. It's definitely worth fixing, if it's leaking in the right spot it can be leaking right on the exhaust:flamethro and that is, of course, extremely dangerous. Also the fuel system is supposed to be completely sealed so there is a tendency for the lines to lose pressure if the car is parked for a few days resulting in harder starts. I had this symptom, but after I fixed the lines he car kicks over perfectly every time now. Also if you are going to do it you might as well replace all the lines, not just the ones that are weeping fuel. Best of luck, let me know if I can help further :)

Somewhere on here someone posted up US fuel hose sizes and lengths, hose clamps and even diagrams...it took me about 3 hours to do mine and no more gas smell or leaking on fill up.

But I still get about 13 mpg (in the 320i)....I'm thinking I have leaky injectors since it's not coming out from underneath...

After everyone's information, I have narrowed my problem down to the vent lines that come off the fill-hose. These vent hoses are made from braided fibers and I think they have rotted. Do these vent hoses need to be replaced with the same type of hose or can they be replaced with normal rubber gas lines? If so, does anybody know what type I should purchase and how much?

Lennie

I replaced almost all mine with high pressure fuel hose. I couldn't find the big hose in fuel line though and had to use a heater hose, so I guess that big hose will rot out in another 20 years or so...

found the link to the fuel hose replacement guide :) http://web.archive.org/web/20050114221107/www.e21bmw.net/tech/breather/index.php

Well, I finally did it. I replaced the fuel hoses on my car. The hardest part was getting those old clamps off the old hoses. That was aggravating. Other than that, it was just a job of patience. I filled up my car this morning but it only would hold half the amount of gas (7 gal.) that it usually does. Is excessive air in the lines and tanks or something else?