Had my bugeye tweaked with:

Walbro
VF30
Uppipe
Injectors
Intercooler
Turbo

It's been mapped and has been fine for a day or so. Now I am getting intermittent petrol fumes coming from the vents and the car when parked up. It happens in the morning, during the drive and then after I've parked it up.

It didn't happen on my way home from work and the temperature was the same (so I don't think it's the fuel rails issue that plagues the bugeye?!). It did happen occasionally before it was worked on although it now seems that the smell is stronger.

Messing with the heater controls seems to make it go away but I want to get it sorted - don't want to take the kids in the car anywhere until the smell goes!

It is a 10 year old car now so could anything have perished? Anywhere obvious to check?

I am taking it to my Scooby mechanic tomorrow but if I can give him some additional suggestions on where to look then it'll give him some pointers. He is usually good but nevertheless your thoughts would be appreciated!

 

Did you fit new o rings to the injectors when you fitted them?

Could be leaking if you didn't....

 

Ask your mapper???

 

Sounds like you do have the WRX problem as it was present before modding. It happens with the car hot or cold ?

Subaru probably won't honour the solution though since the car has now been modded and mapped.

But suggest this is probably the cause.

Other possibles are ...
injector seal (as already mentioned)
Fuel pressure reg

Since the problem has been historically present it should not be a mapping issue.

cheers

bob

 

Thanks for the reply Bob

Thing is that the smell seems a whole lot worse.

I asked the garage and they said the existing O'rings were fine so they were re-used??? Is that normally ok?

I am not 100% sure about the fuel rail issue as even after a drive to work (50miles) it still smells when parked up. Surely if it was the fuel line problem the smell would go when they reached temperature??

 

Yes, sorry Bob. What I meant by my comment was that the mapper may know the answer as he (or she) had recently worked on the car,,,not that it was a fault in the mapping. Appologies

 

If its a bug then its most likely the factory recall fuel lines. There was a big thread on here, some dealers will still sort it. (if it is that)

 

Shouldn't the smell go away though after a drive?

The smell on mine seems to still be there and come's and goes as it pleases!

 

The old pump will probably have been a bit tired that is one reason that it is best to fit an uprated pump thus the smell will have becoime more apparent since the upgrade. So could be the fuel lines are the issue. Sounds like a good time for a parallel fuel system upgrade, this would also solve the fuel supply issue with cylinder 3 due it being at the end of the series fuel system.

 

Singh saab get ur nasals to work! Where abouts is the smell coming from?

 

The Bug fuel smell usually only happens on very cold mornings on start up & usually stops after the engine has warmed up,I've just had the mod done to my bug recently.

I would never re use old o-rings on injectors chances are it could be leaking from any of them,there is also the slim chance one or more may have been damaged when removing or re fitting them,for the sake of a few quid its just not worth re using old injector o-rings.

 

Mate I had this about 3 years ago on my old bug WRX.

As KAS35RSTI mentioned, it was a known issue and is apparently due a design fault with the fuel lines / rails (?) where they leak and let out a fine mist - not sufficient to set on fire but sufficient to noticeably smell!

Although mine was modified, my local dealer replaced the fuel rails for me free of charge under Subaru goodwill.

It was much more noticeable in the cold weather, but I had it intermittently too - the smell frightened me enough that I paid Subaru to do it first and they refunded me later.

 

You could have a blow in ure manifold or downpipe gasket. This happened to my old car several years ago and the gasket was blowing on my downpipe causing the car to smell of petrol. Maybe another allternative to what has allready been mentioned above. Hope you get it sorted buddy

 

Strange, I have a smell of fuel as well but no signs of a leak. Was this a recall then?

 

I believe so yes - if you have a search on here you'll probably find a post where I banged a link to the Subaru article on it, sorry can't remember where it is.

However, note that it depends where the smell is coming from. If it's through your vents it's potentially this issue.
If it's not but bad in the cabin could be the seal / gasket on your fuel pump access in the boot.

 

I honestly don't think it is the smell on cold issue. Today the car registered a 7 degrees celcius on the car thermometer which i'd consider 'not cold' and after doing 50 miles, when I sat in traffic the cabin absolutely reeked of petrol

I am going to leave the car at the garage on the weekend and they can have an attempt at finding the leak!

 

Are you running any sort of the Catch tank?

And same as above can the this issue,I would contact the dealer/DVLA about this issue,is known issue on the New age

Jura

 

No catch can ..... will try DVLA tomorrow if I get a chance

 

Hi folks.. just wanted to say that I have a 2001 forester turbo. Fuel leaking at around freezing temp - it stinks real bad. I called Subaru dealer. They confirmed there is a bulletin out on it and the car is going in for free repair tomorrow.. hope this helps....

 

my bug was a nightmare after i changed the injectors..... re seated them 3 times, in the end had to leave them as i was booked in for a remap, but the following morning hardly any smell - after a week of leaks - 3 months later only smelt fuel about twice in that period.

i did buy a set of seals from subaru just in case - £67 if i remember correctly.

PS mine is a very similar spec.