Petrol smell persists

[Rex]

The fuel sender gasket (it was shot) on my 2002 SV has been replaced and everything put back together, but the gas smell is stronger than ever and the fuel gauge will not go past the 1/2 full mark. The tank is full (10 U.S. gallons). I am perplexed.

[SM25T]

Suggests to me maybe the sender has been refitted incorrectly so the float is fouling. Suspect maybe the fitter has overtightened the screws and deformed the baseplate of the sender.

[7 wonders of the world]

Are your rivnut open or closed ones..? if the former petrol can come up the threads and weep out, especially if the little red fibre washers have been omitted.

Worth using a little blue hylomar during assembly too - stops the problem mentioned above too.

[SM25T]

That's a smear of Hylomar blue both sides of the gasket, and on the threads.

[7 wonders of the world]

  

[Jonathan Kay]

... and the fuel gauge will not go past the 1/2 full mark.

As above on the sender, and there's a very helpful thread on the subject. Exemplary detective work from John Vine, and don't be put off by the title... it does get to the float.

But I'd start by looking at the gauge reading with the sender disconnected and then shorted... is it reading full scale empty and full? That should rule out some electrical faults.

Jonathan

[John Vine]

... it does get to the float.

It does, but it only discusses the Duratec/Sigma pump and float.  And there's an updated guide here.  

What tank/pump do you have in your 2002 SV, Rex?

JV

 

[anthonym]

I think you need one of these people with a sense of smell like a dog. Who can smell petrol from 50 yards away (like my gran rip) and others who never cease to amaze and embarrass me. ( one I know is reading this and yes I have now tightened the bolt inside my petrol cap).
 

I have zero sense of smell and no taste ;-)

but someone who has could I expect track this down.

anthony

[SM25T]

[anthonym]

there ye go..

[Rex]

Thanks for the info, guys. For the time being I'm going to use the odometer method and hope the smell corrects itself

[SM25T]

Rex .... Please don't ! If there is still a fuel leak ... it won't fix itself. This stuff is potentially dangerous.

[Roadsport06]

As per SM25T.

Fuel + vapour. It won't fix itself

[anthonym]

Ditto

someone. Please explain the vapour expansion explosion thing ?

[SM25T]

It's the vapour that is most flammable. I recall 1 litre of fuel produces 400 litres of vapour.

[anthonym]

Which is what explodes ? The vapour at some point not to difficult to arrive at