Fuel smell in boot

[Johnwindwood]

Guys

Since we filled the car with fuel last week there is a strong smell of petrol in the boot. Looked at everything carefully and it seems to be the small bore vent hose that runs above the tank is crumbling away.
Before I start ripping everything to bits, can someone advise where it goes please? I can't see either end!!

Cheers

[amarshall]

From the filler neck it goes round the back, past the battery and out through the middle of the bumper.

[Johnwindwood]

From the filler neck it goes round the back, past the battery and out through the middle of the bumper.

Ah OK-so is it accessible to replace with everything in situ do you know Angus ?

[amarshall]

Not completely. Bumper will need to come off to do a thorough job. The rest of it is, IIRC, doable with the boot trim panels removed.

http://www.lotusexcel.net/phpbb/viewtop ... f=8&t=5020

[Johnwindwood]

That's great-thanks.

[tonypoll]

You might not need to remove the bumper.
I recently replaced mine by only removing the driver's side rear lights cover. Starting from below the bumper I pushed the new plastic tubing up and towards the lights, then using a bit of bent wire was able to pull the tubing towards me. Once I had enough to hold onto I could feed the tubing through.
Tony

[Johnwindwood]

Thanks for that.

Just had another look, and yep-it definitely needs doing! It isn't connected to the filler neck at all, has at least three crumbled sections and ends next to the battery!
I don't wonder it smells of fuel......

[Phantasm]

Any theories why they routed it past the battery? It's a longer journey (and adds weight!) and last I new things that can generate sparks and fuel related devices are only supposed to be near each other when inside an engine. Mine is in need of replacement as well. Wish I thought to do it when it was painted last year *Doh*.

[bash]

I did mine and routed it to the opposite side away from the battery and I can confirm that it can be done without removing the bumper. This was my second attempt tho, the clear plastic replacement pipe that I first used lasted about a year before fuel smells started to leach thro it, Ive used fuel hose this time. I taped the fuel hose to the old pipe in the boot and pulled it through from underneath until it stopped leaving a very short piece of plastic pipe at the end emerging through the lower bumper and looking completely standard. It still goes thro the offside sidelight aperature in the boot but the pipe runs across the rear of the boot from there to the vent at the nearside, theres a very covenient slot to route the pipe at the very rear of the boot floor thats visible when you lift the spare wheel cover. Fuel smells banished for good.

Bash

[Lotus Jim]

Hello Chaps, what's the internal and external diameter of the vent pipe hose? I'm going to buy up some fuel line spec stuff and replace mine as my boot is a tad wafty! Take it 3 meters would be enough?
Jim

[DavidOliver]

Just done my fuel tank breather pipe. The previous plastic pipe had disintegrated.
I used reinforced rubber petrol tubing the same outside diameter as the hole (there are 2?) in the underside of the bumper centre point. With 2.5 mts of pipe it would not route the original path so I located it on the left hand side of the boot, passing through the aperture that the centre rear light cluster is accessed. For an original route buy 4/5 metres.
To connect to the filler nipple I removed the tank 1 inch breather tube to gain access.

It was a bumper off job, enabling a look around and polish.
I cleaned out the dry crud which had accumulated in the lenses, the cluster bolts were too rusted to try removal at the risk of needing to buy completely new clusters.
The number plate bulbs were effectively black, I could not undo the steel screws that fix the units to the bumper due to rust on the heads and an awkward screwdriver position.
To install the new bulbs with the units still in place on the bumper required some wire hook manipulation from behind the bulbs, once done I was quite satisfied. As dirty number plate bulbs can be an MOT failure I suggest that anyone doing a breather pipe job they obtain previously new bulbs and holders.

Some of the main bulbholders were severely rusted and I obtained 6 single pole holders ( I could not locate new double pole holders) and four of the new were defective and have been returned to the UK supplier. In Spain this is a time and cost nuisance.

I hope these extra tips when doing vent pipes in the boot are useful.

Dave the cog.

[amarshall]

IMNSHO, it's worth taking the bumper off and doing at least one other job if you're doing the breather pipe.

Replace the exhaust hanger hooks. They're cheap enough to get (see Parts Alternatives), and only take 5-10 minutes to do.

[Hawaiis0]

..... the cluster bolts were too rusted to try removal at the risk of needing to buy completely new clusters..

It is possible to replace the cluster bolts. They are just standard bolts epoxied in. Cant remember if you need to un glue the lens from the body though. If you find 10mm epoxy hexagons on the floor then you know where they are from.

[mrpmarchant]

I am about to replace my fuel tank breather pipe (be great to have one length rather than 20 bits in the boot!) and am poised to take the bumper off to access the rear part of the pipe.
However, I don't seem to have a hole in my bumper for the pipe to poke through, and wonder where the end will be when the bumper is off.
I measured one of the bits to find that the pipe is 6mm bore and 8.5mm o/d and manual says 3m is required.
Should I remove the fuel filler vent pipe and clip to aid access to the anti surge valve?
Should I then pull that off and attach it to the new pipe before replacing it, or attach the breather pipe to the ASV insitu?
Thanks in anticipation of any help

[Johnwindwood]

Similar question-it is my thread after all

I have got the new hose through into the boot from outside, but I cannot physically see the stub on the filler neck that it connects to-I can only just feel it!
There isn't a clip on it anywhere, just about an inch of the old hose. Question-can I just pull this off or am I likely to break anything?

Cheers.