Petrol Smell On Startup.

[bigal024]

Guys,

On start-up, may car smells really rich. Its not just even when the cars started first thing in the morning, I do notice it most of the time. Its from the exhaust, and there is no strong smell of petrol from the engine bay at all.

Any Advice would be appreciated.  I posted the same thing on S Net a while back, but all i got really, was people saying that there car does the same, and not to worry about it.

Can anyone put my mind to rest, before I phone up Eden in Cupar, and ask them to have a look at it for me.?

 

It's a 2002 STi by the way, standard apart from the PPP kit.

 

Many thanks,

 

Al

[drb5]

Indeed, they all do it and not to worry about it.

 

If you ARE concerned, have it checked out....there's no harm in it.

[bigal024]

Thanks for the reply,

Do you know why it does this? The exhaust system fitted with the Prodrive Kit? Or maybe because they need running with a higher octane petrol i.e Optimax?

Cheers

Al

[Gumball]

Al,

As mentioned above most of the cars that arent standard will do this. The further up the modding ladder you go the more it smells. Nothing to worry about. The car is pumping fuel even on idle to a certain level for the power you have. Meaning when you get to the top it doesnt lean out.

For your own piece of mind, have a look under the bonnet and make sure that all teh fuel lines are still connected fully and nothing is leaking or coming off. Have a look near the scoosher bottle round over the inlet manifold and see if the return lines are loose in any way.

But im sure itll be OK.

[drb5]

Just the engine firing in enough fuel into the engine, to get it going AFAIK.

It's simply having to burn off more than when it's running.

[GrantyBoy]

Simple really, to have a fast car you need boost, to have boost you need fuel hence the petrol smell.

[john mac]

Not being funny mate ,but check the petrol tank, especially the fuel pump for small leaks as part of the ppp on the sti is an uprated fuel pump iirc!!

[jcscoob]

I would agree with John unscrew the small hatch in your boot and have a look at the gasket where the fuel pump is, worth a check anyway !

Mine was leeking a wee bit and the smell was very strong got it sorted, and now i just get the great smell of burnt opty juice []  

[drb5]

Remember, he's said it's on start-up. If it were leaking, i'd expect the smell to be there all the time.

[iain_ogston]

You're lucky it's just on startup.  Mine smells like a shell station on idle all the time   Cheap high when you're in a queue.

I would suspect that the performance pack has something to do with it, since as other posters have mentioned the fuel rate will be higher, so on idle more fuel gets thrown out the back since it will run rich.  The more you mod the worse it smells.

[john mac]

Don't want to be a doom merchant,but a knackered lambda sensor will cause the engine to run rich all the time ,might be worth a wee emissions check!!

[jcscoob]

Yeah drb your right mine was stinkin most of the time not just on start up, but new gasket and good as new. []

[scoobyscoop]

I have MY98 that does the same,can always smell petrol when started from cold-smell disappears once engine has warmed up a bit.Have asked on a couple of forums and all say it is nothing to worry about.

[bigal024]

Thanks very much for all the advice guys, much appreciated.  Sorry its taken so long to reply, I've been away up north all week working, and been unable to get tinternet.

Thanks again,  AL