C350e - strong petrol smell in cabin from cold

[Stokieuk]

Hi all,

So 23k miles in and pretty much from day one, I have had a strong smell of petrol in the cabin from cold on the school run. Car more often than not has been on charge overnight so the first few miles are on battery. Have to switch the car to charge mode to make the smell diminish.

Its been in the local dealer 3 times for it (once overnight so they could start from cold) and each time they have passed it with a clean bill of health.

Has anyone else had this 'fault' with their c350e or c class?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Never the slightest whiff of petrol with our C350e. Doesn’t sound right does it.

 

[Stokieuk]

No not at all. They gave me some story that another user had reported the issue to them and there was nothing wrong with that either. Suggested it was a quirk of the car...

 

[Jontybutts]

Mine has not but the other Directors car has. We swapped cars for a week, he didn't smell petrol in mine and I had a faint whiff in his. His was also in 3 times before Mercedes changed the fuel pipes (apparently) he hasn't moaned again.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

No not at all. They gave me some story that another user had reported the issue to them and there was nothing wrong with that either. Suggested it was a quirk of the car...

What twiddle they will speak to get rid of an awkward problem..... petrol powered cars have had a sealed fuel system with vapour recovery for a very long time now. No way you should smell fuel except when filling it up.

 

[CaptainChaos]

Mine doesn't do it, but a guy on Pistonheads had a similar thing - quote:

"At the back of the engine bay is a very high pressure fuel pump. There is a short length of pipe linking the pump to something else and it was the fitting on this pipe that (supposedly) was causing the leak."

 

[Stokieuk]

Thanks. Will go back to them with this.

Mine doesn't do it, but a guy on Pistonheads had a similar thing - quote:

"At the back of the engine bay is a very high pressure fuel pump. There is a short length of pipe linking the pump to something else and it was the fitting on this pipe that (supposedly) was causing the leak."

 

[TheCorm]

Are you a regular charger?

I've done around 22k and have charged over 1000 times and am noticing significant range reduction, like down 25% on the early days.

I noticed in the past few days a smell inside the car, at first I thought petrol but after experiencing it a bit more I've realised it's more a kind of electrical/chemical smell and it builds up when charging.

Pretty worrying, I am calling the dealer tomorrow!....

 

[Stokieuk]

Are you a regular charger?

I've done around 22k and have charged over 1000 times and am noticing significant range reduction, like down 25% on the early days.

I noticed in the past few days a smell inside the car, at first I thought petrol but after experiencing it a bit more I've realised it's more a kind of electrical/chemical smell and it builds up when charging.

Pretty worrying, I am calling the dealer tomorrow!....

During the winter, I charge every night and use pre-heat in the morning.

I am around that mileage too but mine is/was definitely a fuel smell.

It went into the local dealer on Friday and they have changed a (the?) fuel pipe. They said that they had only just been made aware that under certain circumstances, the pipe becomes almost porous to fumes!!

Touch wood - so far so good.

 

[Mickrus]

Hi all, I have inherited a C350e as a company car when recently changing jobs. The problem with the smell of fuel is something that I am experiencing also.
I have noticed that it is certainly at its worst first thing in the morning, really bad while I am sat in the car programming the sat nav.
I do not charge mine at all, not even over night, and when I am sat in the car the ignition is turned on, but the engine is not running.
Some days it is far worse than others, but have not found a pattern yet.
Has anyone had any success in identifying the cause and getting the problem sorted yet?
Thanks

 

[Codger49]

Welcome to the forum.

Posts #6,#7 and #9 indicate a possible cause and remedy.

 

[greekCL]

During the winter, I charge every night and use pre-heat in the morning.

I am around that mileage too but mine is/was definitely a fuel smell.

It went into the local dealer on Friday and they have changed a (the?) fuel pipe. They said that they had only just been made aware that under certain circumstances, the pipe becomes almost porous to fumes!!

Touch wood - so far so good.

Hi guys, I have just picked my "new to me" C350e the car has 23,000miles, today when the car was fully charged via my Rolec charger at home. I was going for a short drive to the shops so I used the E-Save mode. I noticed strong smell coming from the vents of the car on my way there. I stopped at the shops I opened the bonnet and sniffed under the engine, the smell was coming between the firewall and the engine area, so vaguely where the throttle-body etc would be.

As I only had the car only 24hrs, and I really do not want to take the car to Mercedes Lookers as they have been hopeless with the whole selling experience.
They even told me they cannot do the outside temp update... not sure they knew what they were looking for.

Stokieuk, which dealer did you take your car to? just wondered if I can call them and get the car sorted with them?

 

[Twistedmind]

I have a c350e and experiencing the fuel smell inside the cab and under the bonnet, only seems to smell on starting the car on battery and letting it sit( without driving)

Going to MB next week

 

[S111dpc]

I had this on mine recently albeit the smell was outside the car after running on electric. Went back to MB and was a split fuel pipe.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Seems to be a stock fault. Of those who have posted here with the issue, every one, sooner or later, ends up having that fuel pipe across the back of the engine replaced. Some dealers seem to know about it and act promptly, others seem to want to dance round it for a bit.

 

[grober]

There have been 3 versions of the flexible hose leading to the high pressure pump. Leakage may be temperature related where the elastomer looses elasticity [ and thus sealing capability] when cold.
part nos
A274070-0081------0181-----3500 first to latest.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

You'd think they could organise a decent fuel line by now wouldn't you. Not exactly unknown territory is it.

 

[Rich45]

I wondered if any of those who had an issue with this last year had any updates on how they’ve been getting on? I purchased my C350e in Jan 2019. I immediately noticed the solvent like smell coming into the car. Unfortunately when I had Mercedes look at it, we couldn’t smell anything - I wasn’t able to replicate the conditions because I wasn’t sure what they were. Over the warmer months I haven’t noticed anything; I also haven’t been so good at charging it lately. But the last couple of colder days I’ve seen it as come back, and some of the points about about starting cold and with some battery charge seem to resonate with me. Any updates would be greatly appreciated so I can be armed with any more ideas before I take it in to be seen. Many thanks!

 

[elgonView]

I wondered if any of those who had an issue with this last year had any updates on how they’ve been getting on?....s!

I've had a c350e from new (2016) and only expereinced this after my recent major service. I took the car back to the dealer and they changed a high pressure pipe. The smell went away that evening (driving home) but it was back in the morning. I've been back to them and they can't smell it, but have arranged to keep the car for a few days in the new year. Apparently they can't do anything over the Chrismas period. My workaround is to drive with the climate control in recirculate mode.

 

[grober]

All I can suggest is you may be suffering from residual contamination effects in certain parts of your airconditioning/heating system which are volatilised under certain operating conditions when heat is introduced. Did they change all the A/C filtration media - filter/activated carbon/ particulate cabin filters etc - that's what I would do in a case of cabin air contamination to start from a decent baseline.