Running rich

[Ade B]

Driving back through horrendous stop start motorway traffic and temperatures ranging from 2.5C to -0.5C the other day, the smell of petrol coming into the car when moving slowly or stationary made me think I had a fuel leak. The recirculating air function got a work out..

I can understand how at low temperature, the cold start mechanism on many cars will make them run rich, but on a motorway where in theory everyone is running at operating temps why so much fuel in the air?

Ade

 

[219]

Possibly the venting of your fuel tank ? Is there a smell of petrol in the boot ?

Otherwise , maybe a slight leak on the fuel distributor or an injector coupling , at any speed vapours would simply blow away but at crawling speeds coming in through ventilation .

Could just have been the car in front that was stinking ?

 

[Ade B]

cheers, I'm happy that there are no leaks on mine as there's been no smell since. Pottered about London today and yesterday with no ill effects so pretty sure it was the other cars...

Ade