Sherbie has a strong smell of petrol

Hi,

I owned Sherbie many years ago & just got her back. She has an over powering smell of petrol on the drivers side. I can't see any leaks in the petrol tank that would cause this. I am wondering if it is time to replace the tank or if it is an easier fix than that? I am concerned as my 2 youngest kids & I go on a road adventure in Sherbie once a week (they love bugs as much as I do) & the smell can become very strong at times I find when she has a full tank or just after I put fuel in the smell is worse.

Also is there anyway I can change my forum name without having to re-register? I would like the name Sherbie.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

It could be the breather hoses near the filler which happen to be on the driver's side. Also, I'd check all the fuel lines and attachments throughout as a matter of course anyway.

For the forum name - shoot a message to one of the admin's (like vanderaj or vw54) and they should take care of it for you.

Petrol smell... hmmm... not good. Does it smell around under the bonnet, or just inside the cab ???
- if it smells of fuel under the bonnet, then it's likely to be the filler neck, tank or breather line that's leaking
- if it's only inside the cab then it's likely to be the fuel line running through the tunnel... pretty common thing to have happen, and can be a pain of a job to do.

Good luck in finding it !!!

also check gasket on fuel cap as they age n deteriorate they let the vapor waft into the cabin

Thanks for the info regarding my forum name as soon as I have 5 posts I will pm admin..thanks again

Now that you mention it I am having fuel issues with Sherbie. I just replaced the fuel filter thinking that may help but alas it didn't. I am thinking now it maybe the fuel line as said above. I replaced the fuel cap thinking it may have been that too but it didn't work 😢

I noticed that the previous owner must have noticed it as well as there is receipts in the car of them trying to fix the problem. When I owned Sherbie before I reconditioned the engine, porsche cams etc put into her & from memory the smell started around that time. As the people I sold her too & then the people who brought her after them didn't drive her much she has come back to me with the same set of little issues of I sold her with..Now that is karma for me 😂 but the added problem is the fuel issue & she is cutting out on me when I stop.

Thanks for the help..I will get hubby to replace the fuel line first & see if that works.

I would start with basics

Buy a couple metres on new fuel line and change ALL the hoses.
Front from tank to tube going into the tunnell
Out of the tunnell to the steel one through the front engine tin
From that pipe to the pump
Pump to carb

Put the filter somewhere before the carb.
Those common filters are draw through - not pump through

Then do a full tune up - start with plugs, points, timing and set up the carby properly

All easy stuff

Have a look here

http://www.vw-resource.com/tuneuplinks.html

As for the petrol small - almost guaranteed it will be the 20mm thick L shaped breather going from the filler to the top of the tank.
The rubber cracks inside the cotton covering and it looks ok but is no better than a baby's pee soak nappy.
Stick your nose right in there and sniff around.

Either that or the big 70mm?? joiner that joins the steel filler to the tank.

Because Supers have flat tanks the petrol will be sploshing round that join when you fill up

Also make sure the vent is there
There should be a small pipe (4mm??) coming off that L pipe and running across the bottom of the windscreen and disappearing down the passenger side near the front wheel.

The tank needs to be able to expand and breath - that is the pipe that allows that to happen

Can you take a picture of the pipes on your filler/breather set up??

Barry

I had s imilar problem with my 76, I reckon the problem lies with the large filler joiner, where the filler neck joins the petrol tank. I found some rubber sleeves (that fit over the filler tube and help seal the join better than the thick rubber sleeve on the outside) on the Classive Veedub site, but I can't find anyone with stock of them.

Bizarre also mentioned the overflow return line, 20mm OD tube that goes from the filler into the top of the tank. I also want to replece this but can't find anyine with stock of this either. But no doubt replacing this will also help.

So in short, a kind of fundamental problem, but the solution, not the easiest to find.

Thanks guys, sorry for my delayed reply I work all night & try to sleep all day but with school holidays sleep is hard to come by.

I have sent this page to hubby to read as this weekend I have asked him if he can dedicate a bit of time to Sherbie & the petrol issue.

Thanks for that link Bizarre all the information is very useful I have saved it to my favourites.


I will keep you all updated on whether or not we can fix it.

Camo

Earl's at Silverwater is your friend

They sell all sorts of fuel grade lines.

I just bought a collection of sizes and made up some new pieces.
Not as compact but does the job

All that advice sounds good. once you got it sorted. try not using that E10 unleaded petrol its crap and it stinks like off wine.😂
I was told that it affects some types of rubbers and plastic making them leak.

I have always used premium unleaded but I think she has had E10 put in her the years she was out of my care.

She is back on the good spirits now though. I love the red bug in your signature Ian, I would love a sunroof!

91 octane is fine for a stock motor

I contacted Caltex Tech support and they advise E10 is not suitable for cars with rubber lines and steel tanks

I run 95 as i have 1916 with a higher compression ration

The fuel smell in Sherbie has now been fixed. I put her into Southside VW in Brisbane for a Tune & Service & I asked them to fix the fuel smell also.
It was the fuel hose running through the tunnel it had a split in it. They did such amazing job on Sherbie she purrs like a kitten now.

Excellent news that you've got it sorted !!!

👍

Dealt with Roger at Southside a few times with a friend's Beetle, and yeah - he always struck me as one of the good ones...