Here's an interesting thing I am experiencing with my new to me Coupe: Off Gassing (no, not having a case of he farts LOL). As soon as I open my garage door, I can really smell the car. As I open the trunk or hood, its is VERY noticeable, and smelling the fumes gives me a headache pretty quickly. Even just sitting in the garage I can smell it. The interior has a distinct smell as well, though I think its new leather and maybe the sound deadening. This car was meticulously restored by Paul 5 years ago with 3 stage Glasurit paint and two coats of clear. Any one else experience this? And if you do/did, how did you remediate it? Thanks.
Off Gassing
- Thread starter BimRLuvR
- Start date
Five years after a restoration you should not be continuining to have off gassing from the materials used in the restoration. What does it smell like? Your use of the term fumes makes it sound like gasoline. If so, you have a leak somewhere.
Where was your car stored before you bought it? Does it smell moldy? If your car was stored somewhere humid prior to purchase, you may have mold in the leather. Peter Coomaraswamy restored a moldy car a few years ago. Took it entirely apart. Tons of work.
Where was your car stored before you bought it? Does it smell moldy? If your car was stored somewhere humid prior to purchase, you may have mold in the leather. Peter Coomaraswamy restored a moldy car a few years ago. Took it entirely apart. Tons of work.
Hi there
Be very careful if it’s fuel that you can smell .
Some replacement fuel lines are very prone to cracking and leaking.
I would recommend getting the car up on a ramp / lift and getting every fuel line checked carefully.
Absolute fire hazard from defective product. Car towed in yesterday with 1 1/2 year old hose squirting gas onto the firewall.
The fabric on Cohline 2122 conceals the rapid cracking that is occuring.
This defective hose is being talked about all over the internet with Cohline refusing to acknowledge.
The fabric on Cohline 2122 conceals the rapid cracking that is occuring.
This defective hose is being talked about all over the internet with Cohline refusing to acknowledge.
jmackro
Well-Known Member
As Barry sorta asked: what are you smelling? Fuel? Adhesive? Paint?
If it is strongest in the trunk and under the hood, then I would guess fuel. But it would be odd to have two fuel leaks, one at each end of the car. Carburetors allow a lot more fuel to evaporate than does fuel injection, but your profile says that you have a CSi, so that idea is out. The O ring that seals the fuel sender to the gas tank is a weak point; might yours be leaking? If the smell is fuel, is it stronger when the tank is close to full? It might be worthwhile to remove the trunk floor (an easy job) and inspect for leaks around the fuel sender.
Gas fumes and exhaust gas will give you a royal headache. I lost neurons to that.
Adhesive is fun and a recreational drug.
Some plastics and PVCs emit stuff when old.
Adhesive is fun and a recreational drug.
Some plastics and PVCs emit stuff when old.
Fuel has a very distinct smell. Is if fuel you smell?
Is it the same thing you smell when first coming in the garage, in the interior, when you raise the trunk or hood, or is it different smells in each case?
If not fuel, describe the smell.
Do you only smell it when the car is in the garage, or is the smell always with the car when the car is outside, driving, etc?
Can you smell the smell in the garage when the car is parked outside?
Is it the same thing you smell when first coming in the garage, in the interior, when you raise the trunk or hood, or is it different smells in each case?
If not fuel, describe the smell.
Do you only smell it when the car is in the garage, or is the smell always with the car when the car is outside, driving, etc?
Can you smell the smell in the garage when the car is parked outside?
Thanks all. The car has been on a lift and been carefully inspected by VSR. Definitely not fuel. It smells like paint, and very dense paint at that. Especially noticeable in the trunk as I said. But its there under the bonnet as well. Even my wife noticed it. Its smelled like this since the day it was delivered to me. And i know, its a 5 year old resto, so why does it still smell so strongly? You would think the VOCs from the paint would be gone by now. If I drive the car with windows open, no problem. The interior smells like new leather, so it doesn't give me a headache. The paint off gassing , or whatever it is, sure does! Its possible I smell adhesive in the interior as Paul put loads of sound deadening in the there.
Dick: Only smell it in the garage when the car is parked there. When the car is out of the garage, the smell goes away. It is coming from the car, for sure.
Pretty strange to me!
Jim
Dick: Only smell it in the garage when the car is parked there. When the car is out of the garage, the smell goes away. It is coming from the car, for sure.
Pretty strange to me!
Jim
Wow, two solutions: bare metal repaint or park outside…
As someone who has a wife who is sensitive to automotive smells, it may be worth investing in an ozone generator which you can order online for about $30 from the world's largest store (AKA Amazon). You don't want to be in the enclosed space while it's running, but it does do a nice job of negating smells. Run it for a few evenings in a row and see whether that helps. Not sure why you'd still have off-gassing years later, but if it's not fuel and instead seems to be paint/adhesive, this option may help clear it up.
tdgray
Well-Known Member
This does not seem right. Yes paint will do this for a bit… not five years.
Keep the door open. It is more prevalent when you drive and then park? Or prolonged parking.
Keep the door open. It is more prevalent when you drive and then park? Or prolonged parking.
Perhaps it was painted before the primer/seam sealer was dry, so that is still working its way out from underneath.
Prolonged parking.
So this was a body off restoration. Bare metal rebuild and paint. All details here: https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/72-csi-rotisserie-restoration.28191/
Thanks. Not fuel for sure. Read up on ozone generators and the reviews are amazing. One even said they had a stinky car in a garage this thing solved the problem. Worth a try!
Another source: vehicle interiors, especially plastics (sound deadening perhaps as well, i don't know) often release gasses that condense and are easiest visible on the front windshield. It keeps doing that for years when wrong plastics are used. In cars we designed for Mitsubishi, fogging was a test we conducted on plastic materials to specifically avoid the issue.
My 7year old Ford S-max is still doing it...
If you park your car facing the sun, does the inside of your front screen show a haze that you can wipe off with solvent? If so, then it's a matter of identifying which interior material is the culprit.
The sound deadening would be a source of interest for me as the original parts are proven to be ok (by the other 1000's of cars that don't have issues).
Was it wax injected in the sills?
Being stubborn: I'd check the rubber sealing ring around the fuel level sender in the tank. Secondly, the metal tube that connects into the rubber hose is supposed to have a white plastic sleeve to change it's OD from 6mm (metal tube) to 8mm (the ID of the rubber hose).
The rubber O-ring around the fuel level sender doesn't last more then 20 years for sure. I have yet to see one of those plastic tubes that wasn't cracked after leaving BMW factory.
If either one of those are cracked, you'll hit yourself over the head for not spending those 20 minutes. Rule it out, even if just to have more focus.
My 7year old Ford S-max is still doing it...
If you park your car facing the sun, does the inside of your front screen show a haze that you can wipe off with solvent? If so, then it's a matter of identifying which interior material is the culprit.
The sound deadening would be a source of interest for me as the original parts are proven to be ok (by the other 1000's of cars that don't have issues).
Was it wax injected in the sills?
Being stubborn: I'd check the rubber sealing ring around the fuel level sender in the tank. Secondly, the metal tube that connects into the rubber hose is supposed to have a white plastic sleeve to change it's OD from 6mm (metal tube) to 8mm (the ID of the rubber hose).
The rubber O-ring around the fuel level sender doesn't last more then 20 years for sure. I have yet to see one of those plastic tubes that wasn't cracked after leaving BMW factory.
If either one of those are cracked, you'll hit yourself over the head for not spending those 20 minutes. Rule it out, even if just to have more focus.
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Hey All and Erik- you guys are amazing. I took Eriks advice and opened up the trunk and removed the access to the fuel tank and took this photo. I brought over a friend who is very mechanically inclined and he instantly identified the odor as fuel, and pinpointed it to the top the sender. I was wrong. Pic attached. We tightened up the allen bolts lightly. I don's see the white plastic sleeve as Erik mentioned? Thoughts about this? Many many thanks to all here. You guys are great. Thank you! 
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tdgray
Well-Known Member
I can tell you I don’t love those hoses. The one definitely looks fuel bulged and is the wrong size. Not a giant fan of those clamps.
Obviously we can’t see the fuel tank seal between the sender / supply unit. But I would check it. There are petrol safe sealers you can apply but nothing like a good quality fresh seal. Also.. please fix that one electrical connection… the blue one. Should be a shrink wrap.
Obviously we can’t see the fuel tank seal between the sender / supply unit. But I would check it. There are petrol safe sealers you can apply but nothing like a good quality fresh seal. Also.. please fix that one electrical connection… the blue one. Should be a shrink wrap.
Hi againHey All and Erik- you guys are amazing. I took Eriks advice and opened up the trunk and removed the access to the fuel tank and took this photo. I brought over a friend who is very mechanically inclined and he instantly identified the odor as fuel, and pinpointed it to the top the sender. I was wrong. Pic attached. We tightened up the allen bolts lightly. I don's see the white plastic sleeve as Erik mentioned? Thoughts about this? Many many thanks to all here. You guys are great. Thank you!
View attachment 208511
I think those hose clips are not the correct ones for fuel lines .
They don’t all“squeeze “ the hoses correctly as they are not completely round themselves.
Having said that, you might find them on many restored cars and maybe they are good enough for some cars .
And I don’t want to offend anyone who might have them .
It’s just that leaky fuel connections are definitely best avoided !
If it was my car I’d prefer if they were shaped like this :
So I tightened the fuel sender bolts, filled it up with gas, and did some hard stops and starts and left and rights, and voila, that gasket leaks! Kudos and thanks for those that told me to look there. The white sleeve on the 8MM hose its not there, and Drew nicely offered to send me one. Now I need to find a new sender gasket. And figure out how to deal with that bulging hose. And find the clamps Barry B suggests. Man, I really leaned something today. Again, thanks to this great group for your thoughts, suggestions, and help! I really appreciate it!
Jim
Jim
Great to hear that you found the problem.So I tightened the fuel sender bolts, filled it up with gas, and did some hard stops and starts and left and rights, and voila, that gasket leaks! Kudos and thanks for those that told me to look there. The white sleeve on the 8MM hose its not there, and Drew nicely offered to send me one. Now I need to find a new sender gasket. And figure out how to deal with that bulging hose. And find the clamps Barry B suggests. Man, I really leaned something today. Again, thanks to this great group for your thoughts, suggestions, and help! I really appreciate it!
Jim
Good luck with it !!