General Petrol smell

[Beampanda 2]

Hello. I have recently purchased a 2011 panda 169 with 42 K. When filling up, a smell of petrol was evident. I could see it was leaking but couldn't see the leak. I jacked the car up + took off the o/wheel and having already filled the car up at a petrol station, poured some more fuel in with a petrol can. The fuel ran out from the top of the fuel tank. I removed the seat and opened the access trap in the floor and found the top of the fuel pump/ float had petrol around it. My question is, do you think the tank will need replaced or the fuel pump/ guage unit or just the o ring? I will have to drive the car a hundred miles or so to drain the tank a bit before I take the pump/float out but I would welcome any comments or shared experiences. Thanks. Photos attached

 

[koalar]

Are you sure it's not leak from higher up

Are you sure it's no leaking from the joint, this video is leaking only when the engine is on

I am a bit confused, because when you fill up with petrol it fills from the bottom of the tank

Unless it's been over filled

The tank usually pretty robust

It's likely the lock ring will be very tight

 

[Beampanda 2]

Are you sure it's not leak from higher up

Are you sure it's no leaking from the joint, this video is leaking only when the engine is on

View attachment 448554


I am a bit confused, because when you fill up with petrol it fills from the bottom of the tank

Unless it's been over filled

The tank usually pretty robust

It's likely the lock ring will be very tight

So I downloaded AutoDoc app and purchased a new lock ring and seal (£6 + £10 deliverey ) then from eBay a fuel pump lockring removal tool (£13 free delivery ) then drove the car with no back seats in for a couple of hundred miles to reduce the fuel. Then had an almighty struggle to remove the lockring. When I got it off I could see that it had been removed before as the knurls around it had been snapped so I think this is a problem someone else has looked at unsuccessfully. Removing the fuel pump and float switch was a bit knacky and all seemed in order. The new ring I could not get to fit the tank although it looks exactly the same as the old. I think the previous person had cross threaded it and damaged the thread on the (plastic) fuel tank. Eventually, with grease, I rwas able to fit the old lockring with the new seal and refitting the fuel pump & float. I could see however there was seal on one side and the pump was not sitting roundly in the aperture so I took it all out again and with a Stanley knife I trimmed the edge of the tank aperture on one side by about 3 mm. I refitted the fuel pump and float being careful that the float was correctly fitted and had movement. Put the new seal on and the old lockring which now screws on much easier ( still couldn't get the new one on) and tightened. However the fuel tank said full! The float switch failed.The only way to test is to refill with fuel so I did. No leak. So, I have a not working float switch but also a not leaking tank. I have just refitted the back seats. I will have to live with the fuel tank being 'full' all the time until I have the patience to take it all out again.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

So I downloaded AutoDoc app and purchased a new lock ring and seal (£6 + £10 deliverey ) then from eBay a fuel pump lockring removal tool (£13 free delivery ) then drove the car with no back seats in for a couple of hundred miles to reduce the fuel. Then had an almighty struggle to remove the lockring. When I got it off I could see that it had been removed before as the knurls around it had been snapped so I think this is a problem someone else has looked at unsuccessfully. Removing the fuel pump and float switch was a bit knacky and all seemed in order. The new ring I could not get to fit the tank although it looks exactly the same as the old. I think the previous person had cross threaded it and damaged the thread on the (plastic) fuel tank. Eventually, with grease, I rwas able to fit the old lockring with the new seal and refitting the fuel pump & float. I could see however there was seal on one side and the pump was not sitting roundly in the aperture so I took it all out again and with a Stanley knife I trimmed the edge of the tank aperture on one side by about 3 mm. I refitted the fuel pump and float being careful that the float was correctly fitted and had movement. Put the new seal on and the old lockring which now screws on much easier ( still couldn't get the new one on) and tightened. However the fuel tank said full! The float switch failed.The only way to test is to refill with fuel so I did. No leak. So, I have a not working float switch but also a not leaking tank. I have just refitted the back seats. I will have to live with the fuel tank being 'full' all the time until I have the patience to take it all out again.

Well done. Very frustrating but at least you're not likely now to cremate your rear seat passengers!