190E strong petrol smell inside cabin and boot

[ChrisH2O]

Just been out for a short drive, and noticed a very strong petrol smell inside the cabin and in the boot, so bad that the windows had to be down all the time.
Having got home and prodded about, the smell isn't coming from inside the engine bay, the car still runs fine. I brimmed the tank yesterday also.
I've checked that the drain hole from the filler cap isn't blocked with some water. Had the back seats out and its dry under there too. The smell is really noticeable on the right hand side of the boot (as you look into it, and no I haven't got a leaky petrol can in there ) The fuel system still pressurises as there is a large release of pressure when I took the fuel cap off.

Got under the car and there's no petrol obviously leaking out of anywhere, even when its idling. The fuel filter was changed about 5 months ago as part of some servicing work.

The car is a 1989 G plate 190E (W201), 2 litre Automatic.

(I'm starting to really hate this car! A full new exhaust system last week and now this...)

Can someone hazard a guess what it could be, or suggest a few things I should be saying to the garage in the morning to guide them in the right direction? Apart from maybe "can you push this off a cliff for me please?" I've done some forum searching and can't find a definitive thread on these types of faults..

Chris.

 

[television]

Hi Chris,, they are good cars, so cheer up, there is no other car of that age that has lasted so long.
The fault could be the weld gone where the filler pipe joins onto the tank, we have had a few of these, just look for any damp patch, wipe it with your finger and smell it, its easy to pick up the smell.

If not there then just a fuel pipe rusted through, and once again easy to see by the damp area around the leak.

Maybe something was damaged when the exhaust was fitted

 

[Beaucoupnice]

....... Maybe something was damaged when the exhaust was fitted

Sounds quite coincidental that it occurred directly after the exhaust fitting. Perhaps contact the exhaust fitters and suggest that their work has adversely affected your vehicle. A suggestion about the health and safety concerns of a disrupted fuel line might spur them to promptly resolve the matter.

Alternatively you mentioned you filled it to the brim. Could there be any spillage around the refill nozzle that could be causing the smell? Perhaps time will tell.

 

[ChrisH2O]

Good suggestion Beaucoupnice, although I had the work done at a local Merc specialist (Scotts auto-tec) in Leeds who are usually very good (it is a possibility though).

Television, these parts you mention (where filler pipe joins the tank, rusted fuel pipe) are these things easy to reach from under the car for me to check or do I need to start pulling underbody trim off?

 

[television]

Good suggestion Beaucoupnice, although I had the work done at a local Merc specialist (Scotts auto-tec) in Leeds who are usually very good (it is a possibility though).

Television, these parts you mention (where filler pipe joins the tank, rusted fuel pipe) are these things easy to reach from under the car for me to check or do I need to start pulling underbody trim off?

All under the car and no fuel lines in the car

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...717.411412&CT=F&cat=15C&SID=47&SGR=015&SGN=01

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...717.411412&CT=F&cat=15C&SID=47&SGR=030&SGN=02

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...717.411412&CT=F&cat=15C&SID=47&SGR=045&SGN=03

If the fuel filter that sits under the rear of the offside rear wheel has never been changed, they can rot through and leak, it behind the removable panel

 

[ChrisH2O]

Thanks everyone for your help! I've done a few miles today and no smell, so I'm going to chance a trip down to the South this evening. Hopefully no flaming fire-ball type action