Am I missing something?

[Doulou]

I guess a common fault on Lotus, My Excel too, is the Fuel breather pipes splitting and getting that sweet smell of super everywhere you go! At the weekend I decided to change the Esprit one. I followed the guide provided by Esprit World with little problem, sure enough my pipes were split in several places. I have also replaced the small pipe that connects from the O/S filler neck but that seems to connect back to the neck. Where does the fuel vent to?

Have I missed something?

Regards

Paul

[andydclements]

The vent goes into the carbon canister, so vapour is turned back to liquid which is pulled into the induction system when the valve is opened by the ECU.

[Doulou]

Carbon Canister????

Can you explain please

[Bibs]

There's a big round canister at the rear of the engine bay, under the expansion bottles. Charcoal inserts in here soaks up fuel vapour turning it back into liquid which is occasionally purged back into the fuel tanks. Very environmentally friendly, I wanted to take mine off but Sparky wouldn't let me. It's number 1 in this diagram...

[Doulou]

Hi Bibs, once again thanks.

How will I know if this unit is working correctly, I have no (freescan) and would/could that be responsible for the fuel smell when I open the windows?

Thanks

Paul

[fflyingdog]

If the breather hoses were split it would cause the smell you have when driving with window open.

[Doulou]

Right - that being the case after replacing the hoses why is there still a smell of fuel? (Fuel tanks are new)

Paul

[wookiecj]

This may sound a little implausible but has been the solution on a couple of cars where the smell still persisted after the breathers were changed..... it would be worth checking the condition of the rubbers on your filler caps as they can, over time, harden which reduces the effectivity of the seal. They are not difficult to replace and can be made from sheet material if you cannot source a pre-cut replacement.

[fflyingdog]

Also worth checking the rubber gaiter around the gear stick,

[Doulou]

Thanks guys - nothing is ever as simple as you think!!

[andydclements]

You can probably rule out the cause of my fuel vapour in the cabin after repairing tanks and replacing pipes. My back went and a (short) mate helped put the tank back in, he couldn't reach, I couldn't do much beyond point and between us the sealer ring for the in-pump tank didn't go in correctly.

You may (if after doing the gear stick gaiter and fuel cap rings and it still smells) want to put your hand up the large hole under each tank and make sure your hand isn't slightly damp with fuel when it comes back.