Fuel smell in the cabin, or fuel appearing under the car

The case

An NA owner started the car after winter storage and about a litre of fuel appeared on the floor. He found nothing, and the car ran for 1,500 miles without it happening again. Then, when he switched the ignition on, the cabin filled with a strong petrol smell. Nothing was visible, and the engine bay did not smell of fuel. It happened again after half an hour. The smell was in the cabin, not under the bonnet.

Where owners said to look

• The tank connections in the cabin. They are under the rear parcel shelf, in an enclosed area. It was suggested these are worth a look, though they are tight to reach.
• The evaporative system pipework. One owner thought the valve connected to the carbon canister changes position when the ignition goes on, and that a cracked pipe or joint could let vapour or fuel out when the pump pressurises the tank. That is his theory. Inspecting it may mean taking the rear clam off, see rear clam removal, and fuel vapour system removal for how the system is arranged.
• The fuel pump seal. It was suggested replacing it, and the specialist said it should always be renewed when the pump is. Check whether it was, see fuel pump replacement.
• A hose clamp near the fuel filter. One owner found his leak was a clamp, and advised dropping the undertray and looking near the filter.
• Tell-tale marks. With the undertray off, look for staining that points to the area leaking.

Not settled

The owner checked underneath and found no liquid fuel, and the thread ends without a cause. The owner also mentioned the car has original fuel lines as far as the filter and braided line after it. We cannot say what the fault was.