Petrol, on top of the lift pump

[Quinn]

Hello.

the car is an R reg Clio 1.4 RT, SPi.

This is my sister's car, she has mentioned a strong smell of fuel in the car. I thought of two things initially, the lift pump in the tank or the fuel lines at the TB being loose. The TB ends are clean and dry.

Removing the lift pump cover I can see three rubber lines (fuel feed, return and breather?), they all look greasy but they are on tight. These are my suspects.

Their is a little fuel around the top of the pump recession so I doubt that the seal between the lift pump and the tank has gone as surely the fuel would have poured through the damge seal and not sit on it.

The car is running fine, it runs well with no piston slap or any other signs of a lean mixture, I do not think that the fuel feed is the cause.

The inline fuel pump and filter under the car is quite new, it is clean here too, more reason as to why I doubt it is the fuel feed.

I can not see how but I think the fuel return has leaked, onto the outside of the return casing and made it's way to the pump.

Recently the PAS pump and alternator were replaced by a garage. Looking at the position of them that huge engine mount would need to come off and the engine be lifted slightly. Could doing this have cracked/split the fuel return line? Or perhaps dislodged it at a connection?

[summeh]

check the fuel lines as they run past the engine mount for damage. If it was an aux belt snap, which it was? This can sometimes damage the fuel lines.