Hi everyone - more advice needed!
First of all I would just like to preface what I am about to say with the fact that I seem to have developed new car hypochondria which has been compounded by the fact that I know the pre-purchase inspection I got wasn't up to much... But as you lot here seem to know far more than the dealer, vehicle inspector and Toyota combined (you were spot on about the lights on buzzer and door locking problem when they were all saying it was normal) I need to ask...
When I start my car after it has been standing for a long period of time (eg overnight) I have noticed a strong petrol smell for a minute or so. I didn't think much of it until today when I jumped out of the car to move the bin and noticed it was even stronger from the outside. It goes after a minute or so. I don't know if the petrol is going down more than usual because I have only had it 3 weeks and it has been doing it since then.
Is this normal if you start a petrol car after standing for a while? (I used to drive diesel). Its a 2001 Yaris 1.3 if this makes any difference.
Thanks guys,
Allie
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No, it's not normal for a petrol car to smell like that.
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Certainly not normal. Petrolium vapour is higly volatile and can be set off with a spark or lighted cigarette. Take your car to a garage immediately for you own safety.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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Thanks for replying - I really don't like the sound of that...I just phoned Toyota and they have booked me in for a 10 point safety inspection but couldn't do it until Tuesday. Should I not drive it until then or do you think that will make it worse?
Allie
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Petrol has a very strong smell and a small amount can be noticed by the average nose but it is NOT normal and is a potential danger.
the offer of a ten point safety inspection sounds odd, you have a problem with petrol vapour not light bulbs!
Have not read your other posts but have you just bought this from a Toyota main dealer? If so ring the salesperson who sold it and tell them the problem. It needs looking at asap and a mechanic with a ramp should at least be able to have a look over it in 10 minutes and see any obvious leaks.
If they cannot oblige before Tuesday you can do some detective work. before getting in and starting the car can you smell petrol, get on your hands and Knees and smell under the car(WITHOUT a naked flame in your hand). If there is no smell or patches of fuel on the drive/road
then it is probably not a holed tank or broken pipe and fuel is not dripping out. If the smell starts when you start the engine then petrol is being pumped out as you drive and so it could be
leaking in some quantity and at pressure from a loose connection
. This could be very dangerous.
Others may have more experience and better advice but be cautious and chase the garage.
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Hi Rodger, no I didn't get it from a main dealer - I just thought they may be the best people to ask before I took it to the dealer I got it from (its obvious I don't know what I'm talking about and I don't want to get fobbed off - I'd rather go armed with a bit of knowledge). It happened again just before though (it seems to be getting more frequent - unless I'm just panicking!) so I ended up phoning the place I bought it from and I'm taking it in tomorrow.
I am shocked that this could be something serious as it had an mot on the 9th may and a 133 point vehicle inspection on the 12th of May!
I can't see where any has dripped out but the smell is quite strong for a minute or so upon starting the engine. Thinking back, a couple of times it has seemed underpowered (but I am no expert) and I put that down to me not being used to driving it, which to be honest it could be but I am not so sure now. So far I haven't noticed it if the car has only been parked for a short period.
I think I'll walk to the school to pick my son up...
Allie
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It could as simple as the engine running rich when it first starts in a confined space. It seems from what you are syaing that its not dripping when the engine is off, because it doesn't smell then. So there probably isn't a leak. It stops smelling after a minute or so, so it probably isn't pumping fuel all over the place.
So whilst it could be a worry, don't panic unduly. People around here get their cars serviced twice every micro-fortnight so tend to be very cautious. I'd not not and am not.
So, again, don't take any silly risks but don't panic just yet.
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I'd not not and am not.
I'm would would and often do. ;-)
(sorry!)
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Quite. In the days of Kigass starter pumps we started up to a strong smell of petrol and I never heard of anyone being blown up.
Welding the petrol tank was different.
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Hi Allie
Glad the dealer is having a look. It has probably happened since the inspection, something could just have cracked or worked loose
Petrol tanks often crack at the seam, but 4 years and on a Toyota seems unusual. The experts who post here may know why it is only at start up but of course as you drive along the fumes may be blowing away and you cannot smell them.
Anyway glad you are getting it looked at and do walk to pick up your son.
I would also advise you to try and find an independent garage or single hander to look after the car. Ask around for recommendations. The Toyota garage will be excellent i am sure but you pay for the fancy surroundings, my Volvo dealer charges £80 an hour for example (and thats in the cheap North),so the bills soon mount up at main dealers.
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Allie
I think I'll walk to the school to pick my son up...
Wise move. Thinking about what Rodger said, it could be as simple as a loose union in the fuel line between the fuel pump and the engine. It should be fiarly easy to detect and fix. I would only advise driving the car to the garage for your own safety.
If you are a member of a motoring breakdown service (AA, RAC) then why not call them out, thats what you are paying for. If you are not a member, then I would suggest you join one as they can fix most cars on the spot or tow you to a garage to get it fixed.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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I think its the evaporative canister that is causing the problem and the valve is probably stuck
But saying that ive just looked at the data and unless its straightforward to see a leak as such,then the easier option will be to get it code read as the amount of sensors on this engine has just flaborgunnied me.
#
Your supplying seller is the best place to get it sorted rather than the local dealer i believe.
Dammed annoying that you seem to be having major niggles with a car that you paid a premium price for (remember that as they will have factored in a complaints fund into the selling price)
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I think I'll walk to the school to pick my son up...
1. Is it far to the school?
2. If only other people did this, rather than causing unecessary conjestion , both on the roads and parked up outside the schools.
Not saying for one moment you are, but there are plently of others who do.
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Hi Caveman - its 35-40 mins brisk walk which is ok on the way there but on the way back with a tired, hungry child, in the heat...
To be fair, most of the mum's I know who drive to school go straight to work afterwards and simply don't have time to walk to school and back, then go to work in the car, then drop the car off home and walk back to the school. Don't get me wrong, I have seen one woman (who doesn't work)literally drive around the corner and I swear it would be quicker to walk, but on the whole I think mum's on the school run are an easy target - thy're too busy to argue back. Maybe it should be the people who only have to go to work and back who should leave their cars at home and stop congesting the road for the busy mums...
(rant over!)
Thanks everyone for your replies they are all very much appreciated and I will be back on to let you know how it goes tomorrow...
Allie
(busy mum)
p.s. to those of you who followed the previous saga with the lights on buzzer, while I was waiting for Toyota to call me about fitting a new switch (which they still haven't) the buzzer fixed itself and what do you know - the car stopped deadlocking me in at the exact same time (coincidence - I think not!) So you were all right and the Toyota engineer was wrong -he was adamant it should lock me in if I didn't put the key in the ignition even though the handbook said it would only deadlock if the car door wasn't opened 30 secs after it was unlocked and even though it only did this with the driver door, it didn't deadlock me in if I opened the passenger door within 30 secs but didn't put the key in yet still he insisted...So give yourselves a big pat on the back you clever sausages!
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Strong petrol smell when starting car
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allie - my own inclination is to side with mark (no-fm2r). i have a very strong sense of smell (i can usually spot smell leaking gas pipes in the road before anyone else notices).
i find that all cars (i.e. not just just mine) display the behaviour you have described. in my opinion, it is the rich mixture on starting up which allows some to get through in an unburnt state. if you are really worried that much, get a neighbour or friend to give an opinion or go and smell their car on start up.
will wait with interest to see if mark's theory is confirmed by the dealer inspection.
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I would agree with old man,get it checked by supplying dealer sounds like evaporative control emmissions problem.
Vapour release is controlled by ecu unless a failure has occured??
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Steve
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get on your hands and Knees and smell under the car(WITHOUT a naked flame in your hand).
Have you though of sending that in to Viz "Top Tips"?
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I did mean the bit about the flame as a joke(honest) did not want to imply allie was stupid. But it does look funnier out of the context of trying to offer practical advice.
Glad the experts have come up with proper technical explanation that may or may not be correct, we await the answer with interest. Hope it is not "nothing to worry about they all do that" sort of put off from the garage.
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>I think its the evaporative canister that is causing the problem and the valve is probably stuck
If the smell goes away after a few minutes oldman is correct; the purge valve on the carbon canister is probably stuck partially open. When the ECU goes closed-loop the smell will disappear.
Kevin...
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Hi everyone,
I took it to the garage I got it from this morning and they had a quick look and said they couldn't see any leaks - everything seemed dry. The mechanic mentioned the evaporative canister and I said that a couple of people here had mentioned that (I don't think it hurts to let them know that you've asked for other opinions).
The owner and mechanic said that it was safe to drive and that if I left it with them overnight Monday they could start it themselves (this is when it seems to smell worst) and I could pick it up Tuesday. I got the impression they didn't really want to discuss it in front of me.
If it is that is it a big job?
Off topic now, I'm really having a bad week - last night we had a total blackout in my area for a few hours and I may have to bin all the meat in my freezer to be safe (did monthly shop 2 days ago) and I got a letter from Inland Revenue today saying that they want £200 tax that they didn't collect in 2002-2003 that I underpaid in 1999-2000 when at that time I was working for the government (Dept for Work and Pensions) and was PAYE!!! I have therefore just bought a packet of ciggies and I haven't smoked for ages - watch a lighted one roll under the car now...
On a more cheerful note at least we won - but I don't want to watch the next match cos I'll jinx it!
Allie
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You should not have to dispose of the contents of your freezer, if it's a chest freezer then these typically go for two to three days provided it's quite full and does not get opened. Upright freezers go less far but should be ok for up to a day. The worst thing you can do is to open the thing every hour or so to check on it.
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Sorry to hear of your woes, Allie. At least the weather is nice - perhaps have a quiet weekend in the garden?
Relax? Lie back? Sod the lot of them? ;-)
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Good to know xileno - I'll test it out on me first though before I give it to my son just in case!
Patently - oooh, that sounds like a good idea. I don't usually drink but that just makes me fancy a cold glass of San Miguel...
Allie
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>..I got a letter from Inland Revenue today...
This is too much of a coincidence.
Two weeks ago a friend received a demand from the IR for taxes they didn't collect in 2002. She worked a few weeks for an agency but was at Uni for most of that year. The IR records indicate that she earned £10K per week while at the agency (and no, it wasn't that kind of agency.)
She's having a hard time convincing them that students don't normally get paid £10K per week for temp work.
It sounds like they've uncovered a problem and are trawling through past records.
With the reams of paperwork I get each year for dual UK and US tax liability, I can't wait till they get on my case :-(
Kevin...
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