OBD1 XJ fuel leaks.

[Raisins78]

Hi all.
We just got back from a shake down run and we have a very strong fuel smell coming in the cab.
Here is the details.
40 degree day
mixed low range and highway.
A/C on full blast
Engine sat between 100-105ish Deg C all day
Comes and goes, but got worse on the way home.
250km's travelled today. (alot of corrugated roads)
Could not find a visible leak, wet hose or join etc.

Is there a common area I should be looking at?
Could this just be the tank venting? (Was super strong smell)
I really want to find it before our big christmas trip.
Not only for fuel economy, but safety too.
I have inspected both lines from fuel rail to tank, nothing.
Inspected again with the car running, no wet hose/joins etc anywhere.

Any idea guys?

Used half a tank over the 250km's too. (39L according to the bowser, filled as we left, filled when we got back)

*edit. Car has sat for 30min, still heaps of pressure in the supply rail, so im guessing its either on the return line, or vibration/corrugation related i.e. I cant replicate it when I am stopped)

[layback40]

Can you see any wet with fuel areas?

Tank breather?

[junglejuice]

Is there any pressure when you undo the fuel cap?

[banky]

Mine had a leak where the fuel line goes under the inlet manifold

[Raisins78]

No Wet area's anywhere. Banky, was yours on the hard line, or the rubber hose?
Mine smelt like it was in the engine bay or nearby.
I replaced all my injector O-rings as I was getting a small vacuum noise from a couple of them (manifold side of the injectors were leaking, not fuel rail side, so I doubt this was the cause of the smell)
I am about to rip all the rubber/plastic hose sections out, swage the ends of the hard lines, and replace with high pressure fuel line (that I have in the shed, from the Supercharged VN V8 days.....just like the injector O=rings lol)

[Raisins78]

Originally Posted by junglejuice

Is there any pressure when you undo the fuel cap?

No. Breather pot (Charcoal canister) in the engine bay seems to work, no leaks etc.
All the hose's I have checked seem fine, they seal well onto the hard lines etc.
It really annoys me when I cant find something like this...I end up rebuilding the whole system from scratch!

I am going to drop the tank when its close to empty in case its one of the lines on top of the tank.
I have a new fuel pump here so ill do that too while its out.....Still have to install the sub tank, but want to find this problem first

[kyphonii]

One of ours had a hose leaking at the filler. smell of fuel through the cab.