Smell of petrol and REALLY bad fuel consumption!

[mrs_derv]

There is quite frequently a strong smell of petrol coming from somewhere underneath the car even when the engine is at running temperature, and there is also very bad fuel consumption - 25 miles to 10 litres of standard petrol driving off-cam / normally.

Is there a common break in the fueling system on aging Pumas? Where is the smell/leak most likely coming from? Is my consumption bad or same as you lot?

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[red]

That does sound a bit poor.

Not sure where the smell would be coming from, is the seal around the cap ok? Maybe it's coming out around bends?

 

[Dal]

Is your fuel filter ok? Pipes ok to it? That would explain the petrol smell and high consumption if it was leaking.

(It's underneath the car about a foot infront of the rear wheels on the passenger side I think)

 

[jacko]

check the lines with a red and a white band that go into the fuel rail; they run past the battery; there quick release & sods! with engine on try wiggling them.....if you see or smell fuel then go buy new ones; they connect under the brake servo & are £30 each....

 

[PumaKa]

Sounds more like the bank1 O2(lambda) sensor is dead, and therefore overfuelling the system and returning poor mpg (sub-20mpg)... in your case, 11mpg.

The petrol smell will be the excess fuel going straight through the exhaust system, as the ecu receives no signal from the sensor.

Get down to Ford, ask them to do an OBD diagnostic test (about £50?), specifically checking the fuel system / oxygen sensors.