General smell when window open/ red key

[smill]

hi all. just bought a marea saloon, but noticed a fumes type smell when drivers window open or sunroof. bought with full test and also taken to my local to check over, but no fault found. any one with same problem or any ideas for me? also did not have red key, is this important? will i ever need it? please reply . many thanks. steve.

 

[jug]

exhaust fumes coming into the cabin usually mean there is an exhaust leak somewhere, best way to find that is by inspection of the exhausts from manifold back, with the engine running, with vehicle raised.

the red key can not be replaced, it is needed to program blue keys inot the immob. without it you cna not teach the immob new keys, however you can copy your existing blue keys at timpsons meaning they do not need programming so the red key is not needed. bascially this means the only time you will ever need the red key is if the codebox loses the vlue key codes, that chances of that happening are very very small. even if it did happen there are ways round it.

 

[smill]

hi thanks for rely. car passed mot with the fumes smell, its ok with blower on or windows closed. smell it most when driving at 30mph with window open. regarding the red key, i have read here that if battery comes off then blue key will not start it after only red key. is this true? thanks

 

[jug]

99.9% of the time disconnecting the battery will not cause a problem

 

[Tomasso]

The smell means that either the tank aeration valves are seized with age (they're mounted on top of tank and the pipes go to the bulky thingo inside the rear wheel well, hanging from the tank intake pipe) or the fuel fume separation filter is stuck in open position (located inside front wheel, behind the plastic cover).

You need to inspect these.

 

[smill]

if it was either of these, would it still pass its test?

 

[Tomasso]

Sure, why not - it is not the exhaust that is leaking.

Additional Q - can you hear suction when opening the tank? If not, there is no underpressure in the tank, hence it smells.

 

[smill]

no there is no suction when opening petrol cap.

 

[Tomasso]

Aeration valves then (there is one inside the plug, too). They should allow air in one direction only.

You need to test them one by one - a tedious process I gave up a long time ago and never considered again.

 

[smill]

garage says it could be the fuel cap (key type), pressure getting out through the key lock hence smell of fuel at the cap. ordered one without key instead. any one think this could be true?

 

[Tomasso]

garage says it could be the fuel cap (key type), pressure getting out through the key lock hence smell of fuel at the cap. ordered one without key instead. any one think this could be true?

Could be, but not necessarily. Twist it out and try blowing from 'inside of tank' to 'outside of cap' through the little holes on the cap. But mind - it won't be very tasty!

If you can blow, that's one more thing to replace.

 

[smill]

think will wait and try the cap 1st when it comes,lol. if its not that then its prob the valves? thanks

 

[smill]

how much does it cost to do the valves?, found spare petrol cap and still stinks. prob sell it soon instead.