Well,

I have just bought an already converted Jaguar XJ8 3.2 privately.  The 
car runs brilliantly and is a wonderful ride but there is a strong smell 
of fuel (which I presume is gas) in the boot all the time where the tank is.

When the car is left overnight this smell is also in the passenger cabin.

When driving the car with windows closed and aircon on you can't smell 
anything but if you open a window the car rapidly smells of fuel again.

The car was converted by Mann Automotive of Laurencekirk in November 
2004 for over £2500 and has been regularly serviced since.  The previous 
owner says he took the car back a couple of times saying his son had 
smelt gas occasionally but they could find no leaks.

The system is a Nicholson McLaren system (multipoint) with an ICOM 95 
litre ring tank in the boot.  This tank is so big it means the boot 
floor doesn't fit over it properly.

I took the car into our local installer Dual Fuel Systems of Woking and 
they basically said that the ICOM tanks are a nightmare to work on 
because all the valves or whatever are sealed inside the tank itself and 
you can't easily get to them to check them for leaks.  They suggested I 
change the tank for a smaller tank (67 litres) of the type they use 
which has a seperate airtight metal box on the side of the doghnut with 
all the connectors etc on it.  To do this would cost around £500+VAT but 
would also mean the boot floor would fit flat as well.

Are Dual Fuel systems right that I'm better just getting a new tank or 
can any of you suggest any alternative approaches?

IS there any way of me checking if it's gas or petrol I can smell? or 
where it's leaking from.

Returning the system to Scotland is just too far to go.

Grateful for any advice,

Jonathan

In message <EKDUj.33290$815.14025@newsfe16.ams2>, Jonathan 
 writes
>Well,
>
>I have just bought an already converted Jaguar XJ8 3.2 privately.  The 
>car runs brilliantly and is a wonderful ride but there is a strong 
>smell of fuel (which I presume is gas) in the boot all the time where 
>the tank is.
>
>When the car is left overnight this smell is also in the passenger cabin.
>
>When driving the car with windows closed and aircon on you can't smell 
>anything but if you open a window the car rapidly smells of fuel again.
>
>The car was converted by Mann Automotive of Laurencekirk in November 
>2004 for over £2500 and has been regularly serviced since.  The 
>previous owner says he took the car back a couple of times saying his 
>son had smelt gas occasionally but they could find no leaks.
>
>The system is a Nicholson McLaren system (multipoint) with an ICOM 95 
>litre ring tank in the boot.  This tank is so big it means the boot 
>floor doesn't fit over it properly.
>
>I took the car into our local installer Dual Fuel Systems of Woking and 
>they basically said that the ICOM tanks are a nightmare to work on 
>because all the valves or whatever are sealed inside the tank itself 
>and you can't easily get to them to check them for leaks.  They 
>suggested I change the tank for a smaller tank (67 litres) of the type 
>they use which has a seperate airtight metal box on the side of the 
>doghnut with all the connectors etc on it.  To do this would cost 
>around £500+VAT but would also mean the boot floor would fit flat as well.
>
>Are Dual Fuel systems right that I'm better just getting a new tank or 
>can any of you suggest any alternative approaches?
>
>IS there any way of me checking if it's gas or petrol I can smell? or 
>where it's leaking from.
>
>Returning the system to Scotland is just too far to go.
>
>Grateful for any advice,
>
>Jonathan
Check if the installers are LPG registered and if so take it through 
their complaints procedure. Specifically ask them if this is an approved 
tank type.
LPG smell is quite different to petrol - have a sniff of petrol at a 
filling station. It is unlikely to smell of petrol in the boot.
You can buy gas detector sprays but washing up liquid works well - just 
wash it off thoroughly afterwards. Just put it on round any joints or 
seals and look for bubbles.

If it is LPG then it is quite a dangerous situation. Whatever the tank 
there should be venting to the outside through the boot floor - remember 
propane is much heavier than air and will sink to the ground.

A toroidal tank of that size wouldn't be more than about £100 and a 
valve is about £20 (very approximate as I've been out of the trade for a 
while. Changing a tank isn't difficult so £500 sounds a bit steep for me 
and I would get another quote.
-- 
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

Hugh,

Many thanks for your informative reply.  In fact I have had the car 
inspected and it is in fact petrol that smells.  The garage that 
inspectd think that there may be a blocked breather pipe on the petrol 
tank but are investigating on Tuesday.

Many thanks again,

Jonathan


hugh wrote:
> In message <EKDUj.33290$815.14025@newsfe16.ams2>, Jonathan 
>  writes
>> Well,
>>
>> I have just bought an already converted Jaguar XJ8 3.2 privately.  The 
>> car runs brilliantly and is a wonderful ride but there is a strong 
>> smell of fuel (which I presume is gas) in the boot all the time where 
>> the tank is.
>>
>> When the car is left overnight this smell is also in the passenger cabin.
>>
>> When driving the car with windows closed and aircon on you can't smell 
>> anything but if you open a window the car rapidly smells of fuel again.
>>
>> The car was converted by Mann Automotive of Laurencekirk in November 
>> 2004 for over £2500 and has been regularly serviced since.  The 
>> previous owner says he took the car back a couple of times saying his 
>> son had smelt gas occasionally but they could find no leaks.
>>
>> The system is a Nicholson McLaren system (multipoint) with an ICOM 95 
>> litre ring tank in the boot.  This tank is so big it means the boot 
>> floor doesn't fit over it properly.
>>
>> I took the car into our local installer Dual Fuel Systems of Woking 
>> and they basically said that the ICOM tanks are a nightmare to work on 
>> because all the valves or whatever are sealed inside the tank itself 
>> and you can't easily get to them to check them for leaks.  They 
>> suggested I change the tank for a smaller tank (67 litres) of the type 
>> they use which has a seperate airtight metal box on the side of the 
>> doghnut with all the connectors etc on it.  To do this would cost 
>> around £500+VAT but would also mean the boot floor would fit flat as 
>> well.
>>
>> Are Dual Fuel systems right that I'm better just getting a new tank or 
>> can any of you suggest any alternative approaches?
>>
>> IS there any way of me checking if it's gas or petrol I can smell? or 
>> where it's leaking from.
>>
>> Returning the system to Scotland is just too far to go.
>>
>> Grateful for any advice,
>>
>> Jonathan
> Check if the installers are LPG registered and if so take it through 
> their complaints procedure. Specifically ask them if this is an approved 
> tank type.
> LPG smell is quite different to petrol - have a sniff of petrol at a 
> filling station. It is unlikely to smell of petrol in the boot.
> You can buy gas detector sprays but washing up liquid works well - just 
> wash it off thoroughly afterwards. Just put it on round any joints or 
> seals and look for bubbles.
> 
> If it is LPG then it is quite a dangerous situation. Whatever the tank 
> there should be venting to the outside through the boot floor - remember 
> propane is much heavier than air and will sink to the ground.
> 
> A toroidal tank of that size wouldn't be more than about £100 and a 
> valve is about £20 (very approximate as I've been out of the trade for a 
> while. Changing a tank isn't difficult so £500 sounds a bit steep for me 
> and I would get another quote.