Mercedes Benz repair: gas fume in car nowhere else, evaporation system, charcoal canister


Question
QUESTION: My father passed away few months ago leaving me his 1982 mercedes 280se 4 door 6cyl european he brought back from germany; The car has a gas smell inside the car and  i dont see any leaks anywhere. what would create this gas smell to be released in to the car if there is not a drop of gas anywhere. even when i park it after driving it when i sit in the car i smell it.

ANSWER:  Hey Alex ever hear the expression where there is Smoke there is Fire?
Well the same goes for this.
Just because you have not found the leak does not mean that it is not there.
Do this do like the Toucan bird and follow your nose.
Go under the hood and smell . If there it smell under the hood. The smell will travel into the car through the A/C ventilation system. If not raise the back end of the vehicle on jack stands and crawl under the passenger side rear . The fuel pump and hoses are the check and see if you are leaking there. Remember that fuel evaporates quickly. you make have to start the vehicle. when the vehicle is running you might smell it more.
Note: Be Careful when the vehicle is running when coming close to the exhaust system. You may get burned

Let me know
Ralph
Miami Auto Help Inc

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your response,but i checked all that. under the car near the back where the pump is. The smell lead me closer to the vent in the dash. I was told maybe there is some kind of fule vapor filter on these cars, and if they get pluged might cause this fume to back in to the car. Is this true, and if thats posible where would that be?  Thanks' Alex

ANSWER: Open the hood. Lock under the aircleaner assembly. Check for fuel smell in engine compartment. Simply follow the lines and the fuel distributor. The evaporation system along with the charcoal canister etc.

Ralph
Miami Auto Help Inc

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Ralph' Yesterday i had the air cleaner assenbly apart, checked everything all the way to the charcoal canister.I dont see or smell gas anywhere under the hood, also dont see any vacume leak anywhere,even had the car running with the assembly apart. When i punch the gas pedal the idle will drop down but picks right back up to 20 on the gage.I usualy turn the air on so the idle will drop to 15 before puting it in to gear.Once its in gear idle dropes and seems ok. It races soon as its in park. So cant see vacume leak or gas leak.I know my father played around with this for years and never figured it out. For me now its a mission to try to fix it because if it was not for the litle bit of gas odor and high idle the car is a fantastic car. Alex

Answer
Hey Alex at 20 or 15. That is way too high. That would make it 2000 or 1500 RPM's. This vehicle shout max at 700 RPM's. That Transmission and engine should be wanting to jump out of the car when you shift from park to reverse or neutral to drive.
What happens if you bring the idle down to 700 RPM's?


Let me know
Ralph
Miami Auto Help Inc