Strong Smell of Fuel?

north_of_55

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Sudbury, ON, Canada
So I have googled this - found one thread where an owner described a similar situation - years ago - thread died before anything about a solution.

Went for a ride with my wife today and she commented that she could smell gasoline while riding behind me.

Didn't think much of it - I didn't smell anything while riding.

Put the bikes in the garage (which is also my office thanks to our friend COVID) and when I went to turn off the lights and lock up a few hours later the whole garage smelled of gasoline.

Now there are 2 kids trail bikes, my wife's CB500F and the ST in there - so I sniffed around to see where it was coming from... and it seems to be strongest around the gas cap on the ST.

I haven't filled it up in weeks... it's at 3/4 tank on the fuel gauge and it was only 16 Celsius today.

The smell was so strong that the bike will be spending the night outside.

Has anyone else experienced this?
 

SeaBass

Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2019
Messages
82
Location
Arlington, VA
Last november, I started experiencing a strong gas smell when one of my ignition coils starting going bad. it was due to one cylinder misfiring and not completely burning the gas.
The smell seemed to come from around the front of the tank gas.

Is the bike reluctant to get going at low RPMs? if so, that might be the issue.
 

north_of_55

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Sudbury, ON, Canada
It seems to be running fine.

My last bike was an Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200... so it does seem a little sluggish... but it is running as well now as it ever has (bought in late fall 2018 so i only have one summer on it).

Bike has 57K km on it - ~6,000 of those are mine.

I just ordered a set of spark plugs online and I have a new 2014 CCT on it's way in the mail (Thanks to the ADVrider flea market). I plan to check the valves, change the plugs and sync the throttle bodies once the parts arrive in the mail.

I did recently replace the battery - and did have a no-start event with the old battery (crank, crank - fire - crank, crank - fire). Once I installed the new YTZ14S it fired up without any drama.

The oil does not smell of fuel at all.
 

fac191

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
2,826
Location
London
It seems to be running fine.

My last bike was an Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200... so it does seem a little sluggish... but it is running as well now as it ever has (bought in late fall 2018 so i only have one summer on it).

Bike has 57K km on it - ~6,000 of those are mine.

I just ordered a set of spark plugs online and I have a new 2014 CCT on it's way in the mail (Thanks to the ADVrider flea market). I plan to check the valves, change the plugs and sync the throttle bodies once the parts arrive in the mail.

I did recently replace the battery - and did have a no-start event with the old battery (crank, crank - fire - crank, crank - fire). Once I installed the new YTZ14S it fired up without any drama.

The oil does not smell of fuel at all.
I thought this about mine. It stays outside but i could smell it. It isnt a strong smell and i thought it was ok. Will be interested in the replies. Bike runs fine.
 

north_of_55

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Sudbury, ON, Canada
Ok - so as I walked out to my "office" this morning and stopped to sniff my ST on the way by - still has a slight smell of fuel around the fuel cap.

I had opened up my garage last night and aired it out as well as possible... but when I opened the door this morning the smell hit me like a brick.

Re-sniffed all of the other bikes... very faint odour of fuel around gas-caps but nothing too strong.

40 year old chainsaw on a shelf behind my newer saw appears to have a leak... it really stinks.

Took that outside - brought the Tenere back in - and aired out again.

Hopefully it was largely the saw!?! Last night the smell around the tank on the ST was really strong!

Gasoline is a strange odour - it doesn't take long before your sense of smell looses its bearings.

The next hour or two will be the test - as the ST warms up I'll know if there is still a problem.

Fingers crossed!
 

north_of_55

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Sudbury, ON, Canada
So - the ST went out for a few short rides today (+/- 25 km each).

There is still an odour of fuel from the fuel cap area - perhaps it is coming from the airbox and reporting to that area due to convection!?!

Hopefully parts all arrive soon and I can take a look and make sure everything seems alright.
 

jrusell

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2017
Messages
460
Location
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Never had that issue myself, but I would check your two vent lines that come off the bottom of the tank and go down by the left front of the engine.

Possibly when the tank was raised during a previous service the hoses came off. Now you are getting some vapours released just under the tank where normally they would be released down low to the front and maybe less noticeable?

They could also have a kink in them and any pressure buildup has to be released at the cap. Get a flashlight and have a look, but it will be hard to see. I would suggest lifting the tank and making sure the lines are connected and routed correctly when the tank gets lowered.

The quick disconnect for the tank could possibly be leaking slightly. With the tank raised start it up and look for a slight drip at the disconnect. I really don't think this is likely but worth a check while you are there.
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
I don't know why your wife would smell fuel behind you while riding, other than the bad coil issue. As for smelling fuel around the gas cap, there is a spring loaded check valve there. It's designed to vent pressure from the tank if it gets too hot. If that is stuck open, you would tend to get more fuel smell around the cap, but typically you would also smell this while riding.

Park the bike in the sun on a hot day and you can hear it vent over and over if it's there long enough.
 

Don in Lodi

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
5,780
Location
Lodi Kalifornia
I know it's been a while, but what was the last thing done to the bike? I'm for kinked or disconnected vent lines. If the cap is sealing correctly there should be no fumes around the cap. If the vent line is kinked it could force vapor past the cap. Any fumes being generated should be exiting under the tank, one line open for liquid spill, one line to the canister. On a warm day turn the key in the cap, does the cap give a gasp of equalization? If it does it isn't venting right.
 
Top