VE SS 2012 Hard start and fuel smell

[Monty80]

Hey all, need some help if anyone has seen this fault before. Recently I’ve noticed a fuel smell in the cabin of my car, accompanying this fuel smell, the engine is hard to start when cold. A few times it has timed out while trying to start it. I can’t see any visible fuel leaks anywhere in the engine bay or under the vehicle. Does anyone know what the cause maybe?

Thanks in advance.

 

[VS 5.0]

Is this a flex fuel car ?

What fuel are you using ?

 

[Monty80]

Yes is flex fuel, can run E85 but I run 98, it’s all I’ve ever ran in it.

 

[VS 5.0]

Mine is a 2012 flex fuel car too.

I was running 98 in mine for a while until the car started having cold start issues....spluttery for 10 seconds or more, as if it is going to stall and then run OK.

I discovered others were having the same issue and they recommended switching to 95 instead which solved the problem.

The theory was that 98 contains a % of ethanol to get the octane rating up which confuses the flex fuel sensor into initially thinking it is seeing E85 so sends more fuel which isn't needed (the engine burns more E85 than normal fuel so the system sends more to accomodate). When the sensor works out that it isnt seeing E85, it reduces the flow and car runs normally.

I don't know how true that theory is but I haven't had any issues since running 95.

 

[Monty80]

I’ll give that a crack but it doesn’t explain the fuel smell in the cabin. It’s almost like there’s no fuel in the rail when I go to start it and it’s leaking out somewhere or leaking back into the fuel tank.

 

[RossK]

Possibly a leaking Injector.
Is it only when cold, ie first start of the day, or after being left for a long time?

 

[Banjo79]

I've had a loose spark plug that caused some in cabin stank.

 

[timd29]

An unlikely reason, but the car is a few years old, so pull up the back seat and check the fuel pump, might be blocked up and the seal has deteriorated. As I said unlikely but if you can't find anything else...

 

[krusing]

I found that if I needed to Run E85, the car didn't like starting in the mornings, coughs, splutters, and finally starts
But ran ok after it started,
Not sure it does any good to your Hydraulic Engine Mounts.

So I did a bit of test,
The next Tank I filled up with 3/4 tank of E85 [say 60 litres], and 1/4 tank of E10 [say 13 litres],
That solved the Starting issue in the mornings.

How I found this, is that when Petrol was approx. $1.76 for 91, and more for 95 & 98,
Where E85 was sitting at about $1.43,
so you can guess why I was using E85, and touch of E10.
Quick Fixed for the Cold Starts.

 

[Monty80]

Possibly a leaking Injector.
Is it only when cold, ie first start of the day, or after being left for a long time?

Yeah it only does it when it’s cold, it doesn’t explain the fuel smell though. I believe they’re directly related because the fuel smell only started when the car started hard starting.