'88 XJSC. Gas fumes waft into the passenger compartment with the windows down. Complete check out of fuel system failed to find any leaks. Only remaining option is to remove gas tank. Anyone else had this problem? Any solutions? Thanks.
Submitted by NE52-32043 on Mon, 11/18/2002 - 10:51
Barry,
The tanks in the XJS are notorious for rusting out on the bottom, underneath, where you can't see them. There is a foam pad under there that traps water and, well... over 13 or 14 years, it can lead to a problem. Several other problems you should look at -- the Rochester valve is a known failure point in the system, and the connections in the boot can leak, almost invisibly, putting fumes in the boot that leak into the cabin (ask me how I know). There is a lot of plumbing in the boot, and it takes only a minute amount of gas to give a lot of odor.
If you have not already done so, check out "The Book" by Kirby Palm. You'll find it on the XJS site on www.jag-lovers.org. It is a free download over the internet, and contains a wealth of information about the XJS. Also, search the archieves on the XJS list on Jag-lovers for gas fumes, gas tank leaks, etc. There has been a lot of discussion of this issue on that list.
Let us know how things turn out and if you are able to isolate the problem.
Steve Weinstein, JTC-NJ
'72 E-type 2+2
'89 XJS Coupe