Barry Brown
511 posts
Joined: 23/06/2008 12:08:31
Location: New Barn United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Smell of fumes in car.
Hi Peter,
There are several places for fumes to get in when the windows and roof are shut.
Culprit #1 is the hole in the dash for the rotadip pole during manufacture. Make sure this is sealed properly and that the sound proofing is intact.
Culprit #2 are the A-posts. This is a hollow section from the corner of the bulkhead to the roof. BMC/Autin/Rover sealed the tops with a washing up sponge to prevent fumes getting through but all this does is absorb moisture and rot the roof panel out. (having repaired mine I refitted the sponges but placed them in ziplock bags to prevent moisture absorbtion - only time will tell) Pull back the headlining at the two front corners and check the sponges to see if they have decomposed and are letting fumes into the headlining area where it travels down the B & C posts into the car.
Culprit #3 is the boot itself and mainly the fuel pipe grommet and battery box. These allow fumes into the boot. They then travel up the C posts and around the bac seat trim to the cabin. The reason they stopped the drop down number plate from Mk3 onwards was due to fumes being sucked back into the car when it was driven with the bootlid down for suitcases and picnic baskets.
Culprit#4 can sometimes be the gearlever rubber boot letting in fumes from the centre tunnel.
On your car the fresh air pipes run inside the front wheelarches so you won't have the problem experienced on earlier models where the air trunking enters next to the steering column and allows fumes from the engine bay.
Also check the sealing grommets on the choke and heater cables and the rubber bung in the passenger footwell for the steering rack plug.
Posted: Jun 25, 2013 01:36 PM