boyish 40 Report post Posted October 9, 2021 Hi, Ive noticed a leak underneath the car. Have no idea what or where it’s coming from. I’ve touched the liquid from the leak & it appears to just be water? will post a video if anyone could help me understand so I can take it in to get it sorted. Also ever since filling up yesterday I’ve noticed a strong smell of petrol when the car is on from outside & inside the cabin….please help. Thank you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boyish 40 Report post Posted October 9, 2021 Also noticed a leak from back here too, unsure of what that is? (Not mechanically minded at all) And this is the video of the leak coming from the front. Could it be something to do with my ac? I notice a type of hissing sound from when it’s on & I turned it off just now & the leak seemed to have stopped. However still very unsure lol. Any help would be appreciated. FullSizeRender.mov Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2425 Report post Posted October 9, 2021 If the liquid isnt oily, is clear and odourless... do you have the AC on? Could be normal condensation draining from the AC system, tends to come out sort of behind where the engine is, where the footwells are. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boyish 40 Report post Posted October 9, 2021 How about the leak seeping through in the photo & the strong odour of petrol? Should I be driving it around? I don’t want to cause any further issues Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BreakMyWindow 1874 Report post Posted October 12, 2021 bmw underbody rust inhibitors aka fluid leaks are pretty common. If you smell raw fuel that is not good and shouldn’t be driven. Best take it to a mechanic. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E30 325i Rag-Top 2957 Report post Posted October 12, 2021 The leak in the video does look like condensation, it should be easy to tell if that’s the source of the petrol fumes from the smell of the liquid dripping. If that leak isn’t petrol, then I wouldn’t be too worried about that, but as Brent says you should get someone to look for what is causing the petrol smell as that is a much bigger problem. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boyish 40 Report post Posted October 12, 2021 The leak seems to have stopped, however the petrol odour still lurks but not as strong. I will still definitely get it checked out. Thanks for all the advice, appreciate it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jon dee 500 Report post Posted October 13, 2021 Don't know your car or how its fuel system works, but did you brim the fuel tank up until fuel came up the neck of the tank ? On some vehicles that can lead to a bit of fuel getting pushed out when the fuel heats up from the engine running, or just from the day warming up. Disregard this post if the tank was less than full. Cheers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boyish 40 Report post Posted October 13, 2021 (edited) The car in discussion is my e53 4.6is. Apologies my initial post wasn’t very clear regarding that detail. Whenever I visit the petrol station I usually just press “FILL” and click the handle into place to let it do it’s thing until it stops. What you said makes sense though as I suppose that’s what happens? Will update this as I get to the bottom of it. Edited October 13, 2021 by boyish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1662 Report post Posted October 13, 2021 If it happened when you filled up then it could be a leak from the fuel gauge sender unit, crack in the plastic or gasket has failed. Take the plates off under the rear seat and check both sender and the pump. You should see\smell fuel mixed with dust\dirt if this is the case. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
