FUEL LEAKAGE / SMELL POORLY RS3

T

T-800

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Afternoon All,

Used the car to go to work today and upon getting out of the car this morning noticed a fuel smell from bonnet area, pulled the car into the unit and popped the bonnet still there was a strong fuel smell so had a nose around the engine / bay, anyway after a couple of minutes found that the high pressure fuel pump that sits towards the back right side of the cam cover (you can't miss it as it has a LARGE nut on top of it) was leaking fuel !!
The leak is at the back of it almost where the fuel pressure sensor is screwed into it, more alarming though is fuel was starting to drip down just above the exhaust manifold (luckily its kinda shielded so the fuel wasn't going directly onto anything hot) but this i think is kinda alarming in a way, imagine if this went undetected for a while it could've been bye bye RS3 !!!

John has kindly emailed me a picture with the offending item

Its the top most item on the picture and you can see the sensor connection at the Back / Left side of it.

I would perhaps suggest other owners just check this / keep an eye on it, there is room to get a finger under it to check it's dry, but hopefully its just a one off, but i'd just thought i'd share this info.

The other interesting thing is when the RAC chap turned up he said has it had the 'update' ? what update i asked, "the fuel pump update" he replied,
"no" i said,
"audi haven't notified you then?" he said
"thats right i haven't heard anything from them" i said

We both looked at each other agreeing that this is "typical" of Audi.

So the car is now at Manchester Audi awaiting what i imagine will be fun and games on monday !!!!



Untitled
 
If there is an "update" Sean then we ALL (RS3/TTRS owners at least) need to be made aware.

Hope it's all sorted for you.

PLUS a FREE service from Audi UK for what might have proved a catastrophic failure.
 
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Was it leaking from around the HPFP body? Hope you guys don't suffer similar issues that we've had on the 2.0T S3, cam follower can be compromised and fuel gets into oil if your lucky, if it gets worse the follower disintegrates and ends up in the engine. Something I service every 25k miles. Good luck getting it sorted and some goodwill.
 
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It seem to be coming from the place the fuel pressure sensor is screwed into the high pressure fuel pump.
 
Is it a bronze Hitachi pump? If so those things have a lot to answer for.
 
I will check mine tomorrow !
 
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Warren your back. Have you swapped the S3 for a RS3?

No, did think about as I'm having to change out of a manual car to an S-Tronic, but needed something a bit more laid back so have gone for S5 coupe 3.0V6T.
 
This fuel pump is running at 145 bar (2100 psi) and the leakage on Sean's car is from the fuel pressure sensor thread as indicated.

rs3fuelpumpleakcopy_zps0242392c.jpg
 
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On the plus side here is the mighty RS3's replacement.

For those not in the know its a fiat 500 S 1.2 litre !! And a mighty 68hp wow !!!

The poor thing didn't know what had hit it on the way home. Ha ha.
Image
 
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At least it will make the RS feel that much faster when you get it back!
 
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Was it leaking from around the HPFP body? Hope you guys don't suffer similar issues that we've had on the 2.0T S3, cam follower can be compromised and fuel gets into oil if your lucky, if it gets worse the follower disintegrates and ends up in the engine. Something I service every 25k miles. Good luck getting it sorted and some goodwill.

I'm hoping it's just a dodgy 'O' ring / badly seated taper, but I suppose Audi will replace the whole item as I can't see them wasting time stripping the part down.
 
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They're not hugely expensive parts. Used to be over £300 on S3, but price was adjusted to £177 a while back as I had to change mine on my old S3 at 50k miles as internal cavity had ovalised due to HPFP internals I'd had fitted (early kmd models weren't coated).

Fingers crossed should be a quick fix, but worth keeping a nose/eye on over time just in case.
 
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I know of an M3 that went up in flames on the side of the road due to a similar sounding problem. I know it made the press down here at the time but I can't find the article online. The car was destroyed by the fire but the fault was definitely tracked back to the fuel pump. Lucky you caught this early!
 
UPDATE

Received a call from Audi Manchester today,

Audi "good news sir, we've found the oil leak and have ordered a part to fix it, unfortunately the part is 10 day back order"

Me " Oil leak ? What oil leak ? The car was brought into you for a fuel leak from the HPFP"

Audi "just reporting what the technician has told me sir"

Me " I think you need to read the RAC report and get the tech to find and cure the fuel leak as a matter of urgency!!"

Audi " ok sir I'll speak to the tech and get him to investigate further"


Arrrrrrgh !!!!!!!!!!!!!


Audi rang back after this to say they'd ran the car up to temp but still couldn't find a fuel leak, however they are going to wait before doing further investigation because of the oil leak and they'd like to fix that first.
 
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You poor sod; they won't be happy till they've cremated you!

God that RS is going to feel quick when you get it back after 10 more days in the red tortoise.

Thank god you didn't just listen with half an ear.
 
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You poor sod; they won't be happy till they've cremated you!

God that RS is going to feel quick when you get it back after 10 more days in the red tortoise.

Thank god you didn't just listen with half an ear.

They tried saying the RAC report said 'fluid leak' to which I promptly went and read my copy which mysteriously says 'Fuel leak from pressure sensor'

They seemed more chuffed that they'd found this 'oil leak' rather than finding the problem the car went in for !!!

Also told them the Fiat 500 is ok for a day or 2 but I want and Audi courtesy car if they are keeping the RS3 for over a week.
 
On the subject of the fuel pump update they said that wasn't applicable to my chassis no

They knew nothing of the wheel bearing update mentioned by the RAC man.

The only outstanding update is the wheel arch liner modification which they will do while it's in.

I've told them if they don't find the fuel leak to not bother trying to give the car back as I won't accept it, not prepared to drive round in a potential ticking time bomb !!!
 
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ImageImageImage
Well the fiat has departed and in its place a white 63 S-tronic TT. So things are looking up ha ha !!
 
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UPDATE

Call from Manchester Audi this morning to say the car is ready, we can pick it up Tuesday when it has been tested from cold and meets all Audi quality control points apparently.

Can't wait to get it back.

Let's see what tomorrow brings then.
 
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Well we have the RS3 back and all seems good, just in time as it's snowing here ha ha

Had to laugh as a guy on the next street was struggling to drive his C63 up to his house on a light dusting of snow on dear !!
 
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Its the best feeling in the world when you get you're own car back after its been in in for repair.
 
Hi just a question did they explain what the oil leak was in the end or was it the fuel picking up dirt from the side of block (im not saying it was dirty but you know what i mean)?
 
Hi just a question did they explain what the oil leak was in the end or was it the fuel picking up dirt from the side of block (im not saying it was dirty but you know what i mean)?


The oil leak was to the rear of the engine and it was coming from the cam cover from what I can see it looks like a rubber seal.
 
Interestingly since i've had the HPFP changed the car starts quicker now and no delay as i've mentioned in a previous posting
 
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Interestingly since i've had the HPFP changed the car starts quicker now and no delay as i've mentioned in a previous posting
That's very interesting. Mine used to hesitate on ignition but I got it to stop by putting the key to position 2 and then letting the dials spin all the way round and back again, presumably giving the fuel pump time to prime. I wonder if replacing the HPFP will cure this too.

I've noticed the smell of petrol in the cabin over the last few weeks. Further investigation revealed the leak in the picture. He reckons it's only the sensor that's gone but you can't buy the sensor separately, so the whole pump will be replaced.

£370 inc. VAT and fitting.

IMG 3084
 
That's very interesting. Mine used to hesitate on ignition but I got it to stop by putting the key to position 2 and then letting the dials spin all the way round and back again, presumably giving the fuel pump time to prime. I wonder if replacing the HPFP will cure this too.
No. It still hesitates on start-up unless I wait a second or two with the key at position 2 (until the dial needles have done their sweep). :)

BillTheButcher said:
I've noticed the smell of petrol in the cabin over the last few weeks. Further investigation revealed the leak in the picture. He reckons it's only the sensor that's gone but you can't buy the sensor separately, so the whole pump will be replaced.

£370 inc. VAT and fitting.
HPFP replaced. All sorted. :)
 
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