I have a light raw fuel smell in the engine bay. The car does not have the front 02 hooked up and has an exhaust leak, so previously I thought those two things might be the culprit.

After reading about the Pulsation Damper failures I am wondering if a gas smell is an indication that the PD is starting to fail? I can't find any traces of wet raw fuel anywhere around the fuel rails or injectors... just the smell under the hood.

If it is the Pulsation Damper, I have seen people say they can get new ones for $100. Can someone point me in that direction?

 

mazdatrix has new ones.

how are your hatch and tail light seals?

 

Excellent. Mazdatrix is 30 mins away.. and I need to go there anyway.

I havent checked the taillight seals, hatch seal is just starting to deteriorate a bit. Water is not leaking in though.

I did notice a fuel smell in the car after a fillup once. are the seals the culprit?

 

Don't drive with a possible fuel leak. There is a method to pressurize the fuel rail without the engine running. It's in the FSM and Haynes manuals. Use this to diagnose where the leak is.

No amount of fuel smell in the engine bay is normal. Also, check your charcoal canister lines and make sure the canister is still working.

 

There is definately not a leak.

I will check the canister. Is fuel smell indicative of a PD failure?

 

Or you're running really rich with a straight pipe exhaust.

 

It is rich while idling, and low RPM due to the disconnected 02, but I have all 3 cats.

 

With the key in the on position (engine off), jumper the yellow two-prong connector on the passenger side shock tower (sometimes it is covered in this insulating stuff). That is the fuel pump check connector. It will pressurize your fuel system with the engine off so that you can check for leaks, even with the UIM off.

 

When my PD failed on me you could smell the fuel with the hood closed, and when the car running, you could watch the fuel spray out of the PD when revving it.

 

True, when mine failed on the GSL-SE, I pulled over, popped the hood.. and JEESUS Christ! fuel was leaking (or should I say pooling) onto the housings... Probably stupid to continue driving.. but I was young and broke at the time... Tow Truck?.. YEAH RIGHT! You get it home anyway you can. Purchased replacement at Mazdatrix and just remembered how EXPENSIVE it was, $110.XX.

I do remember pulling the plastic cap off a few days earlier and tightening the screw at the front of the PD and that helped a little bit. If it's the PD, buy a new one or get a replacement from a donor car. Don't risk an engine fire.

The PD is like a 22mm or 23 mm IIRC.

 

Could be the charcol canister leaking as well.