where is the pulsation damper and how do I know if it's leaking?
 

I can smell some gas when my car is running, and I want to check the PD.
I looked and looked, but I can't find it. The haynes manual says it's on the "front end of the primary fuel rail". I have no idea what/where that is.

If I manage to find it, how do I find out if it's leaking?

look from the passenger side engine bay, between the upper intake manifold and the upper rad. hose water neck.. its visable there.. if its original it has a plastic cap on it.. it will be towarda the front of the car, and its attached to the fuel rail(im sure you knew that already)

as far as checking for leaks run the car and look for any sign of gas dripping or leaking...at the dampener

well, all I see is a bunch of wires. I don't even know what a pd looks like. If I knew where the fuel rail was I could maybe follow that to the pd

Have you checked the Factory Service Manual? Pictures and everything. :)

Don't you have to be a Certified Mazda Mechanic, Grade AAA to be able to view those Factory Service Manuals????? Isn't that Mazda Proprietary information only to be viewed by Mazda mechanics with a Security Clearance of Top Secret. I believe so.

Anyway, attached is a jpg stolen from the Mazda Top Secret Files. Don't tell anybody.

Usually a leaking PD, such as the one shown in this jpg, can be detected by doing the following: Jumper your fuel pump check connector in the engine bay. Turn the key to ON. Wait a full fifteen minutes, then look under the car. You will see fuel dripping off the engine on to the ground.

Then again, I've smelt fuel going from Corpus Christi Tx to Ft Worth TX almost all the way. The next day I jumpered the connector and wheeeee, a fuel line had a pin prick in it spraying fuel. Almost in a atomized fashion. I guess the thing could have caught fire and burnt to the ground. I be lucky.....and a little dumb ass in not stopping and seeing what the fuel smell was. OH well

You can also sometimes see fuel pooling underneath the PD if its leaking.

well I found it. I can barely see it. If it was leaking I don't think I would be able to tell.
The haynes manual says to put your finger on it while the engine is running. Even if I could reach through the mess of wires and hoses, My fan shroud is not on, so I'm not sticking my hand in there.

With the engine running, I don't see anything dripping off of the PD, and the gas smell is not very strong. Could this be the fuel filter? I think it needs to be changed anyway.

Right now I'm trying to fix some other leak near the oil filter.

fan shroud shouldn't have anything to do with the pulsation damper. hell the pulsation damper can be felt from the side of the car so you don't even need to get near the fan.

when mine failed BAD. the screw came all the way out I was pissnig fuel out of the pulsation damper all the way to the radiator though.


you can always do smell test as well. fuel stinks if you smell it somethign is wrong

[QUOTE] Usually a leaking PD, such as the one shown in this jpg, can be detected by doing the following: Jumper your fuel pump check connector in the engine bay. Turn the key to ON. Wait a full fifteen minutes, then look under the car. You will see fuel dripping off the engine on to the ground. [QUOTE]

I'm havin the same problem....how exactly do you jumper your fuel pump check connector?

The PD is on the Primary rail underneath the Secondary rail correct?
The one that you may see is probably the Regulator and the one below is will be the PD.
If you have seen some Hondas, it seems that they are the same style PDs, on the Hondas, they face upright. I mostly see them on the SOHC 1.5 and 1.6.
This brings up a question. If anyones knows what I'm talking about, will the PD from the Hondas work on the RX7?
The last time I looked for a new one from the factory, they were discontinued.

^^ It's a yellow connector with two plug holes on the passanger side near the shock tower. Get yourself a small piece of 18 gauge wire (like 4 inches long or something). Strip both ends and crimp on 2 spade terminals--you can get them in the big "solderless connector" multipack from walmart (if you get the walmart pack, use the blue spade terminal, it's the proper size).

So when i do this procedure i should wait for 15 minutes and then start looking for a gas leak? What exactly is happening when u jump the fuel pump connector? So when doing this procedure is it possible for the gas smell to come back but no leak be visible?

i am wondering if i have a pd prob when driving i dont smell gas but when i sit at a stop sign then take off i smell gas real bad for about 30 sec. and the smell goes away

this has me stumped

You jumper the fuel pump check connector and then turn the key ON so the fuel pump will run continuosly. IF you don't see any fuel dripping from the bottom of the enigne after about fifteen minutes, then the thing PROBably isn't leaking.

It would really help if a person looked at the FREE online FSM and the fuel section so they would be able to see and read what the basic fuel items do in life.