VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-(

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Tue 20 Jul 2010 14:11
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - vwsharan

hi guys,

i was excited to have got a vw sharan, but i'm already having a very irritating issue which i'm hoping some expert can advice me on.

Since i bought it, the vw every so often has been giving off like an unburnt/exhaust diesel smell which is coming into the cab and making us feel sick.

So far I have got the garage to:-

1. change the cabin/pollen, air, fuel, oil filters and oil.
2. checked the mpv underside, including exhaust for any issues - none found!
3. jet blasted and cleaned any oil/dirt/grease from the engine.

The damn smell is still there!

Only today i have realised that the smell might be coming from something called an Auxillary/Booster heater which has its own little exhaust pipe. This aux heater or booster heater is located on the nearside, just under the first back 3 seats.

After reading some info on the net, I found that you can disconnect the electrical plug (found next to the heater) and this should stop it from working.

But the smell of fresh diesel is still there!

I now don't know what to do and i'm hoping someone can guide me.

PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME.

Thanks

Edited by vwsharan on 20/07/2010 at 14:11

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Tue 20 Jul 2010 16:21
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - piston power

Simple get it serviced correctly.

These are a cracking bit of kit when working correct and heat the engines coolant up to temp in cold weather to make cold starting much easier and fuel economy much better.

But get overlooked because most don't know what to do with one, it's basically a glow plug that gets fouled by fuel & the smoke is your correct unburnt diesel.

erbaspacher & Webasto are the main dealers who make and service these gems.

http://angebote.webasto.de/Public/LtRFPsNew.aspx

Edited by bigtee on 20/07/2010 at 16:24

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Tue 20 Jul 2010 17:01
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - vwsharan

Thank You BigTee,

Other than a glow plug, what else needs servicing?

Since most garages didn't even know that it existed, i've heard that it can be done by any average person, so if it means saving some money, then i don't mind dealing with these myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by vwsharan on 20/07/2010 at 17:04

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Tue 20 Jul 2010 18:09
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - piston power

It's got a light sensor inside which controls the flame and the timer controls need checking. ( or at least they do on 48v system)

You can unplug it for the summer or pull the fuse out but you probably will forget about it till winter time comes and it probably will start but there put in for a reason.

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Tue 20 Jul 2010 20:08
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - think&drive

I had the same on a Sharan from new - went back to several dealers, several times, never got it fixed - worst in hot weather - the answer seemed to bet set the air on recycle - VW couldn't care less - the answer sell and move on.

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Tue 20 Jul 2010 22:18
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - richbev

disconnect the valve on the opposite side of the underside of the vehicle. its just above the lip on the fuel tank. this supplies the booster the diesel. i tried to service my booster. cleaned it out and replaced the glow plug. still didnt work. had plumes of white thick smoke, unburned diesel coming out until it tripped out. this was taking up to 20 minutes. the booster is controlled by a thermostat so should only be saying it needs to run if the weather gets below i think its something like 4 degrees.

ive run mine for 2 years with out it. it does take a while longer to warm up which does use slightly more fuel but no stinky smell.

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Thu 22 Jul 2010 00:16
VW Sharan 1.9 TDI 1999 - VW Sharan 1.9 TDI fuel smell making us ill :-( - top-mechanic

hi not sure if u have had problem sorted, but here goes if you have disconnected water heater and there is no diesel or oil leaks from engine it might be worth trying cleaning air con system you can buy a bomb to put in car ,air con can give foul smells in a car, hope this helps all so can you smell the same smell under the bonnet or just inside the car

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