other Trunk Smell GONE!!!

[PaulTWinterton]

Every 02 I've known has had the smell of gas in the trunk. Mine included. Many opinions say: a leak in the tank, poor clamping at filler, vapor container malfunction, but no one ever told me that the sender seal can age to become plastic instead of rubber. It compresses and loses it's ability to seal.

I always tightened the bolts evenly, but not overly, thinking I had a good seal. Visually it's always looked good. It wasn't until a few days ago when I overfilled my tank, that I noticed wetness around some bolt heads.

Replaced the seal and MY TRUNK NO LONGER SMELLS LIKE GAS. YAAAAHHHH!

It's a wonderful thing.

EDIT: Funny thing: I snapped the picture of the old seal, at my computer desk. Now the whole area smells, like the inside of the trunk used to. I might have to bury that sucker. It really stinks.

Edited May 29, 2015 by PaulTWinterton

[Koblenz]

LOL!  Congrats!  I might want to check mine!

[jgerock]

At least your tii has the bolt in pickup. The twist in one with o-ring seems to be more difficult to seal.

[John_in_VA]

Can you please provide the part # for posterity?

[jim57759]

Still struggling with the "screw down with o-ring system on a base '02.  Is the tii screw down head retrofittable to a base '02.

[peterschop]

At least your tii has the bolt in pickup. The twist in one with o-ring seems to be more difficult to seal.

 

I have replaced the o-ring with good results.

[Henning]

I might have to bury that sucker.

 

...or install a tower brace into the trunk and fix the computer on it.

 

Hen

[PaulTWinterton]

Can you please provide the part # for posterity?

1 Seal for suction device 16121110598 As per Walloth and Nesch. Pretty sure it's the same # as OEM catalog.

Edited May 29, 2015 by PaulTWinterton

[PaulTWinterton]

New rubber compresses to give a good seal. Whether it's bolt-in or twist-in the concept is "compressed" rubber will create and maintain the seal. I can see it would be more difficult to replace the seal with the twist-in unit, but once you've done it properly it should work the same way.

8 euros from W&N

Edited May 29, 2015 by PaulTWinterton

[tashakes]

Great info. Now find something to get rid of the smell of stinky gym clothes. Man does my trunk reek at the end of the day!!!

[Mike Self]

The trick to make the O-ring seal properly is to

 

(1) use the factory part, not a hardware store o-ring.  The factory one is designed to swell when contacting gasoline, thus providing a tighter seal, and

 

(2) lube the o-ring with a little silicone grease.  That will keep it from bunching up when you twist the sender unit to seat it on the gas tank.  

 

My trunks just smell like....trunks.  No gas smell at all.

 

mike

[jim57759]

Thanks Mike.  Think I'll try it one more time with a little silicone grease.  I was hoping the o-ring would swell, but it doesn't seem to get any better.  I'm sure slipping or bunching during tightening is a factor.

[jimk]

Anyone using a O2 sensor, find another grease besides silicone.  Any silicone at all where it might get into the fuel or air strems will degrade, if not kill, an O2 sensor.

[jgerock]

I have replaced the o-ring with good results.

I replaced mine but still find it difficult to get the twist in unit installed correctly. I used a little bit of petroleum jelly on the ring so it would not stick and get torn.

[peterschop]

I replaced mine but still find it difficult to get the twist in unit installed correctly. I used a little bit of petroleum jelly on the ring so it would not stick and get torn.

 

Did you use the two screw driver method? Put two flat blade screw drivers in slots on sender, with handles in opposite directions and twist on.