The Smell of Gas Fumes

[Mahaflac]

On to the next problem. I am hoping that someone on here can diagnose this one. Over the past few rides, I am noticing the smell of gas fumes. Obviously, I do not smell it while running down the road. I rarely smell it at traffic stops in town. However, I can smell the fumes when I park the bike in the garage and it has time to set a couple of minutes. I have taken the panels off to look for leaks and notice nothing obvious. I mentioned this to the dealership that I bought it from and the told me that the bike had been gone through and they noticed nothing.

Any idea what this could be.

[PistonBlown]

The two usual suspects are (pinched my post yesterday in the RS forum:-)):

• Petrol Smell 1 - Gas caps, First one was recalled by BRP but the replacement was useless as well and tended to refuse to undo. Get a Stant one instead. I have a Stant 10819 but others have used 10835 & 11835.
  
• Petrol Smell 2 - If you have persistent Gas smell, particularly after parking up or filling up after ride then could be the Evap Canister in which case a Canisterectomy is worth considering (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...canisterectomy

  and

  http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...Canisterectomy)

You will have the newer BRP gas cap anyway as the recall on the old ones was around Dec 2012/Jan 2013 so less likely to be that - though I would still be tempted to replace it as a first step as they are so cheap to buy.

I'm less familiar with the 2013 onwards ST/RS models so others may know of another cause.

[papanorm]

I find the same situation with several motorcycles , could be engine heating up the tank and fumes escaping from venting. You and i are Texans after all. I have found that filling up before i return home helps keep the fumes to a minimum, mostly fuel in the tank rather than fumes. Worth a try!

[loisk]

Do you have the airflow panels yet on your 13 st ?

If not,get them asap is my recommendation - certainly helps reduce heat of fuel in the tank.

[jerpinoy]

You could be running too rich fuel air mix also.

[Mahaflac]

Do you have the airflow panels yet on your 13 st ?

If not,get them asap is my recommendation - certainly helps reduce heat of fuel in the tank.

Papanorm, Now that you mention it, yesterday I filled up just prior to coming home and did not feel it..

I can not afford the airflow panels. I have checked the recalls and it was not an option for my bike. I inquired about the panels when I bought it and since it was not a recall, they would not replace the panels.

If I knew how to get them to replace them, I would. Is this something that I would have to buy.

[DGoebel]

If you look at the 2013 RT BODY AND ACCESSORIES (HEAT MANAGEMENT KIT) (or have your local dealer) I know you can get the individual pieces from online parts breakdowns, but a dealer should be able to find the complete kit as a package.

[loisk]

Papanorm, Now that you mention it, yesterday I filled up just prior to coming home and did not feel it..

I can not afford the airflow panels. I have checked the recalls and it was not an option for my bike. I inquired about the panels when I bought it and since it was not a recall, they would not replace the panels.

If I knew how to get them to replace them, I would. Is this something that I would have to buy.

Airflow panels goodwill fix kit for the 2013 ST is FREE

Not a Recall, so not on vin search or any list - dealers (and owners) often get confused with the 13 RT Recall - different panels, different process

Suggest you email brp.care@brp.com, tell them you have 13 ST and request the Goodwill Fix Airflow Panels kit. Tell them the colour of your bike. They usually then send them to your dealer - who should put them on for nothing but (again rt confusion) sometimes quote hours for a 30 min job - we did mine ourselves, it's just a panel swap (no cutting)

There is a parts number list for these airflow panels kits in another thread - it might help if you quote the numbers to your dealer

[loisk]

Here they are

[loisk]

More info for you

on my st (13) we did the wrap exhaust and cat delete, but the only thing which fixed boiling fuel issue (and melted stator) was the panel swap

[Mahaflac]

Emailed them this morning. I got a response in 10 minutes. We will see what happens.

[KX5062]

This is a common problem on the various 998 Spyder models throughout their run. There has been a bunch written on this forum about it and the possible fixes. The long and short of it is the gas will boil in the tank because of excessive heat build up and inadequate heat shielding. It can also be caused by the evaporative canister, which can be deleted. This is also covered in previous posts. If you're unable to find them and want more information, I or others would be happy to post up their knowledge.

[scubadown]

I bought my 2013 ST back about one year ago from an individual. I had never heard of this panel change out due to overheating issues. Had the bike a couple of weeks and read on here about this goodwill change out. Called up the local dealer (Daytona) and they replaced them free of charge. Even had the right color. I also took off the underside panels to help with heat dissipation.

[BajaRon]

Gas Gaps will certainly do it!

[Mahaflac]

Got this response from BRP. I think it is telling me they will do the repairs once I provide the information included in the email.

Is this the typical email when wanting these panels replaced.

Good day Mr. Mahaffey,

Thank you for taking the time to contact BRP with your request.

We will be pleased to make the owner's modification for your unit. In order to do so, we simply need the following information:

- Proof of purchase or of ownership (bill of sales*, title or registration)
- Your complete mailing address and phone number
- The serial number of the vehicle

* Please note that the bill of sales can be an informal document but must include the seller and the buyer's signatures together with the unit's serial number.

You can reply to this email with the attached documents and we will gladly confirm the changes with you once completed.

Should you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to contact us by replying to this email or you can call us at 1-888-272-9222.

Once again, thank you for contacting BRP.

Warm Regards,
Stephanie H.
Customer Service Representative

ref:_00D301Fh2R._5000c1WxXik:ref

[Mahaflac]

Good day Mr. Mahaffey,

Thank you for taking the time to contact BRP.

Further to your request, after carefully researching your inquiry, we recommend you contact your local BRP dealership since they will need to contact the parts, warranty or technical department to provide you with an answer to your question.

Please note that in order to provide its consumers premium quality technical support, BRP ensures that its dealers are technically trained and are also provided with a dealer dedicated technical support team, to answer any and all specific diagnostic, warranty, parts and repair questions. These lines are reserved for the dealers only.

Your dealer will need your unit's serial number to do the research. Please mention any modifications made to the unit as well.

To find a dealership in your area, please visit our website at: www.brp.com.
You can click on the ''find a dealer'' tab on the top right corner of the screen. You must select your country at the bottom of the page. Please enter you city or zip code in order to see the closest dealers. You can then click on the logo of the different dealership to get their contact information.

Should you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to contact us by replying to this email or call us at 1-888-272-9222.

Once again, thank you for contacting BRP.

Warm Regards,
Stephanie H.
Customer Service Representative

ref:_00D301Fh2R._5000c1WxXik:ref

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[GearHd]

Sounds legit to me, do as they say and make sure you tell the dealer that you can really feel the heat.

I have a 14 ST-L and still had the gas fume smell when parked in the garage. I had the EVAP canister replaced under warranty and when I got it home I made the vent line from the tank to the canister go way up near the handlebars so it would be impossible for fuel to get into the new canister. Been fine ever since.

[loisk]

All sounds very positive.
Dont forget to give the dealer the part numbers! And maybe "educate" them a little...
If your dealer doesn't get with the program, let us all know
Fingers crossed

From other posts, I thought brp just sent the kits to the dealer,,,

[Mahaflac]

So, those of you who have updated the side panels. Is the next step to contact my service department so they can get a hold of BRP warranty and service department to request the updated side panels?

[Mahaflac]

So I am having my doubts that this will get done. I have contacted my service shop and the shop of the dealership that I bought the spyder from. Neither of them know anything about the good will fix. I have tried explaining the resolve and neither shop give me much hope of receiving the answer I am looking for.

[Explorer]

Several of us have told you:
1. BRP will do it for you, at no cost to you.
2. Many owners have had it done.
3. You will have to educate your dealer. Most of them know much less about Spyders than the people here.
4. We have recommended that you use the search engine on this forum, and read other owners experience getting the new panels installed.
5. Do not let an uninformed dealer stop you.

1. Do the research.
2. Print out what you find.
3. Tactfully show it to your dealer. EDUCATE HIM/HER!
4. OR you can disregard the advice and information that these good people have given, take NO from your uninformed dealer, and continue to boil gas in your tank, and COOK your legs this summer.

Good luck,
Roger

[loisk]

Dodgy

Brp promised the nhtsb at the time of the rt recall that no recall was needed for the st due to this goodwill fix.

Lots of people now have these panels.

Back to brp care - be insistent and tell them you need the goodwill fix as they promised government transport dept

Maybe try the other dealer someone mentioned above?

It really shouldnt be this hard - brp customer service is the single biggest reason spyders haven't made a bigger market impact!

[Rogue Hawk]

[Mahaflac]

Explorer, thank you for your direct approach. I wanted to give you an update. I considered everyone’s advice on this subject. I am new to BRP and have not been really sure about how to go about getting this done. Explorer, i considered all the advice listed. I did my research and went to my local dealer armed with knowledge. They were very helpful and vowed to help me get this done. After them dealing with BRP for several days they have declined to replace the panels. The bike is no longer under warranty and they refuse to replace them.

I am am not sure I have much recourse at this point other than documentation.

[BajaRon]

Explorer, thank you for your direct approach. I wanted to give you an update. I considered everyone’s advice on this subject. I am new to BRP and have not been really sure about how to go about getting this done. Explorer, i considered all the advice listed. I did my research and went to my local dealer armed with knowledge. They were very helpful and vowed to help me get this done. After them dealing with BRP for several days they have declined to replace the panels. The bike is no longer under warranty and they refuse to replace them.

I am am not sure I have much recourse at this point other than documentation.

You still have the best option at your disposal.

As long as you are sure it is not a fuel leak somewhere in the system. The panels are not your problem.

It's your evap canister. If the evap canister were working properly (not extremely common). There would be no gasoline fumes to smell and you wouldn't be here beating your head against the BRP brick wall. (Another subject altogether!)

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for more ventilation. But that's like wishing for more wind when you have a natural gas line break. Sure, a stiff breeze will keep the explosion hazard low. But the real solution is to fix the leak!

That is why I highly recommend the cheap, easy, and permanent solution. The one and only guaranteed way to dispel this demon forever. The canister-ectomy.

No tedious and doubtful outcome documentation need be prepared.

So, why prepare for a potential disaster when you can banish the issue altogether!.

Good luck!