strange petrol smell in car when i start engine

[Andy W]

Hi this is my first time here. I have had many problems with my 03 megane 1.4 dynamique (silver, 30,000 on clock). My latest problem is every time i start the engine a strong petrol smell appears in the car, any ideas why ?????? also the button on the drivers handle seems to have stopped working, it doesnt seem to be stuck though as it still pushes in, just doesnt do anything. !

[walibe]

Theres actually a number of reasons this could be happening. The most obvious is a leak. Does it seem like its coming from the vents?

[Andy W]

yeah, it does seem to be coming through the vents, only on starting and whilst at slow speeds though. would a leak be easy to spot ?????

[walibe]

Probably not as even a tink leak can lead to quite a stentch. My guess would be to run the engine with the bonnet open and have a bit of a nosey or sniff. Does your fuel consumption seem normal?

[walibe]

Oh and as for the handle, the dealer will sort it for about £120 ish although some people have managed to get the part for £40 and someone did a brief walk through of how to remove the handle. Failing that the haynes manual shows you how. It would be worth having a look at the handle before you buy another. Its probably suffering from water ingress. The wonderful world of hands free.

[Andy W]

Cheers, ill have a look and see what i can find. Ill keep you posted.