Fuel smell near passenger rear wheel well. No dripping.

[ReturnToS54]

I'll preface that I searched this topic a fair amount, and do not think it is related to the tank, sender unit, pump seals, etc...I noticed the smell originating from the area around the passenger rear wheel. It is particularly noticeable when the car is parked after taking quick turns. Fortunately, it is not noticeable inside the car, which makes me think it is related to fuel heading back up the filler neck under cornering.I pulled the fender liner out, which was dry on the back side and didn't have a hint of gas smell on it. However, when I smelled around the filler neck area it seemed to be the source. With that said, I can't pinpoint where it is specifically originating from. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, I'd say the strength of the smell rates at a 4 when you're working in the wheel well close to these lines. Any thoughts? Attached is a picture I took of the area in and around the filler neck. I used the flash to try and make it easier to spot signs of a leak. I've drawn an arrow towards a line that I'm guessing is a drain line that looks like it could've seen some exterior moisture at one point, but I'm not sure if that line is fuel related.Any thoughts? I didn't notice any odor after the last fill-up, but I intend to drive conservatively over to a gas station and see if I notice anything after putting gas in.

[tripitz]

Have you checked the gas cap? The rubber seal tends to go bad, leading to a smell just like you described around the area. I know it sounds simple; I also went down this path and found out it was a simple fix instead.

[ReturnToS54]

I went ahead and checked the gas cap, and while there is a slight odor around it, it is difficult to tell if that is the source. Visually it seems to be sealing adequately. After removing the cap I noticed some residual fuel on the inside. (photo attached) The last fill-up was two days ago, and the last hard driving was yesterday.

I'll go ahead and order a new gas gap and see if that does the trick.

[scooper]

I would pull up the rear bench and visually inspect the fuel pump and leveler/caps. Did you CONFIRM these to be dry and not leaking? When the tank is full you'll smell gas a lot and after you've turned the car violently (gas sloshing around). When the tank is almost empty you won't smell gas as much. If you find that the fuel filler area is dry I would look under the seat.

[ReturnToS54]

Thanks Scooper. I'll lift up the seat today and check. The fuel pump and leveler were replaced a year ago/less than 1k miles ago according to service records, and the fuel smell is definitely coming from the filler neck area, but I'll check anyways. Also, I tried to reply to your PM but it looks like it may not have gone through even though it says I have 1 "sent" message. You'll probably receive it after my post count increases.

[NoLastName]

I would pull up the rear bench and visually inspect the fuel pump and leveler/caps. Did you CONFIRM these to be dry and not leaking? When the tank is full you'll smell gas a lot and after you've turned the car violently (gas sloshing around). When the tank is almost empty you won't smell gas as much. If you find that the fuel filler area is dry I would look under the seat.

I second this. When I had a fuel smell in the passenger wheel well the origin was actually a cracked fuel level sender on the driver's side. Seals at the top of the tank are the most likely culprit and easy to fix.

[ReturnToS54]

I second this. When I had a fuel smell in the passenger wheel well the origin was actually a cracked fuel level sender on the driver's side. Seals at the top of the tank are the most likely culprit and easy to fix.

Just checked under the seat and it was dry as a bone. No odor. I'm hoping/thinking it may be the gas cap after all.

[Grimm5698]

I had the same issue 2 weeks ago, went into my garage and smelled fuel by the rear of the car so read up on it and it was either the gas cap or the vent tank fittings cracked (box looking thing in the pass wheel well) checked the lines all good so ordered a new OEM BMW fuel cap from fcpeuro.com about $22+ shipping. Got the cap 3 days later, installed it and fuel smell went away. Not sure if this is the same issue for you but wanted to chime in on my experience