Freelander 2 (LR2) Diesel Smell From Aircon

Hi All, I’ve recently been experiencing a very strong smell of Diesel, not diesel smoke but diesel fuel inside the cab when I put the Aircon on, it’s always after the vehicle has sat for a few days and always from a cold start, when the Aircon fires up the smell of diesel is really strong for about 4-5 minutes then goes, if I restart the vehicle later in the day it doesn’t do it, it doesn’t smell of diesel under the bonnet and there’s no leak under the vehicle, I have recently had the inlet manifold and camshaft changed, is it possible a bit of diesel has found it’s way in to the Aircon system somehow, has anyone else experienced this, cheers folks

If you've had work done in that area, then maybe there's a small fuel leak, which burns off after a few minutes. If the smell only started after the work was done, then there's likely to be a connection.

Yeah that’s what I was afraid of, it probably is only tiny and is slowly collecting over time, I have emailed them to ask but it is the weekend to be fair so probably won’t hear until Monday, I just can’t think how fuel is making it’s way in to the heating system but it’s definitely diesel we’re smelling

sharmanator43 said:

it probably is only tiny and is slowly collecting over tim

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Presumably the injectors were removed to do the camshaft. If so were new injector high pressure pipes fitted? LR specifically say that new pipes are required once the union nuts have been released. This is strange, as normally the pipes are reusable, but LR say not. I've got the same pipe replacement issue, once I finish putting my engine back together.

sharmanator43 said:

I just can’t think how fuel is making it’s way in to the heating system but it’s definitely diesel we’re smelling

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The air intake for the climate control is at the bottom of the windscreen, so could quite easily suck in smells from the engine, if they're strong enough.

I’d have to go back through the list of bits they charged me for, I do remember there being a few bits and pieces to do with the injectors, to be fair the garage have got back to me now and they want it straight back in, they did suggest when they’ve had it before it’s been a cracked inlet manifold but as mines only just been done it could be a faulty seal, I’m going to dig out the original invoice though and see if injector high pressure pipes are on there, thanks for that, I did wonder where the Aircon takes it’s fresh air supply, I wondered if somehow some diesel had been spilt in the inlet but the smell is only strong for a few minutes and then goes, it is an odd one, hopefully they’ll find it quickly, I don’t particularly mind the smell of diesel but it makes my wife and little girl feel a bit sick

It's unlikely that diesel has been split into the fresh air intake, as it sits a good foot above the injectors. However if diesel leaking from an injector pipe, then the smell could well migrate to the fresh air intake for the cabin.

It's unlikely to be an inlet manifold, as there's no diesel anywhere near it, the manifold is for air to enter the engine, not fuel.