Some mini pics

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Hi, my mini is a 1988. I believe MKIV. I will check in the engine bay for the canister. I know there is a fuse holder on the right ride of the engine bay. 

Here re are some pictures of the engine bay from my phone that the previous ownee sent me when I was buying it

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Change your flag man...show your national pride !! 

Maybe I missed it...what true year is your car?

There should probably be a charcoal cannister under the hood (bonnet) on the right hand side ( left as you look from the front ) up by the firewall.

The vent from the top of the fuel tank, should run underneath the car (hard line ) and come up near the cannister...then a rubber line into the cannister.

If this isn't there, it could be the cause of fuel smell

First, I live in Edmonton, Alberta.

i understand about researching stuff out. I am pretty mechanically inclined. I've worked on many cars. Newer though. I know what carbs are. Just very green on the mini scene. Love the car. I bought it in Quebec and trailered it across Canada to bring her to her new home. I just wasn't sure about if the fuel smell is normal, some normally occurring problem or something major. 

Image Gallery

Fuel tank - just recently pulled for fixing and installing new shocks.. The filler neck had the dreaded foam seal -- and yep - CRUSTY undernath.

Treat with rust killer + por 15 all over- Tank looks great-  No leaks but was close!

also you'll see the small tube from the TOP of the tank  almost in the flat flange.. Thats the Vent tube- That vent tube should run to the boot floor- and thru a hole- OPEN to the ground.!

Congrats on your purchase.  Looks like a nice clean car.  We always encourage folks to post where they live.  Somebody may be nearby that could help you out more directly.

As you may have noticed they're also not so much into spoon feeding you answers to your questions.  It's meant to encourage you to do do diligence and research as much as you can on your own then ask questions where needed.  A lot of guys on here have owned these cars for a majority of their lives so a newbie has a pretty steep learning curve coming on board.  That learning curve can be frustrating to a new person but if you stick around and put in your time there is a lot of knowledge to be learned from the old timers on here.

To your fuel question; fuel tank & carb are the two most common places for fuel leakage.  Start by closely examining both items.  If you don't know what a carb is or looks like we need to know that so we can adjust our questions of you accordingly.  There's nothing wrong not knowing what a carb is but we'll expect you to want to learn what one is, what kind you have and how it works.  If you don't show that desire to learn & instead ask questions that could have been answered by simply opening the bonnet (hood) and looking for yourself, you're likely to not get the most helpful answers on here.

Speaking of questions, where are you located? (Sometimes the profile system here does not show this info, even if it is entered.)

Depending on where you are, there may be fellow Mini owners willing to give guidance or lend a hand as you get acquainted with your new family member. Or there might be a Mini owners club nearby where even more help can be found. Eventually you may need some of the specialized tools (you may only need them once) and nearby owners might lend them too.

The engine number should be on a small metal plate riveted to the engine block just above the alternator. Decode the engine here:

//www.minimania.com/Mini_Identification__Identifying_Minis_by_Engine-Power_Unit

Post pictures of the engine from various angles (in an overall pic, the engine should at least fill the frame).

To verfy the identity of your car, there should be a VIN plate on it. You can decode it starting here:

//www.minimania.com/Mini_Identification__Identification_by_Chassis_Number-VIN__Standard_Cars

No dumb question here! Asking is good! (Sometimes some dumb answers pop up though, ha-ha!)

First, tell us what a "cult tank" is.

On a standard Mini fuel tank, which would be locatd in the boot (trunk) on the left side, ahead of the left tail light. On that tank, a rubber or plastic tube (+/- 1/4" or 6mm) is connected to the top of the tank and follows the curve of the tank forward and own through a hole in the floor in front of the tank where the fuel line exits the boot. The vent tube should hang down about to the bottom of the rear subframe where any fumes can be dispersed by passing breezes. As others have said, the most common problem is the vent tube coming off the top of the tank or coming apart.

The second most likely problem is that the SU carburetor (either HS or HIF type) have vented fuel bowls. The carb fuel bowl should have a vent tube conencted to it that leads down into the air stream below the car. Your 1988 car should (as originally built) should probably hae a 1/4" metal tube fastened to the clutch housing, running from the back of the engine, over and down the front of the clutch housing. This should be connected to the carb with a piece of rubber fuel hose. Here's where the problem occurs: too often the vent tube isn't connected or is missing entirely. Under normal conditions, the carb fuel bowl, being small, does not give off noticeable fumes. The carb bowl has an inlet float valve (like a miniature toileet tank would have). Sometines it sticks and keeps running, like in a toilet when you must jiggle the handle. But in the carb, the bowl over-fills: some fuel goes into the engine, making it run poorly. Some fuel comes out the carb vent tube and should be led safely out to the ground. Bit if it isn't connected, it dribbles out the vent port, down the carb and onto the exhaust manifold... the HOT exhaust manifold.

A third possibility is that stock fuel tanks tend to rust out, and at 27 years old, your car may likely have this problem. One place they rust but leak only fumes is in the filler neck. The cars were built with a foam rubber collar around the neck that tends to hold moisture against the steel, causing pinhole rust perforations. when you fill the tank, the nozzle is below this lacy metal, so you don't see spills. But the lacy metal makes an excellent filter-vent ..... inside the boot.

A fourth possibility is that your non-standard tank has a filler tube (and/or vent) that is leaking. It may only ooze when you fill the tank or make hard turns, so you don't see spills or dampness, but the fuel evaporates. Or the cap may not seal properly.

Post some pictures of your car's fuel tank and carburetor... when we see what you have, we can give more pertinent advice.

Welcome to Mini ownership! (Sometimes they seem to own us!) and to the Board!

i have a workshop manual on order. That was my first purchase for the mini lol. How would I even find out the motor size? Guy I bought it from said 1300cc. It was a rebuilt motor years ago. I have a few oil leaks and was looking into a gasket kit. Is there any vin decoder to tell me any info about the car? I appreciate the help

heres my 2 little minis 

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Very helpful tools will be a workshop manual and a parts catalogue with many great diagrams.

If we just tell you where the vent is on the tank, your ability to actually open the trunk and look at things to learn is going to be greatly reduced. Suffice to say, the fuel tank vent is NOT part of the window regulators, the heater/demister unit or the seat belt mounts. 

good luck, we're all counting on you

Hey thanks for the responses. Where would the vent tube be located? Sorry for the dumb question, I don't really know much about the minis. Bought my first one here ?? and loving it

I can always tell when the vent tube between my twin tanks has slipped off one end. Thay's where I'd start my search. Don't know what a cult tank is. Steve (CTR)

Most fuel leaks are caused the carburetor float bowl over flowing caused by needle valve not sealing properly. I recently had a crack an HS carb needle jet (quite petrified) fuel line  but I suppose an 88 would have an HIF carb.

Exactly how is this cult tank vented?

hey everyone. Just bought my first mini. Got a 1988 mini And love it. Have one problem though. I get a fuel smell inside the car. Can't figure out where it's coming from. Anything I should check? It has a newer gas tank and everything seems good I'm the trunk