legacycentral bbs

Since last December I has noticed a slight scent of raw fuel after starting the car, but in the last few weeks it has been getting very strong. I am trying to figure out what causes this. After driving the car for a while, and getting it warmed up, the smell goes away...

The first thing I suggest when detecting a fuel odor, is to check everything around your charcoal canister. Fumes from the tank are collected and deposited in this container to be consumed by the engine like normal fuel. If you have a cracked or leaking canister, or a cracked or dangling hose to or from it, those fumes will escape and create a strong fuel odor from your engine bay.

Needless to say, if the canister checks out, then start looking for pinhole leaks throughout the fuel system.

If it's just when the engine is cold, is it possible the smell is coming from the exhaust gas?

It might be from the exhaust gasses, it's very strong when I have the heater or AC going.

Next time it happens maybe you should try popping the hood and seeing if you can localize the source of the smell.

I also say check the canister.... either that or it could be the purge solenoid...any CEL?

My car would smell of gas before I replaced my solenoid, even before the check engine light started coming on

Andrew

Double-check your gas-line clamps. I've had a number of occurances over the years where the clamps on the fuel filter have loosened slightly letting the high-pressure gas from the injection system leak slightly. It seems more prevalent in cold weather (so this time of year would be unusual).

-Mark

Oh yeah, Mark, that's a good point... it's also worth pointing out that if you ever changed any of the fuel line components and you didn't use fuel injection hose (as opposed to regular fuel hose or -- God forbid -- non-fuel hose) and fuel injection clamps (as opposed to regular hose clamps) it could cause a leak.

I did replace the fuel line coming and going to my fuel filter when I replaced it a while back. I might double check and see what type I used, and I should just replace it with some higher quality line. I am thinking I want to use the German Cloth braided stuff, because it will show me where there is a leak...

I tightened the clamps on the fuel lines, and this did stop the smell at start up. Some of the replacement lines are already starting to crack and split, so I am thinking it's time to replace them all with high quality ones...

Yeah, get that German stuff. It's nice.

vrg3 wrote:Yeah, get that German stuff. It's nice.

I think I still might have some laying around when I replaced it all for my Mercedes, however I don't think I have enough. I guess I will have to wait for the Forgien Auto parts store to be open on Monday... If I was crazy, I could take it off the Mercedes, but then I wouldn't be able to drive that