Gas Smell On Cold Start.

[Matts 850 GLT]

Hi

I smell gas when I first start the car (cold) and after a few minutes it goes away. It smells quite strong in the cabin, but when I checked the fuel lines and under the hood there were no leaks.

Am I missing something, the last thing I want is to set fire to the thing?

Thanks

Matt

[shurgen]

Hi

I smell gas when I first start the car (cold) and after a few minutes it goes away. It smells quite strong in the cabin, but when I checked the fuel lines and under the hood there were no leaks.

Am I missing something, the last thing I want is to set fire to the thing?

Thanks

Matt

If you smell it in the cabin when you start it, there should be a leak somewhere under the hood. Leaks are difficult to trace as gas evaporates quickly. I'd look into injector seals and rubber hose to the left of fuel rail. Yours may not be rubber any more, plastic instead because of age.

[javadoc]

If you smell it in the cabin when you start it, there should be a leak somewhere under the hood. Leaks are difficult to trace as gas evaporates quickly. I'd look into injector seals and rubber hose to the left of fuel rail. Yours may not be rubber any more, plastic instead because of age.

If that hose is old, just get about 6" of 1/4" (6.3mm, IIRC) Goodyear high pressure fuel hose at Napa. I did that last week, and it cost me like $3. Use proper clamps!

[the underlørd]

Use proper clamps!

or else what? :lol:

[Tom]

Hi

I smell gas when I first start the car (cold) and after a few minutes it goes away. It smells quite strong in the cabin, but when I checked the fuel lines and under the hood there were no leaks.

Am I missing something, the last thing I want is to set fire to the thing?

Thanks

Matt

Each injector has a rubber disc-shaped seal near the bottom that mates to the manifold - these seals are about an inch in diameter and you can see them. Poke each one with a screwdriver and see if any fuel oozes out. If so, you probably have a leaking injector.

[javadoc]

or else what?

Or else, when you're driving over to the FedEx hub to drop of a box full of Bilstein HDs, you'll smell this horrific stench of raw gasoline. Then you'll pop your hood and exclaim, "WHAT THE MONKEY?!?" b/c there will be fuel spewed all over the timing belt cover, ecu cover and related bits, all steaming in the cold winter air as it evaporates.

Or, so I heard.

[kenhoeve]

My guess is you're smelling excess fuel through a leak in the PCV system. I would check the rubber line that runs adjacent to the oil fill and down behind the injector rail. A hole there can cause a fuel smell. Had this problem once. The hole in the PCV line causes a very rich condition at start up. Injectors rarely leak unless you've had them out recently.

[Slater]

Injectors rarely leak unless you've had them out recently.

Not true. He's got a 93 so his orings are shot to heck.

Personally, I would check the PCV hose as you said (which should have been replaced as part of stage 0 anyways), and replace the injector grommets, orings, and short piece of fuel line. That's a total of $20 in parts and 30 minutes of work and I guarentee it will solve the problem.