smelling gas in the car need help in determining the reason

[furyus65]

today I get in the car and everytime I stop I smell what appeasr to be gas coming form the air vents. (heater is on) also, the heater has been putting out less than hot air for about the last week or so. How do I test for a fuel leak since it is not leaving anypuddles. (Do not suggest using a lighter, please!!! )

I can smell fuel in the engine bay but did not see any wet lines. Could this be a vaccuum leak of some sort?

any help would be appreciated.

Jason

1996 v8 trans am convertible automatic

[wolfdogs]

you ate at Taco bell ......again.....didnt ya?














canister leak maybe...... or....look under the car.....remember..you have a positive ventilation system....could be exhaust maybe..or is it positively raw gas you smell ?
you need to go over everything with a fine tooth comb. as im sure you are aware of. raw gas means "fire hazard".....

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Maybe the evaporative canister putting out fumes. It is just supposed to send the gas tank fumes to the engine to get burnt. - if you top off the tank too much, ithe gas will overflow into the canister which is under the drivers side rear fender. The smell of gas is noticeable in the car when this thing gets fuel in it.

[BAS]

Make sure the fuel lines aren't on
the manifolds or headers ( the plastic
clip on the throttle often breaks off.)

Also prime the fuel pump a couple times
without running the car and look/smell
for gas.

good luck

[pete]

check the schroeder valve on the fuel line at the rear of the intake manifold, it may be leaking a little under pressure.

[furyus65]

nope I did nt have taco bell but I did eat burritos. ahhah ha

on the canister idea, does this go away by itself or do I need to do something about it.

as for the other options I will look at it this weekend. Driving the Durango tomorrow because a snow storm is coming in so it won't be driven for a few days. I'll keep you posted as to what I find.

thanks,

Jason

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

I don't think the canisters are serviceable. They are supposed to deal with fumes, and if they get liquid fuel in there it might take forever for it to process through. I'm not an expert about it though. FYI, this is the exact reason they tell you NOT to top off the tank - because it can get into the tank's vent system. Also if you (over)fill up on a cold morning, then the car sat in hot weather, the gas can expand and cause problems too.

[BAS]

I remember alot of people had the
problem during summertime..

I even had it a couple times when
I first bought the car.. but never had
a problem since.

Originally posted by Kevin - Blown 95 TA
I don't think the canisters are serviceable. They are supposed to deal with fumes, and if they get liquid fuel in there it might take forever for it to process through. I'm not an expert about it though. FYI, this is the exact reason they tell you NOT to top off the tank - because it can get into the tank's vent system. Also if you (over)fill up on a cold morning, then the car sat in hot weather, the gas can expand and cause problems too.

[furyus65]

I checked for leaks using a soap and water solution (much like looking for air leaks adn I did not find any.) How long does it take for the canister to get rid of the excess gas? it has now been a week and sometimes it smells fine other times the odor is strong.

the fuel lines seem to be in good condition and they are not on the engine or manifolds. I did not try the fuel line prime button on the fuel injection yet (it has been too cold to get outside to mess with it) but I'll try that next if this does not clear away soon.

Jason

[Flash 97 WS/6]

I'm pretty sure the soapy water trick won't work for finding a liquid fuel leak... probably better do some further checking. I have found that just using a dry paper towel to wipe around where you can't see will sometime make it easier to determine if you have a leak.

You might want to also check the injectors and around the fuel pressure regulator at the back of the fuel rail on the drivers side, the FPR and the injectors all have rubber O-rings and I have had minor leaks after injector swaps etc in the past, it's just like you described, "I smell what appears to be gas coming form the air vents", sometimes strong. Not a good thing to drive around high on gas fumes (or on fire!)!

[Jeff95TA]

If you need to replace the canister check on www.gmpartsdirect.com. They carry them and they are half the retail price.