Wadoka

Neighbors -

I have a mild gasoline odor waft up to my nose every time I start the car.

Tonight, I left a parking lot, gave the car a lot of gas for about a block, and stopped at a red light, and a very strong gasoline odor caught up to me. No other cars anywhere near me.

How do you diagnose a fuel odor problem like this? Can I pop off the fuel rail covers and see fuel residue dripping from the rail/injector? I didn't see any from my rather hot manifold, but it might be evaporating and not leaving any residue...

Has anyone ever tried to nail down something like this?

vettenuts

First place to check is for obvious leaks just for safety sake. Check the fuel filter also. More then likely it is the charcoal cansiter/purge system. There is a vent line that runs from the tank to the charcoal canister in the left front fender well. Check the rubber sections along this length and make sure the hoses are OK.

Does the car run OK?

Irocan

Matt,
If it is hard to start after sitting for a while and smells loke raw fuel when it does start it is probably a leaker. Not sure what year your vette is but on my IROC L98 I lifted up the fuel rail and primed the fuel system (turning the key "on") and watched fuel drip from the #1 injector.
I replaced them with a new set and it starts like new now. Could be your problem.

Bob

merrick

If a leak is not evident from somewhere else don't drive it and reseal the injectors. Get a fire extinguisher too. I don't like to see posts of roasted vette remains.

Wadoka

The car has never been hard to start, fortunately.

I have a mild fuel odor when I start the car in the garage, door up, engine idled. The other night, something produced a stronger odor of fuel when I hit it hard for that block.

If it's the evap canister (the black ball?) is it horribly hard to work on myself? Could the car be in a rich condition for some reason? I have no DIC codes at all, no bad report from the O2 sensor...

I'll go trace some hoses. Thanks.

92LT1Roadster

I am not sure but I have heard of a drip test tool??? I think that the cost about $30... I am sure someone will know about this tool

merrick

The fuel odor is an external leak not internal leaky injector. No you won't get a code, but when the leak decides to become a spray you will get a fireball!

vettenuts

The round ball is a vacuum accumulator. The charcoal canister is a cylinder about the size of a coffee can. One other safety thing to check. The fuel lines have a rubber section in them. Trace them down from the fuel rail or trace them from the inner frame section on the passenger side. The rubber is bent into a "U" just behind the radiator on the passenger side. These are a known failure area and GM doesn't make the parts anymore. Just make sure they are OK. If you have a failure here the car will catch on fire. I doubt it's the problem, but for safety sake and piece of mind check them out.

Also, what year is the car? If an older car I would still suspect the purge system as this is a very typical problem.


[Modified by vettenuts, 5:24 AM 4/3/2002]

Wadoka

It's a '93 with 91,000 miles on it.