Help With Gas Smell
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Help With Gas Smell
After 144k mostly trouble-free miles on my Z06, I believe I am suddenly having a problem with a gas smell. The first time I noticed it I was getting out of my car but I thought it might be another car in the parking lot, since I've never had this before. Today I was out doing some errands and as my wife and I were getting back in she said that she noticed a gas smell. This didn't happen until we had driven around for a little while. We drove away and didn't smell it again until I went to accelerate moderately up an incline. Then it went away again. Parked the car outside my garage for a while until I was sure there was no smell. Car has been parked for several hours now and there is no smell. I looked under the car and checked the engine compartment and I see no trace of leaking fuel, also checked fuel filler area and nothing. I don't smell anything at all. Anybody have any suggestions? I read on the C6 forum some people had trouble with the gas cap. I haven't done any mechanical work on the car recently where I might have messed something up?
Racer
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 489
Likes: 24
From: Maryland
I think theres a fuel tube that goes from one tank to the other tank. And sometimes they crack and leak. Theres some info on here about that. I beleive it was even a recall. You make have a crack in the fuel tube, and you are smelling the vapors from the crack? Just my 2 cents.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
The fuel transfer tube change referred to by Fasttony was made I believe in late model year 2003 through 2004. Can also be the EVAP system, any codes?
Was the tank full or near full when this happened?
Was the tank full or near full when this happened?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The tank was somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 at the most, definitely not full, but possibly even lower than I remember. How difficult is it to determine if it is the transfer tube? How hard to replace and is it easy to find a new one? Lastly, do C5's have gas cap issues? I figured the cap is cheap and easiest to replace. I was reading on the forum that C6's have had problems with the gas cap.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Regarding the "earlier" Z06's, according to my VIN I have the earlier style fuel system, I believe. I also came to this conclusion when the valve spring issue was discussed. If it will help you my vin # ends in 35105580. In a little while I will have a chance to go check for codes, I am finishing up something right now, but I'll be back. Thanks for your help.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
I'm back. I will list the codes I found, I think almost all if not all have nothing to do with the intermittent smell problem. Since last night there has been no odor at all.
PCM- P1431 H
IPC - U1160 H
LDCM- B2282 H
B2286 H
B2284 H
B2262 H
U1064 H
RDCM- B2283H
B2287H
B2285H
U1064H
SCM- U1255H
U1064H
A search brought me to some C6 postings. It seems like many of them have had bad gas caps, it made me think of replacing mine since I can't even tell where the smell is coming from. Caps are cheap on Amazon. I once had a problem with a coolant smell and replacing the cap with a new one cured the problem. I got a factory replacement from Amazon for ten bucks.
Aside from getting under the car, how hard is it to change the transfer tube. Do the tanks need to be drained to do it? Aside from the intermittent odor, is it dangerous to drive the car with this problem?
PCM- P1431 H
IPC - U1160 H
LDCM- B2282 H
B2286 H
B2284 H
B2262 H
U1064 H
RDCM- B2283H
B2287H
B2285H
U1064H
SCM- U1255H
U1064H
A search brought me to some C6 postings. It seems like many of them have had bad gas caps, it made me think of replacing mine since I can't even tell where the smell is coming from. Caps are cheap on Amazon. I once had a problem with a coolant smell and replacing the cap with a new one cured the problem. I got a factory replacement from Amazon for ten bucks.
Aside from getting under the car, how hard is it to change the transfer tube. Do the tanks need to be drained to do it? Aside from the intermittent odor, is it dangerous to drive the car with this problem?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Found this on another web site with regards to the PCM code:
I haven't experienced the problem yet but there appears to be a "new" PCM calibration (16264703) available that addresses it.
If you haven't seen this site already, go to: http://calid.gm.com/vci/
With my VIN, the site comes back with the following for the fuel system:
Calibration History for :FUEL SYSTEM CALIBRATION Part Number CVN Bulletin # Description
16264675 000016C0 N/A fuel system calibration
16264703 0000F152 N/A calibration to prevent setting of false dtc p1431. replaces calibration 16264618 for 2001 vehicles.
That error my not be related to the fuel smell, but apparently is a somewhat common issue from reading.
I would repeat what you did to get the smell and see if it repeats. Then check in the rear passenger side for EVAP issues and the fuel transfer tube. Also, check for cracked/broken EVAP hoses although those should have set a code. On the cap, check the rubber seal. On my BMW when this became an issue, the degradation of the rubber seal was evident when you looked at the cap.
I haven't experienced the problem yet but there appears to be a "new" PCM calibration (16264703) available that addresses it.
If you haven't seen this site already, go to: http://calid.gm.com/vci/
With my VIN, the site comes back with the following for the fuel system:
Calibration History for :FUEL SYSTEM CALIBRATION Part Number CVN Bulletin # Description
16264675 000016C0 N/A fuel system calibration
16264703 0000F152 N/A calibration to prevent setting of false dtc p1431. replaces calibration 16264618 for 2001 vehicles.
That error my not be related to the fuel smell, but apparently is a somewhat common issue from reading.
I would repeat what you did to get the smell and see if it repeats. Then check in the rear passenger side for EVAP issues and the fuel transfer tube. Also, check for cracked/broken EVAP hoses although those should have set a code. On the cap, check the rubber seal. On my BMW when this became an issue, the degradation of the rubber seal was evident when you looked at the cap.
Last edited by vettenuts; Mar 13, 2016 at 01:45 PM.
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
To both Vettenuts and 8Vette7, thanks for your replies. The smell occurrence is a very recent and new situation. Both times its happened so far I was doing nothing unusual, just ordinary driving. The second time it happened my wife was with me and when getting out of the car she asked me why my car smelled from gas. The first time I was standing outside the driver's door right by the gas door. I was in front of a car dealer I was going into so I assumed it was from something else. I have already been aware of the fuel gage situation so I've been doing the Techron treatments. As far as the rest of the codes, I've seen them before so I know they had nothing to do with this. I will try clearing all the codes and seeing what comes back. The second easiest and cheap thing I'm going to try is replacing my gas cap. Inexpensive and readily available. I'm not ready to start digging around under my car yet. Maybe I'll be lucky. I'll keep posted in case I need further help.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,335
Likes: 1,590
From: Western NY
Several years ago, I was experiencing a "fuel smell" issue, but never saw any dripping gas. Eventually traced it to a fuel filter seal that was dripping slightly, when the car was running. I never saw any drips, because the gas was falling onto the hot exhaust pipe, and vaporizing....
I kid you not!!
I kid you not!!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
I cleared the codes and took a drive for awhile. Car ran great, had a nice drive and stopped by a shop nearby that restores old British cars. Guy had TR2, TR3's, Austin-Healey, gorgeous rust-free MGA and a tube framed '69 Camaro SS with a big block, Tremec 6spd and 9" rear on Torq-Thrusts. Anyway car ran great, came back and there is no smell and there are no codes at all. So at this point I'm not sure what my next step will be but I'm going to at least replace my gas cap. I might check my fuel filter next. I need to get my car off the ground and look around. Unless anybody has some better ideas.