6 Common Reasons Your Car Smells Like Gasoline
When you’re traveling, you want to avoid a strong smell of gasoline. However, this is not only unpleasant, but can also be very dangerous. But is it always serious? Here we look at the 6 most common reasons why your car smells like gasoline and how serious each problem is.
Causes of Gasoline Smells from Cars
There are several reasons why your car may smell like gasoline, and they vary in severity. Some issues can be ignored until the new parts arrive, while others shouldn’t be a trip to the workshop. Here’s everything you need to know.
1) Loose, missing or broken gas cap
One of the most common causes of a fuel smell in your car is a loose or broken gas cap. If you’ve just filled up, double-check that your gas cap is tight (and that it is). Then look at the gaskets and seals. If everything seems fine, this isn’t the cause.
However, if the seal on the lid is cracked or fissured, that may be where the smell is coming from. As a final note, if you’ve just filled up, drive a few miles before going too far. Fuel vapors may leak when refueling, temporarily creating an odor inside the vehicle.
Often this will also cause the check engine light to come on and a scan will show code P0457 or another EVAP leak trouble code. On Ford vehicles especially, you may see a warning that says “Check your fuel filler neck.”
Severity: Low
This isn’t a very serious issue, but it’s surprisingly cheap to fix. For this reason, there’s no reason not to order a new gas cap and replace it as soon as possible.
2) Loose or damaged spark plugs
In the combustion chamber, fuel mixes with air, and the spark plug ignites the entire mixture. Normally, this works perfectly, but if the mechanic didn’t tighten the spark plug properly when installing it, or if the spark plug seal is damaged, the ignition can release steam directly from the opening, causing a fuel smell. If you suspect this is the problem, you should replace all your spark plugs. Luckily, this is not too expensive, so you don’t have to spend all your money trying to fix the problem.
Severity: Medium
It’s unlikely that anything serious will happen, but if your spark plugs become loose or damaged, you could have serious problems. This is because all the conditions are there for the mixture to ignite, but the mixture is not fully in the combustion chamber. Fix the problem as soon as you have the opportunity.
3) Engine is running too rich
There is a right fuel to air ratio to achieve maximum performance, but if things aren’t going as expected, that ratio may be a little off. If this ratio is too rich, it means there is too much fuel in the combustion chamber.
Since the car can’t burn it all, fuel vapors escape through the exhaust. The result is a strong smell of fuel right outside the car, especially right after you start the car.
Severity: Medium
Aside from a significant reduction in fuel consumption, there are few short-term issues from running an engine too rich. However, if you ignore this problem for a long period of time, the excess force that excess fuel creates can damage your engine.
4) Fuel Injector Failure
Fuel injectors play a vital role in delivering the right amount of fuel to your engine. Over time, they can wear out, crack, or break, which can cause a fuel smell in your vehicle.
These injectors can withstand high pressure, and over time, this pressure can cause a leak through the nozzle or seal at the injector tip. Not only can this leak cause a gasoline smell, but it can also cause performance issues and reduce fuel economy.
Severity: High
If there is a fuel leak, you should be very careful as fuel getting in the wrong place can cause a fire. But what is more likely is a condition called “cylinder washing”, where raw fuel literally washes the protective layer of oil off the cylinder walls of the cylinder.
When this happens, fuel gets pushed down in the cylinder and can gradually drip into the oil pan. Oil mixed with other liquids (especially gasoline) is never good and at best reduces the oil’s ability to protect the engine.
5) Faulty Activated Charcoal Canister
Your vehicle’s charcoal canister is a vital part of the EVAP system. It collects fuel vapors from the exhaust and pushes them back into the combustion chamber where they are burned again.
This is good for the environment because the dual combustion of fuel produces fewer harmful emissions. However, if the charcoal canister cracks or breaks, the fuel vapors trapped in the charcoal canister will leak out and cause a fuel smell.
Severity: Low
A broken charcoal canister is bad for the environment, but it’s not a big problem in terms of performance or safety. As long as the exhaust gases stay outside the car, there’s no big problem.
6) Fuel System Issue
While you may not actually see gasoline leaking onto the ground, a minor leak within the fuel system is a possibility. There are all sorts of components in your fuel system, and over time they can break down in various ways. Fuel lines are notorious for rusting, while dented fuel tanks can crack and lead to leaks too. Moreover, gaskets and seals can give way, all of which can lead to a fuel leak.
If you have a fuel smell, finding a fuel leak is relatively straightforward. Just follow the smell, and it should lead you straight to the leak!
Seriousness: HIGH
This is the most serious cause of a fuel smell in your vehicle. Leaking fuel is extremely dangerous, and you should not drive your vehicle if you suspect or find a fuel leak.
What To Do if You Smell Gas in Your Car
Inside the Vehicle
There’s a big difference between smelling gas around your car and smelling gas in your vehicle. While both can be extremely serious, it can quickly turn deadly if you’re smelling gas inside your car.
Getting a fuel smell inside your car is especially common when the heat is on, as it brings in whatever smells are inside the engine bay. So, if you have a fuel smell inside your car, it’s best if you turn both the heat and A/C off and track down and repair the problem immediately.
How to Get Skunk Smell Out of Car
Outside the Vehicle
Meanwhile, if the smell is exclusively on the outside of your vehicle, you’ll still need to track down the cause of the smell as soon as possible. Start by checking the fuel cap since it’s extremely easy and quick to check.
But if that’s not the problem, see if you can’t track down the source of the smell by simply following the smell. This usually will lead you straight to the problem. If not, you need to give the entire fuel system a thorough check.
This means checking the fuel tank and all the fuel lines to ensure they don’t have any leaks. If there are no leaks in the fuel system, you might have a faulty charcoal canister or an engine that is running rich.
An engine running rich will have a fuel smell coming from the exhaust, while a faulty charcoal canister will have the smell coming from the engine bay. If you can’t track down the problem yourself, you need to have a professional take a look at it. Trust your nose because an undiagnosed fuel leak can lead to an extremely dangerous situation.
