ILOVEMYSE

Just like the title says I have a strong odor of gas a friend of mine says he thinks it smells like exhaust. Im not really sure which it is It smells like gas to me though. The fuel lines are new so I dont know what else it could be. Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

NJmaxVG

I have the same problem and its been happening since I bought the car. I have no idea what it could be

abunai

Check the fuel lines at the gas tank. One of the vent lines seems to crack all the time. Easier if you drop the tank down a little.

DARHAW-MAX

Where is the smell originating from? The rear or the front of the vehicle? You say that the fuel lines are new. As there are several, which ones? Which engine do you have? I know on the VG engine, the fuel lines that run to the fuel rails tend to rot a little and leak fuel when they are cold (after everything heats up, the fuel rail's metal expands enough to prevent the leak). I have heard the same for the VE, but I have not come across anyone who has experienced that particular problem. Also, you may want to checkout what ABUNAI mentioned. Also, if your fuel filter was changed recently, you may want to ensure that the lines are sufficently tighted up (there is an actual specification in the FSM).

Fredrik

Check the fuel line that goes to the coal canister.

ISUConE

It took 6 months to track mine down. The mechanics at two garages said it was my imagination. Then they said I needed a new gas cap. $65 (cap + diagnosis) later I was still smelling gas. I took it back in and here is what they found.

Previously that year I had the fuel pump replaced. Apparently this is where the problem occured. They used a non-spec'd clamp to reattach the fuel lines. These clamps cut into the hoses and caused the leak. The mechanics tried blowing smoke from the engine compartment back through the fuel system to find the leak, but this only blew the gas cap off. It was not until they dropped the tank that they found the problem. Just removing the back seat and looking at the top of the tank is not enough. The service manager was so embarrased they had let me drive around for so long (not to mention parking my car in my garage) with a leak that they discounted the cost of the repair by 2/3. They were very appologetic.

Two months later my rear caliper locked up and the brake rotor got so hot that it turned black and warped. Can you imagine a fuel leak that close to a red hot rotor!

Don't wait. Just tell them to go for it and drop the tank. One other thing it could be is a loose clamp on one of the short hoses on top of the engine. I have had that happen too, but usually only in the winter. The fuel smell from here is sucked in through the vent intake in front of the windshield.

Next time you smell gas sniff the back edge of the hood and then sniff your rear wheel wells. If the smell is at the rear end (no pun intended) then it is on top of the tank.

Good luck.

maxinmaxima

iTrader: (2)

Wow, this is a very helpful thread, I have the same problem, but because I couldn't figure it out, I decided to try to ignore it, being the genius that I am. Well turning the stereo up louder didn't fix the problem lol, so I guess I'll have to look into these suggestions.

DARHAW-MAX

broncoguy

I know this is obvious, but you need to check anywhere that fuel runs throughout the car. Gas vapors can go many places, and not always logically from where they start. Cracked hoses, leaking filler neck, loose gas cap, injectors, etc...also, it doesn't take much of a leak to cause the smell. I have a 92 Stanza as well as the Max, and those are notorious for injector leaks, for example.

ISUConE

Also, the 3rd generation Maxima's had a recall for rust induced perforated filler tubes. This is what I thought mine was at first. But after crawling under the car I could see that the filler tube was in perfect shape. As [art of the recall they painted it with a special paint or replaced it depending on its condition.