everytime i get out of the car after drivin for a while, the gas (i thinks its the gas) fumes smell really bad. its not a burnt tire smell, cuz i've smelled that from goin fast. its a really bad smell. everybody notices it. if someones had this problem before, and know if its something small or serious, let me know. thanks

 

correct me if im wrong everyone but i think a possibility could be the rubber fuel lines, etc, get cold, shrink and crack esp. whens its really cold causing a strong fuel smell. i belive this could be one explanation. do you live in a cold area? when does it do it? hope i helped a little.

 

If it's not gas fumes, it could be a sulfur smell from the exhaust. I think it depends on the gas you put in, but I know mine smells like this because of a bad knock sensor. It's causing the engine to retard the timing constantly (and yes, there is a noticeable loss of power). The incomplete combustion produces a sulfur smell.

If you smell gas, check the rubber fuel lines that connect the front and rear fuel rails together (VE only, not sure about VG). They are on the top left side of the engine. These usually stop leaking when the engine gets warm, so this may not be your problem.

 

I have had to replace several of the rubber fuel lines on my '91 SE becasue they leak when it gets cold. I have one leaking right now when it gets really cold that is under the air intake collector. I am afraid I will have to take it off to fix the fuel line. Has anyone else had to do that?

Pax

 

Yes.. all the rubber fuel rail lines on both VG anve VE are common to leak. they CAN cause engine fires also if you don't get them fixed. I've seen dozens of 3rd gens in junkyards because of engine fires.. just a warning. it doesn't just stink- it's dangerous.

 

Just to be sure, is this a gasoline-like smell (leaking gas from hoses somewhere) or is this a rotten-egg kind of smell where you're always wondering who farted? The rotten egg smell indicates fuel/ignition problems, not leaks. It's usually not serious but might be related to poor emissions and smells bad.

 

def a rotten egg. i live in ct. doesnt get freezing, but cold enough to put frost on your windows that take a while to warm up in the morning if you didnt park in the garage the night before.

 

by the way, i put mobil super+ (a 93 octane). havent seen anything higher so i'm sticking with that, unless its not what i need to be putting. let me know

 

I don't think you need that high an octane, especially if your car is a GXE (and "GXE" isn't a place in CT!).

Even the VE-engined SEs should be able to run okay with the lower octane gasolines - "okay" meaning that it will idle and function without any bad exhaust smell. Octane or gas grade shouldn't be the problem.

The problem lies somewhere with the fuel/ignition system or the engine management system with its many sensors.

Unfortunately someone else will have to give you some suggestions what to do next since this isn't an area of expertise for me. Good luck.