Gas smell
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 836
From: Connecticut
Gas smell
2003 maxima SE with 205k. This car has been a beast!
So I have 2 issues which I believe are unrelated but who knows. When I get out of my car after a drive I smell gasoline. I would say it is mildly strong. No puddles or anything to be found. Before I start digging around, are there any common areas in this car to check? The second problem is my fuel gauge. Even though my gas is near empty it may read 1/4 tank. Then I will drive it in a couple hours and it will say empty. And then back again.
i will likely postpone this until warm weather comes back but I’m curious if anyone has experienced this and if people have a common solution.
thanks in advance for the help everyone!
So I have 2 issues which I believe are unrelated but who knows. When I get out of my car after a drive I smell gasoline. I would say it is mildly strong. No puddles or anything to be found. Before I start digging around, are there any common areas in this car to check? The second problem is my fuel gauge. Even though my gas is near empty it may read 1/4 tank. Then I will drive it in a couple hours and it will say empty. And then back again.
i will likely postpone this until warm weather comes back but I’m curious if anyone has experienced this and if people have a common solution.
thanks in advance for the help everyone!
Last edited by 2damax; Nov 28, 2017 at 10:45 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 604
Have you had any work done on the car lately? A hunch would be somebody serviced the fuel system, damaged the float mechanism when removing or reinstalling the pump assembly, and didn't properly seal it into the tank.
That could all happen in one repair job and then now gas leaks down the side of the tank and you smell it. HOWEVER, you would almost certainly smell it inside the car if it was leaking at the pump assembly.
That's where I would check..under the rear seat or under the car for dribbles on the tank. Beyond that, I don't know.
Hope it helps you.
That could all happen in one repair job and then now gas leaks down the side of the tank and you smell it. HOWEVER, you would almost certainly smell it inside the car if it was leaking at the pump assembly.
That's where I would check..under the rear seat or under the car for dribbles on the tank. Beyond that, I don't know.
Hope it helps you.
The fuel gauge is a gauge cluster issue, so try to find a used one that works.
The fuel smell could be from a rusty fuel filler neck, or simply just from age, where the rubber fuel lines from your engine bay have micro-cracks that allow fuel smell to seep through. When it's cold, the rubber contracts and hardens, so If you smell it in the car when cold, when you first turn on the heat, that's the likely cause, and it likely goes away when warm once heat from the engine softens the rubber.
The fuel smell could be from a rusty fuel filler neck, or simply just from age, where the rubber fuel lines from your engine bay have micro-cracks that allow fuel smell to seep through. When it's cold, the rubber contracts and hardens, so If you smell it in the car when cold, when you first turn on the heat, that's the likely cause, and it likely goes away when warm once heat from the engine softens the rubber.
