gas smell

[bob07]

just recently i have noticed a strong scent of gas when i park my car in the garage and every time i pop the hood i smell it. no dash lights or any other signs of a problem except the obvious gas leak? can anyone help me out here or does this sound like a common problem?

[rixGAphx]

A gasoline odor is not right, so definitely find and correct the leak source.

Your SES light isn't 'on', or you would have told us so.
Therefore, the gas odor is NOT coming from a defect in the vapor recovery system (which would have illuminated the light).

You also would have mentioned if there were any drivability issues, like rough idle or hard-to-start. Right?

A leaking fuel injector would not likely cause an odor, because it would drip into the intake manifold and its vapors/odors would be contained by the VRS.

The only other underhood locations for fuel to leak are the metal tubes serving the fuel rail.
The fuel rail is what serves the individual injectors, and on your V6 it's located between the Upper Intake Manifold and the Lower Intake Manifold.
There are two fittings at each end:
* At the passenger end, there's a short tube that connects the front rail to the rear. There are screw-fittings at each end of the tube, with rubber O-rings inside. These can loosen/leak.
* At the driver end, front rail, there is a round device called the Fuel Pressure Regulator. It has a threaded fitting to the return fule line, again with an O-ring that can leak.
* At the driver end, rear rail, the fuel supply line connects to the rail with a threaded fitting, O-ring, can leak, yada, yad.

Look around that fuel rail air. There shold be no liquid gasoline.
Shold be no 'liquid' anything, actually.
Just dry, slightly dusty, clean aluminum.
Very lightly oily surfaces are also OK, since a little oil vapor will normally deposit on everything under the hood.
If there are hard, brown stains around the fuel rail or lines, gasoline has prolly leaked/pooled/dried there in the past.

Hope this helps.
-Rick

[bob07]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
A gasoline odor is not right, so definitely find and correct the leak source.

Your SES light isn't 'on', or you would have told us so.
Therefore, the gas odor is NOT coming from a defect in the vapor recovery system (which would have illuminated the light).

You also would have mentioned if there were any drivability issues, like rough idle or hard-to-start. Right?

A leaking fuel injector would not likely cause an odor, because it would drip into the intake manifold and its vapors/odors would be contained by the VRS.

The only other underhood locations for fuel to leak are the metal tubes serving the fuel rail.
The fuel rail is what serves the individual injectors, and on your V6 it's located between the Upper Intake Manifold and the Lower Intake Manifold.
There are two fittings at each end:
* At the passenger end, there's a short tube that connects the front rail to the rear. There are screw-fittings at each end of the tube, with rubber O-rings inside. These can loosen/leak.
* At the driver end, front rail, there is a round device called the Fuel Pressure Regulator. It has a threaded fitting to the return fule line, again with an O-ring that can leak.
* At the driver end, rear rail, the fuel supply line connects to the rail with a threaded fitting, O-ring, can leak, yada, yad.

Look around that fuel rail air. There shold be no liquid gasoline.
Shold be no 'liquid' anything, actually.
Just dry, slightly dusty, clean aluminum.
Very lightly oily surfaces are also OK, since a little oil vapor will normally deposit on everything under the hood.
If there are hard, brown stains around the fuel rail or lines, gasoline has prolly leaked/pooled/dried there in the past.

Hope this helps.
-Rick yes i did forget to mention the car has been starting pretty hard.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by bob07
yes i did forget to mention the car has been starting pretty hard. OK, this indicates that fuel (and more importantly, fuel pressure) is leaking out of the lines when the engine is 'off'.

The lines *should* stay pressurized to about 40 psi with gasoline, so when each injector pulses (squirts) there's enough pressure for a good squirt.
That allows the engine to fire.

Your fuel lines are leaking, at least slightly, so the pressure isn't there. Maybe only when the engine is cold (and has set and leaked for several hours) but not when warm (since very little leakage has occured since it was shut-off).
If you turn the key to 'on' and leave it there for 3-5 seconds, then turn the key to 'start', the lines will have been re-pressurized and the engine should fire immediately.

Has anybody done any work on the engine recently, mebbe even a LIM gasket replacement?
If so, that mechanic may not have used new O-rings when reassembling, or one of the connections may not have been tightened.
If this is the case, show him the problem and have him find and fix the leak.

Otherwise, you gotta do it.
-Rick

[Matt95GT]

In addition to the usual fuel system, also check the EVAP system - the charcoal canister, the purge solenoid and its vacuum lines. A cracked vacuum line can result in a gas odor, although most of the time you'll also get an SES light with an EVAP system problem.

[bob07]

i looked all over and i think i have found it. the back right fuel injector (closest to master cylinder) is wet with fuel puddled around it. does this mean the injector is bad or something else?

[Matt95GT]

That injector most likely is leaking from the o-ring between it and the fuel rail. The O-ring will need to be replaced.

[bob07]

so more than likely there is nothing wrong with the injector, its the o-ring? is it very difficult to replace the o-ring?

[Matt95GT]

Right... if the injector itself was failing it would either fail to fire or just dump gas into the engine... both of which you'd notice in the form of rough performance. You'll have to remove the fuel rail to get to it... not sure how long of a procedure it is on your engine.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by Matt95GT
...You'll have to remove the fuel rail to get to it... not sure how long of a procedure it is on your engine.
3-hr R&R PITA, since step 2 is remove the upper intake manifold :banghead.
Once you have burroed-in to the fuel rail, you'll hafta remove the whole thing from the LIM (not hard).
But even though you're only intending to replace the single leaking O-ring, you'll have at least 6 others to replace; and you might as well do the other 5 while you're there.

You need O-rings, plus a pair of UIM-to-LIM gaskets. Mebbe $25 total.
And a Haynes manual plus basic hand-tools.

Good luck.
-Rick

[bob07]

would this leak also be causing poor gas mileage?

[Matt95GT]

Originally posted by bob07
would this leak also be causing poor gas mileage?

Doubtful... unless it's literally dumping gallons into the street.

[echoicse]

^^^ When you do take the fuel rail off w/the fuel injectors attached. And you replace all the (3) fuel injector "O'" rings before you reinstall the fuel rail/injector assembly LUBE (lightly) the (3) "O" rings w/light weight oil. This will make sure the injectors ("O" rings) slide back in postion without freying or cutting the "O" rings!

[GarciaNY]

i know it might have already been said....but

check the fuel lines,possibly rusted out or something??
another possibility is that your gas tank may have a hole in it....

just suggestions