1984 Ford Escort gas smell in the back, not front

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I’m smelling gasoline fumes in the backseat but not in the front seat. What could cause this?

2

I suspect the fuel tank on this car is under the back seat

As such, it’s possible the fuel sender seal is leaking, or the tank itself is somehow damaged

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3

Or rusted through!

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4

Does this car have a steel tank?

5

Around here the plastic tanks can get holes in the threads where the metal plate with the fuel lines going through it screw in from the rusting of the metal threads.

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6

Your gas tank is a steel tank.

More than likely the gas tank is rusted thru on top.

Tester

7

On a 1984 Escort anything can happen, but a rusted through gas tank is your most likely problem. When I lived in the Great Lakes Rust Belt I had to replace the tank on a Chevy Impala and a Dodge Dart. Both good cars, but salt settles on top of the tank and cannot even be washed off.

You are probably in for a new tank and budget about $400 or so.

My brother in law lived in the same area and had to replace the gas tank on his Buick Riviera!

8

Wow, Ford was building cars back then . . . ?!

I knew a guy who had a Chevette with a rusted out fuel tank

And it was probably only 7 or 8 years old at that time

9

Weren’t those built around 1084 also :smile:

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10

William the Conqueror Memorial Model … :wink:

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11

speaking of conquerors . . .

Wasn’t there an El Camino with “Coquistador” trim level ?

12

I think that was a GMC version.

13

The El Camino had an option package called “Conquista.”

The GMC twin of the El Camino was called the Caballero (I think).

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