# 1984 Ford Escort gas smell in the back, not front **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** escort, ford\ **Created:** [September 3, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296 "2018-09-03T18:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JustinFRAYL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@JustinFRAYL](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JustinFRAYL)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/1 "2018-09-03T18:48:21Z")
I’m smelling gasoline fumes in the backseat but not in the front seat. What could cause this? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/2 "2018-09-03T22:04:59Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/3 "2018-09-03T23:49:56Z")
Or rusted through! ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/4 "2018-09-03T23:51:36Z")
Does this car have a steel tank? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/5 "2018-09-04T04:08:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 4:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/6 "2018-09-04T04:12:34Z")
Your gas tank is a steel tank. More than likely the gas tank is rusted thru on top. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/7 "2018-09-04T13:35:58Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/8 "2018-09-04T23:28:39Z")
> [@Docnick](#): > > On a 1084 Escort anything can happen Wow, Ford was building cars back then . . . ?! > [@Docnick](#): > > a rusted through gas tank is your most likely problem 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 ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/9 "2018-09-04T23:33:33Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > I knew a guy who had a Chevette Weren’t those built around 1084 also 😄 ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/10 "2018-09-05T03:16:39Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > > 1084 Escort anything can happen > > Wow, Ford was building cars back then . . . ?! William the Conqueror Memorial Model … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/11 "2018-09-05T04:22:48Z")
speaking of conquerors . . . Wasn’t there an El Camino with “Coquistador” trim level ? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/12 "2018-09-05T12:54:20Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > Wasn’t there an El Camino with “Coquistador” trim level ? I think that was a GMC version. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1984-ford-escort-gas-smell-in-the-back-not-front/124296/13 "2018-09-05T14:06:21Z")
The El Camino had an option package called “Conquista.” The GMC twin of the El Camino was called the Caballero (I think).