I have a 04’ Honda Pilot that emits strong fuel odors out of the gas cap area upon engine shutdown. Its strong enough that you can smell fuel just about anywhere in the garage, though it dissipates over a few minutes. I have replaced the fuel cap with a cap purchased at the dealer but the problem remains. Per my OBD reader, there are no fault codes stored. I make sure the cap is tightened at least 3-clicks, per owner manual.
My 05’ Odyssey doesn’t have this issue, in fact, there is essentially no fuel smell at all, even with the nose right up to the fuel cap door. Per the Honda Service Manual, I see there is a vapor recirculation valve between the tank and the cap. However, there is no troubleshooting steps or instructions to remove and replace this valve in the manual. Could failure of this valve be my problem? Some of the other controls in the EVAP system require the dropping of the fuel tank (no fun task). Have Honda EVAP canisters been known to plug up at all?
Thanks - confused in Seattle.
The EVAP charcoal canister may be almost saturated and will not longer accept the fuel vapors during a fuel fill-up.
Constant ‘topping up’ will cause this to happen.
Turn the gas cap several clicks to seal tight.
If the cap seal is beginning to wear, it may not seal properly with only three clicks.
The EVAP purge valve my be faulty too.
Have a look at a Haynes repair manual for your vehicle. It will show and explain all you need.