# Ford Explorer gasoline smell **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 3, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-explorer-gasoline-smell/90165 "2015-06-03T19:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mysterryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@mysterryman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mysterryman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-explorer-gasoline-smell/90165/1 "2015-06-03T19:52:19Z")
2008 Ford Explorer with 100,000 miles on it. My wife’s car, and the last couple of times I’ve driven it I get a whiff of gasoline every now and then. I’ve looked at the engine and underneath the vehicle and have found no visible signs of a leak. Last night I walked by the car and smelled gasoline around the driver’s rear quarter-panel. That is the opposite side of the fuel tank filler tube but it makes me think it could be fuel tank related. Any ideas on where to start looking? Maybe a pin-hole in a line somewhere? Fuel filter? Fuel pump? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-explorer-gasoline-smell/90165/2 "2015-06-03T22:33:21Z")
If the leak is dripping on the engine or exhaust it’ll evaporate quickly and you’ll never see a leak. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-explorer-gasoline-smell/90165/3 "2015-06-03T22:35:15Z")
Pressurize the lines (turn the key to on, but don’t start it) and then get under the truck with a flashlight and see if you see anything leaking out. Also check the tank carefully, looking for any evidence of a leak. If you don’t find it, you should have a pro look at it. Fuel leaks are potentially very dangerous and can set the car on fire. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-explorer-gasoline-smell/90165/4 "2015-06-04T05:00:42Z")
Is your check engine light on? A saturated evap canister may release vapors like that. I had a pre-ODB-II car that was foing that. Turns out a mechanic had swapped two vacuum lines, one that purged the charcoal canister and the other vented a vacuum solenoid. With no purge, the canister got saturated and released gas vapors. But, ODB-II cars monitor the evap system and should turn on the check engine light if something is not right with it.