My car is smelling like gas when idling. I don’t notice it when it starts cold, but after warming up, it does it whenever I come to a stop. Once I’m moving again it goes away.
I’ve had trouble with a gas smell before but it was loose hose clamps on the fuel line. They jiggle loose occasionally and I just tighten them up. That didn’t work this time. Also, when that was happening, the gas smell didn’t start and stop-- it was continuous as I drove.
Any ideas what could be causing this?
1999 Subaru Legacy sedan, 2.2L, 150K miles
When this happened to me I needed a new fuel pressure regulator.
Your charcoal canister may be contaminated with gas. The charcoal filter “scrubs” the gas fumes from the air that gets pushed out of your gas tank when you pump gas into it. If someone has repeatedly “topped off” the gas tank when filling it, thus overfilling the tank, gas will flow into the charcoal filter, contaminating and ruining it. The charcoal filter is typically inside the engine compartment, so what you’re smelling may be the gas fumes coming out of the charcoal canister and being sucked into your air intake vents just below the windshield. Have a mechanic check the charcoal filter.
Gasoline explodes. The fumes from it are bad for you even when it doesn’t explode.
Take it directly to your closest local shop and just have them find it and fix it. If that shop is far away I’d consider a tow.