Every time I drive my 2006 Prius, my clothes reak of gasoline. It doesn’t matter if the AC is on or off, or if the windows are up or down. I’ve had it checked out at a Toyota dealer, and, of course, they found nothing wrong. Help!
You don’t say that the interior of your car smells like gasoline, just that you clothes smell that way after driving the car.
We need more information. Can you smell gasoline inside the car? Can anyone else smell gasoline inside the car? Has any gasoline ever been spilled inside the car?
It’s hard to imagine that your clothing would smell like gasoline if there is no odor inside the car. And if there is a strong odor of gasoline inside the car, the Toyota dealer should not say there’s nothing wrong.
More info, please.
Yes, the interior of the car does smell like gas, but it’s very subtle and diffuse. Passengers have commented that the car still has that “new car” smell (2 years after we bought it!) - but I think what they’re really smelling is the faint gas smell. No gas has ever been spilled inside the car.
I just learned that the Prius gas tank function like an expandable bladder so as not to let gas vapors escape. Is it possibly that could be the source of the problem?
If you can smell gasoline, then there may be a small leak or malfunction somewhere in the fuel system. All newer cars are designed to contain gasoline vapors within the system. You should not smell gasoline except with the gas cap open, such as at a filling station.
Did it smell this way from new, and does the dealer acknowledge the odor of gasoline, however faint, inside the car?
The “new car smell” people notice is off-gassing from all the plastics and foams in the interior, but that odor is not the same as gasoline, and usually is gone after a year or so.
Could you, perhaps, be extra sensitive to this “new car smell?” This is why I’m asking if the dealer agrees that the odor is gasoline.
I recall one time I was filling up and stood in a puddle of what turned out to be gasoline. It had rained recently and there were puddles all over the place so I thought nothing of the one I had to stand in while fueling. Somebody had spilled gas and I tracked it into the cabin. It stunk pretty good for about a week. Just wanted to note that you don’t necessarily have to spill gas to get it inside the car. The thing to note was it gradually diminished over time. If yours does not, then you either have a leak somewhere or it’s not gasoline you’re smelling. The leak can be on top of the tank and fully evaporate so no external evidence. Use your nose to see if you can detect it stronger in some areas to try and narrow it down.
A couple of weeks ago, I took the car into the dealer - the technician didn’t acknowledge the smell of gas and I paid about $300 for a full systems check, including looking for leaks in the fuel system and replacing all of the filters.
The car did not smell this way when I first got it. I guess I’m not convinced that the smell is just off-gassing because it seems like it wouldn’t be strong enough to make my clothes smell. Also, there is definitely a stronger smell when I use the AC.