Parked with top and windows up, right when I get into my car I can smell a tinge of gasoline. Driving even with top and windows up it seems to go away pretty quickly. I don't get loopy or pass out, and it certainly isn't extremely overpowering, but it is there after sitting all closed up.

I installed a CT supercharger a few weeks ago so the gas tank was open to the interior for the fuel pump swap for a while. Everything went back together fine back there, no issues re-installing the pump, cover, or interior trim.

I did have a gas leak at the outlet port of my fuel pressure regulator which dumped some fuel into my engine bay during first start-up. I had my air vents blowing inside the car and immediately smelled the leak and shut the car off. Leak was fixed immediately (poorly seated clamp) and I have since checked for leaks along the gas line as it enters the FPR, no leaks in the FPR itself, and no leaks in the line that leads to the fuel rail, etc.

I have left my top down for extended periods of time to try to get rid of the smell, yet it still lingers. Am I stuck with the smell of gas or am I missing something? Anything you guys have done to get rid of the smell of gas in the car?

 

Check to see if the fuel pump has a small leak or something, oh and another thing check and make sure your gas cap is screwed down all the way! sometimes it can be the littlest stupid stuff haha

 

Hah, will do

I guess I will pull back the trunk lining and see if the smell is stronger around the area of the fuel pump/tank. Maybe I will take off the cover and put some adhesive weatherstripping around the bottom in an attempt to make it seal better?

 

The smell is coming from the original leak.

I would replace the cabin filter. All the air blown into the interior goes through the cabin filter, and if your leak was under the CT regulator the filter will likely smell like gas.

Pull the cabin filter and sniff it

 

Thanks billman, I will check there as well.

 

check and make sure the gasket to the gas tank sealed fully. i had the same issue in my STi. took the cover off, got the gasket to seal up tight, the smell went away.

 

Bringing back an older thread with resolution info. I pulled the cabin air filter and it didn't really smell of gas. I actually had another gas leak a few weeks back so I went to work cleaning out the engine bay. I removed my air filter (CT Supercharger kit) and taped over the intake tube, covered the alternator with a bag, and removed the battery. Then with an open garden hose end (no nozzle) I sprayed water over the engine bay, then sprayed it with degreaser, agitated it everywhere with a brush, and doused with the hose again. Then I put everything back on and let it idle to dry. This got rid of the gas smell in the cabin.

 

FYI - my CT SC (purchased in '03 maybe?) had an intermittent fuel odor problem for months. Sometimes there was no odor, other times it would gag you.

I eventually found the problem by putting fluorescent dye in the fuel tank and using a black light under the hood. The steel-braided fuel line supplied by Comptech was obviously not made for fuel - there were tiny flecks of die all along the surface of the line as if fuel were leaching through the walls of the fuel line. I cleaned it with a pressure washer and verified the specks were gone, ran the car for 30 minutes and checked it again. The dye was back.

I went to NAPA and bought regular rubber fuel line made for fuel injection (higher pressures) and replaced the fancy braided lines that Comptech supplied - never had a fuel odor problem again.

 

Thanks for the info Modifry! I have ALSO since replaced that fuel hose from the previous leaks with a hose from Autozone as well, and now have a higher pressure rated braided hose waiting to be installed in its place. Hopefully my days of fuel stench are gone. Very CSI of you to go with the dye method!