GAS SMELL

[only ice]

Any Ideas? The wifes 03 Kia with 60K smells raw gas when she starts it. She says its not all the time but getting worse. Have looked under the hood, and no gas. Looked on the floor and none there. She has to crack a window because it gets that strong. Any where to start to look? Thanks

[Jeremy airjer W]

Check engine light?

What engine?

Pull the vacuum line off of the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail. Start the car and then shut off. Wait for fuel to come out of the vacuum fitting on the regulator if it isn't already wet when you pull off the vacuum line.

[Shack]

I would say it is the evaporative emissions system purging fumes from the tank when started. It should not get inside of the car though.

I would say you should bring it in and have it checked out. If an issue is found, most likely it will be a TSB or SSM and require use of a scan tool to fix. Others may have a better idea though.

Good luck!

EDit: Or what Airjer just posted

[jwhjr]

Is the gas cap on? My wife left it off on our Suburban once and it smelled like gas very strongly. It wasn't off long enough to set a code because she had come home right after filling up when I found it.

[Scott K]

Let me know the year model and engine size and I will check for TSB's!

[only ice]

Ok here is what happened. Cat. Converter started to plug up. Wasnt bad enough to set the check engine light. Got it fixed. Man you never know anymore. I sure cant work on these cars anymore. Dont have the testers or tools!! Thanks for your help, and ideas.

[jwhjr]

Glad to hear you got it taken care of.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Didn't see that one coming!

[Macgyver55]

Didn't see that one coming!

Me either! A cat causing a raw gas smell? Things that make a guy say Hmmmm....I personally cant think of an explanation for this one!

[BudMan]

Kind of sounds like a muffler belt type thing to me .....

[Shack]

It must have been causing the PCM to richen the fuel mixture and saturating the catalytic convert, to the point of large amounts of unburnt raw gas/fumes to build up in the cat. Thus causing the converter to clog it self , or the converter was not working at all?????

Quote:

Wasnt bad enough to set the check engine light.

Funny, but I guess it could happen.

Still do not know how the fumes got in the car when first stsrted, but I guess it could happen. Maybe they come in via the heater????

Glad you got it fixed.