My car smells like gasoline: what to do?

If you are on the road and suddenly smell fuel in the cabin, first determine where the smell is coming from. If you don’t know how to do this, we will explain in this article what checks you need to perform.

Check # 1: Determine if there is a fuel leak

First reflexes when smelling fuel:

• Do not start or stop very quickly and turn off the car if you are driving;
• Then look under your car.

In the event of a leak, you will either see a small puddle on the ground under the car, or drops falling to the level of the tank. Fuel leakage can simply be due to a damaged fuel line leading out of the tank.

For your safety, first of all, do not start the car, and be sure to repair the leak before continuing driving. Our garage comparator will enable you to find a cheap professional near you.

Good to know: Do not smoke or use a lighter near the vehicle. And if you are in an enclosed area, ventilate it as quickly as possible to remove fuel vapors, as a simple spark can cause a fire.

Check # 2: check the parts of the engine compartment.

Please note: Gasoline is very volatile and evaporates very quickly. Perform this check immediately after driving, as it will be nearly impossible to determine the source of the leak if you inspect your vehicle after a night's rest.

Just open the hood and put on gloves so you don't get burned. Using a flashlight, check these three things:

• Clogged fuel filter
• Worn injector seal;
• Drilled or disconnected hoses to filters or nozzles.

These three parts can be replaced very easily if you know a little about the mechanics. If not, call a locksmith. But rest assured, this repair is inexpensive, unlike, for example, replacing the timing belt!

Check # 3: inspect the interior

If you smell fuel in the cabin, stop immediately and open the doors. Indeed, the smell of gasoline is always accompanied by the release of carbon monoxide, an extremely toxic gas.

In most cases, the fuel tank is punctured or the cap or one of its seals is damaged.

The easiest way is to call a mechanic, but you can try checking their status yourself:

• Access is possible under your seats or your bench back;
• This gives you access to the access hatch and then to the cork;
• Check the seal, replace if necessary;
• Screw in again if ok.

Good to know : If you are in the habit of carrying a canister with a supply of fuel in the trunk or in the back seat of your car, check that too. Maybe the lid is just not tight.

Have you had trouble getting started? It's okay if you smell a pungent fuel smell! Misfiring causes the fuel pump to overflow, hence the smell. Drive for a few minutes and everything will be back to normal.

Check # 4: find a running engine problem

In the worst case, the problem is in the engine itself. This is most often accompanied by flickering acceleration or uneven exhaust noise. Fuel odor is caused by incomplete combustion of gasoline or diesel fuel, which is usually caused by a malfunction of a key engine part such as:

• Spark plug / ignition coil;
• Sensor or probe;
• Fuel pump or common rail;
• Carburetor on old gasoline cars.

Is the smell of fuel accompanied by one of the symptoms of the last check? There is no choice, you need to go through the garage box, because only a professional can carry out these checks and repairs if necessary.