My car smells like gas inside, and its not the exhaust fumes.
 

Started yesterday. I filled up, and after I got in and drove off, it smelled like I filled up the spare tire well instead of the tank, or an open gas can inside. So I looked under the hood at the lines, which are new, and I tightened the clamps (got new, screw type clamps, not the squeeze ones) and I looked at the filler neck at the top and bottom, tightened all visible clamps. Checked the filter too, no leaks or signs of an intermittent leak. Very strange. So I double checked vacuum lines at the carb vent and charcoal canister.

Drove to lunch just now, and it smelled again. This is weird, because it did NOT smell like raw fuel this morning on my way into work. I had a big piece of cardboard sitting under the car from the time I got into work @ 7am to the time I went o lunch 12am (PST not that it matters). Anyway, I looked at the cardboard before I left, and it was bone dry. So I let the car idle until it reached NOT (normal operating temp) and still, dry. But the whole way to and from lunch (about 3 miles each way) it stunk. Im stumped.

The car is running fine, in tune, not running rich or lean or anything like that, and it doesn’t smell of exhaust fumes as if it were running rich. It just smells like I have a open container of fuel inside.

Anyone have any suggestion/comments/ideas that I may have overlooked?

check in the bin area where that plug goes to the fuel pump.?!?!? the only place i can think of where that smell can come from.??

That was one of the 1st places I checked. One of the most obvious of places besides the filler neck that is visible from inside due to my lack of interior.

The gas tank is vented to the charcoal filter canister under the hood. If it has been removed, or if the line going out of it is blocked, you'll get a gas smell.

- David

Could the charcoal canister be fouled? I have the carb vent going to the larger hose on the can, and the smaller to the hardline on the firewall that goes to the tank. Never had a problem, but then again its 20+ years old. Would bypassing the can hurt anything?

Did You Find Out Where Its Coming From?!

hahaha, i have the same problem, but I think it's because my carb vent and fuel tank vent are just just venting strait out into the engine bay


i might want to fix that. :)

Check for carb leaks, particularly the ap, and for openings in the firewall.

Yeah, I did all that already. Had it up on stands on Friday after work again, and was layin under there with a flashlight, checking the lines again, then went under the hood to check the carb for leaks. I made sure all the philips head screws were tight on the airhorn, and then tightened the 4 bolts at the base, tightened all the hose clamps again. Had the car running while I was checking/tightening the carb screws/bolts. No signs of leakage.

There aren't any open holes in my firewall anomore, those guys got plugged before I pressure washed the bay when I had the motor out.

Today, it hasnt started to smell, but I still have the ride home. I'll see if it smells then.

Hope it all works out. I know what you're talking about. When I ride in my buds 7 it smells a lot. Open holes in firewall though. Any updates on the carpet? Did you ever finish it totally? God bless

I started working on the back half of the carpet. Have to finish grinding off the surface rust on the sheet metal from the bin supports. Once thats done, I'll shoot em with some paint, and lay the carpet down. Will probably have updates on that this weekend I hope. I've had to put a hold on alot of the projects I started. But now, I'm slowly bringing them back from the dead.

Did you at least check that the gas cap was on properly? That might be the problem.

Join the club! lol

hey..
 

in new to this rx7 club so i hope im doing this rite... but i see u got an fb...
i got an fc about a year ago and last time i got that gas smell it lit the whole car up ...... so i was told it was the fuel pulsation dampner im not sure if dats the name but its right next to the manifold and it leaked into the exhaust and caught fire.... so im not sure how the set up is on an fb since its carburator but u shouldnt wait to check it out ... good luck

I checked all the obvious stuff 1st, as mentioned in my 1st post. I even got a NEW fuel cap, just for good measure. But still had the problem. I smelled slightly on the way home yesterday, so I'm wondering if maybe I got a hole at the top of my tank maybe, because it seems to smell when it was going around hard corners while 3/4 + full.


Pulsation Damper isn't on the 12A carby engines.

Guessing I may have to drop the tank and have a look at the condition of it.

if you've checked all of that and still found nothing, then it's probably a spot that rusted through on the top of the tank - not enough to leak notably, but enough for vapors. that's my guess.

The large line from the charcoal can goes to the nipple on the intermediate houseing so the build up of fumes can be sucked out via the nipple on the filler neck and purge valve, or pcv.

But don't rule out holes in the top of the gas tank, been there.