Why Can I Smell Fuel Inside My Car?

It can be extremely disconcerting to drive down the street and suddenly smell fuel inside your car. In some cases, this issue will require you to visit an auto repair shop immediately. To explore the various issues that produce this gasoline smell in the cabin, continue reading.

Do You Have an Older Car?

It’s common for cars that were made before the 1980s to emit some fuel odor , especially when the engine is hot, when the weather is hot, or when you’re parked in a garage. This fuel smell is caused by fuel afterboil in the carburetor float bowl, and does not typically require you to visit an auto repair shop. If, however, you smell more odor than usual, this could mean that you have a ruptured fuel tank, something that is common in metal fuel tanks when rusting occurs.

Do You Have a Modern Car?

Modern cars, on the other hand, have carefully designed evaporative-emissions systems that won’t produce the fuel smell under normal operating conditions. If you have a recently built car and smell gasoline inside the cabin, you should go to an auto repair shop to have your vehicle looked at as soon as possible.

What Causes Modern Cars to Produce the Fuel Smell?

In many cases, a modern car that has a fuel smell within the cabin is suffering from a leak in the fuel-injection line. If this is the case, you’ll probably detect the smell coming from the heat or air-conditioning vents. It could also be a fuel-tank vent hose leak, in which case you would want to go to the auto repair shop as soon as possible to get the issue looked at.

Smelling fuel in your car is not something that you should take lightly. If you smell fuel inside your car’s cabin, come to Casey Automotive . With over 35 years of experience, we are both qualified and happy to serve you. Call us at (866) 709-3522 or visit our website for more information.