horrible smell

i dont think ive ever posted in this section, because ive never had any problems at all, but i had just started my car and my friend jumped in (i had my heater on for probly a min or so) and he jumps in and we both smell a HORRIBLE gas smell. (no not he farted) as in gasoline. I immediately popped the hood, started sniffing around (literally) and found nothing. closed the hood, walked around to the back, and it was coming from the exhaust, no doubt. i mean REAKED. any idea what could be wrong???im sure its still got the stock cat (117k miles on it) and the stock muffler (rusting off slowly), but could more be wrong than just these two? i have a slight oil leakage problem around the front of the valve cover, so it drips down and burns on the exhaust manifold, but ive smelled oil burning and this wasnt it (also another question, my dad said he replaced the valve cover gasket only a few years ago, is it normal for me to go thru it, or could the cover be warped?) TIA

the gas smell from your exhaust could be just about anything. i'd say check the computer for codes it might be giving. as for the valve cover gasket, most ones they sell are crappy and will go out after awhile. so yeah just replace it. you could see if the valve cover is warped by checking it with a strait edge or just on your garage floor. you can get a piece of paper and see if it fits under it while on a perfectly flat surface. if it can go under it and you can see a big ass gap then its probley warped.

well crap. im getting the exhaust done soon anyway, so if its just the exhaust system ill be fine. as for the computer, its not throwing any codes. could it be the heater?? id never noticed it before. I wil be replacing the gasket shortly. thanks man

you mean gasoline??
if you smell it out back the stongest either the engine is running rich (bad 02 sensors, Fuel pressure reg is missing the vacuum line) or the gas tank filler has rusted, a hole in the tank, etc...

if it comes through the a/c vents you could have leaky injectors

It sounds silly but make sure your gas cap is on correctly. With the threading on ours its possible to put it on wrong. I smelled gas in my car and thought I had a gas-line leak....thanks to you 3geez boys I went and checked....it was the gas cap. Prolly not the case with you but its worth looking.

I've just come here to complain of the same problem.
It's a smell of gas or exaust at the rear part of my car. I also sniffed around my car :) and the worst smell is in the trunk and rear seats. It's gettinng worse and worse during driving. Smell is not from engine side and i'm sure it's not a leaky injectors or fuel filter.
I went to mechanics and they checked exaust manifold and muffler - everything OK. Fuel tank and hard lines from tank seems to be OK, too.
It,s just a stinking mystery!

sometimes the cat will go and give a rotten egg sulfur smell

gp02a0083, you think it's a cat's exaust? :)

um actually i think it is the o2 sensor. its never been replaced and it would make sense, because my car has been getting 25 mpg, which is horrible for an efi car. im gonna replace that, and the cover gasket this weekend

try like u said replacing the 02 sensor , and what i ment dmitry was that when the catylic conver goes bad sometimes u get a nasty exhaust smell that smell like sulfer , but if it was also the converter the car would not have any Acceleration when floored and the converter basically is "clogged"
but try replacing the O2 sensor jsut be careful u dont snap it in 1/2 wehn getting it out of the manifold , probally best thing to do is spray like PB blaster on it and the next morning try to get it out , and i forgot if ur car is a 86/87 or 88/89 the 88/89 has 2 O2 sensors whild the 86/87 have only one

dam 2x post

It has to be an 89 since it's an SE-i

It could come from the evap system

i dunno im gonna try the o2 sensors this weekend, as well as finish up my CAI (i put on my air bypass valve and it didnt fit at ALL, dont have time to work on it) and valve cover gasket

well, went to get my o2 sensors replaced, called around first

pepboys wants 85 bucks, goodyear wants 150 (both charged same in labor, goodyear just cudnt get cheap parts) my dad didnt want to help me do it cuz he was worried about stripping out the bolts, fair enough i said. but i got a nice lecture about how this probably isnt just the o2 sensors, my installation of the cold air intake (which is a ram air for the moment because with the air bypass valve i cant make it fit right, dont have time to mess with it) will make it run much richer, which i thot was wrong. anyone have any idea on this?

they said that because the stock computer was engineered for the stock intake system, the car will run much richer.

so basically what i need to know is, is there something wrong if its not just the o2 sensor, or is it really my intake (and if it is, would free-er flowing exhaust fix it?)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2drSE-i

well, went to get my o2 sensors replaced, called around first
pepboys wants 85 bucks, goodyear wants 150 (both charged same in labor, goodyear just cudnt get cheap parts) my dad didnt want to help me do it cuz he was worried about stripping out the bolts, fair enough i said. but i got a nice lecture about how this probably isnt just the o2 sensors, my installation of the cold air intake (which is a ram air for the moment because with the air bypass valve i cant make it fit right, dont have time to mess with it) will make it run much richer, which i thot was wrong. anyone have any idea on this?
they said that because the stock computer was engineered for the stock intake system, the car will run much richer.

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Actually cold air/more air is leaner so throw out that advice. Change the O2 sensors cant hurt and make sure your gas cap is vented as well.

I got about 50 holes in my exhaust near the back end and I dont smell exhaust at all so unless its a huge leak or your driving with your hatch open something not venting correctly.

25 mpg around towns about what I get. I dont think its that bad.


wp

thats what i thot, but it started to make sense just hearing it from professionals. >< im checking my gas cap now

If you're smelling raw gas fumes in the back it's not going to be burned gas fumes. It's most likely a leak in your filler nieck or fuel line. Could be in the tank itself. If it's coming from the front it couod be your fuel injectors leaking.

wudnt there be a puddle on the ground from that tho?

and wudnt i smell it without the car being started?

take a shower that should help... it helped me
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.im j/k

haha thanks


stupid jerk :D

have you tried checking your plugs, i was just thinking that if a plug isnt fireing of if a wire is off then one cylinder will just be getting gas and wont be burning it, which could be leading to your gas smell, now im thinking this isnt the case because the car would be running all weird and you havent said anything about that but i figured id through it out there anyways

well 3geez chatroom payed off
i spoke with my dad who spoke with his friend, and i also spoke with busted blue :D

my dads friend says 100 bucks per plug (for good plug) says u shudnt cheap out on o2 plugs. then the fellas from 3geez chimed in, telling me that boch's are 20 a piece, and are great. if this isnt my only problem, i shud check fuel filter, cap and rotor, plugs and wires, and fuel pump. i can rule fuel pump and filter out because it starts fine and the filter was recently replaced. plug wires are fine, plugs should be ok, cap and rotor are a maybe. i havent talked to my dad about it, but well see :D thanks guys

Gas smell in rear....did you check your seals on the fuel pump and the sending unit (fuel gauge unit). Those gaskets should not be reused, so if you replaced/checked either one, make sure you replace the gasket.