If you’re a fellow human living on 21st-century planet earth, you probably know the distinct gasoline odor—except if you’re a Sentinelese, although I doubt you’ll be reading this article if you were one.
There are certain places where the gasoline smell has become a natural odor like the gas station, or in the midst of rush hour traffic. However, the inside of your car is not one.
What does it mean if your car smells like gas?
Let’s see.
1. Loose, Lost, or Damaged Gas Cap
The most common cause that your car smells like gas is a problem with your gas cap.
Gasoline is a volatile substance—it turns from liquid to gas form at ambient temperature—which would escape as gas from an open gas tank.
If you smell the distinct gasoline smell when you’re riding your car with your windows down, or when you stop in traffic, a gas cap problem can be the cause.
What Can You Do?
First, check that you’ve closed your gas tank after fueling up. Leaving your gas tank open would allow the volatile gasoline to escape from the gas tank. If that was indeed the problem, simply screwing the cap back on would be enough to fix the gas smell problem.
If an open gas tank wasn’t the issue, check the gas cap for any damages or breaks. A damaged gas cap wouldn’t provide the necessary seal to keep your gas from evaporating.
You can easily replace a lost or damaged gas tank cap yourself. However, if you’ve lost it on the road, you can always improvise.
Stuffing a rag into the gas tank opening would help keep your gasoline from evaporating till you reach the nearest car accessories shop and buy a gas tank cap.
2. EVAP System Problem
The evaporative emission control system, or EVAP system, has been used for vehicles running on gasoline since the 70s.
The EVAP system consists of a tightly sealed gasoline tank, valves, hoses, and a charcoal canister to absorb any stray gasoline vapors. Any damage along this system would lead to its inability to absorb gasoline vapors, which you’d eventually smell whenever you use your car.
What Can You Do?
A faulty EVAP system would cause your engine check lights to go on.
A malfunctioning EVAP system would lead to poor car engine performance in the form of slow or shaky acceleration. These are common symptoms with other more dangerous car maladies.
Therefore, you should take your car to a mechanic to check its EVAP system—and your car’s engine while he’s at it—to detect and promptly fix any problems.
3. Gas Tank or Fuel Lines Leak
A hazardous reason your car is smelling like gas is a gas leak. This can happen anywhere along the gasoline route in your engine, like your fuel tank or fuel lines.
You can suspect a gas leak if you find that your fuel level dips faster than usual. Another sign of a gas leak is finding a gas puddle under your car after you park it. Sniff the gas puddle to differentiate a gas leak from an oil leak.
What Can You Do?
Driving with a gas leak is very dangerous. If you suspect a gas leak in your car, request a towing truck to take your car to the mechanic for an engine check.
If it’s a small leak, your mechanic would only need to patch up the leaky part. However, if there’s a major leak, you’d have to replace the faulty piece altogether.
If you’ve found any gasoline puddles under your car, make sure to wipe them off to avoid them catching fire and harming nearby people and objects.
4. Fuel Pressure Regulator Problem
Fuel pressure regulators combine specific amounts of gasoline and air before pumping them into the combustion chamber. Malfunctioning fuel regulators would lead to varying air-fuel ratios, which can be thin at times and rich at others.
A gasoline-rich air-fuel mixture is not fully burned in the combustion chamber. This allows the remaining gasoline to escape giving your car that annoying gasoline smell.
What Can You Do?
If you notice black exhaust or fuel escaping from your car’s tailpipe along with a rapidly dipping fuel level, you might have a problem with your fuel pressure regulator system.
Although a fuel pressure regulator problem is not one that you can fix yourself, it’s a fairly easy one to repair by your local mechanic.
Conclusion
The annoying gasoline smell in your car is commonly caused by a loose gas tank cap. However, it can point to more serious problems. Therefore, it’s crucial to take your car regularly to the mechanic to check for and fix any problems.
