Back to all

Don't Be Fuelish

March 26, 2023

If you smell gasoline in your vehicle, pay attention to your nose. That's because it has an important message for you.

Newer vehicles should never have a gasoline smell inside. One of the most dangerous conditions can come when your fuel line system has a leak or multiple leaks. Vehicles with fuel injectors are under pressure, meaning a crack or small hole in a fuel line can allow vaporized fuel to escape, sometimes around hot engine parts. Gasoline vapor and hot metal? You see the problem.

One of the most common causes of a gasoline smell inside a vehicle is a fuel tank leak. The gas tank can rot or be punctured by road debris. A Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Troy technician can evaluate the condition of your fuel tank and suggest either repair or replacement.

Fuel injectors can develop small leaks around their seals or O-rings. Those can deteriorate over time as the material they are made of gets old and less flexible. A technician can replace those parts.

Modern vehicles contain something called a charcoal canister. It gathers evaporating gasoline vapors from inside your fuel tank and prevents them from venting out to the atmosphere. If that canister has a leak, you'll smell it. One hint that you have a problem is the Check Engine light may come on.

You may have a leak in your fuel tank vent hose. Or you may be smelling gasoline simply because your gas cap is loose, the cap is faulty or—yes this does happen—your gas cap is missing altogether.

Consider the dangers of gasoline fumes seriously. Inhaling them can be bad for your health or they may start a fire. Don't fool with fuel; have gasoline odors checked out right away.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Troy
530 E. Maple Rd.
Troy, Michigan 48083
248.585.2770
https://www.tuffytroy.com/

More articles from Tuffy Troy Auto Repair

A Bumpy Ride (Strut Assembly Replacement)

June 29, 2025

If youve noticed your vehicles ride has lately been bumpy or youre hearing strange noises when you drive over bumps, you may need new struts. The strut assembly is part of your vehicles suspension system thats used to absorb the irregularities on the surfaces you drive on. You have probably hea... More

Automotive Tips from Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Troy: Where Should New Tires Be Placed

June 23, 2025

When Troy drivers need to replace tires, they need to know how many they should get and on which axle they should be placed. Replacing a damaged tire may leave you with three others with significant wear, which could affect your traction control, stability control and anti-lock brake systems.If y... More

Full of Hot Air (Air Conditioning)

June 16, 2025

In warm weather, you want to be in a cool vehicle. When we're talking cool, we don't mean stylish or trendy, but cool as in not sweltering inside. And if your vehicle's air conditioner stops working correctly, it seems to always break at the worst timeduring a heat wave. Automotive air conditio... More