crxaddikt

lastnight i got back to my place after driving on the highway for 30 minutes or so, and my friend was waiting for me at my place, and i turned the car off, and got out, and my friend said "your car smells like gas real strong, like your exhaust is emitting a strong gas smell".


i guess i just always thought it was normal for a car to have a gas smell around the front or the back after using it, cause i know it uses gas for the combustion process in front and that the waste exits the rear through exhaust system, so i never worry about if i smell gas around car.


but just to be safe, i wanted to ask people on here, is it normal to have a "gas" smell around your car after using it? and what would be considered "normal" or "abnormal"? , like can anyone describe a gas smell that indicates a problem with the fuel system? versus a "normal" gas smell that is supposed to be around your car ??


thanks

OneBadTurboCRV

Your car should never smell like gas. The only time you should smell gas is if you are filling up the gas tank or opening fuel lines. The reason is the gas itself it not flammable but the fumes are. If you smell gas that means there is a problem. Pull your plugs and see how they look.

crxaddikt

actually now that you mention it, i do have oil leaking in a couple of the spark plug tubes, and was meaning to put new valve cover gasket along with the O-ring gaskets so it seals the spark plug tubes so it does'nt let oil leak in anymore.


i just did'nt think that had to do with the smell of gas?

so your saying that would be the reason it smells like gas?


but is'nt that an oil thing? or does that still smell the same?

plus i thought my friend said he smelled the gas smell more towards the rear coming from the exhaust?

OneBadTurboCRV

You misread what I said... I said pull your plugs so you can read them. That has nothing to do with oil being on top of them. Since you say you have oil flooding the tubes, you could have a cylinder that is misfiring causing there to be unburned fuel coming out the exhaust.

crxaddikt

oh, sorry, i hope thats not the case, but worth checking into.

i did'nt know that, i just thought for sure that all it meant was those O-ring gaskets are old and cracked and letting oil in to the plug tubes and just time to replace them, but did'nt know about what you said.

you know any way to check if i have a cylinder that is misfiring ??, would getting a compression check done tell that kind of thing? or is it something you would know by hearing a particular sound it makes when cylinders misfire? etc..'

thanks

crxaddikt

i did a search on google, and led me to a post on superhonda, with a guy asking what the symptoms of a misfire are, and the guy replied with this :

typical misfire...

1. your exhaust will backfire (it will sound like its farting)
2. bad idle
3. major loss in power
4. car shakes
you will definitly know that something is wrong when your plugs misfire.


and i don't have any of those symptoms, so hopefully don't have a misfiring cylinder,


but it would probably be good to get a compression test done just to check the condition of the internals, and last time cap & rotor was done was 2003, so i should get new one, and i have'nt adjusted my valves since probably 2004 and should do again soon.

i also have had a code 1 on the ecu w/ check engine light and was told i need a new O2 sensor, and i gave it a try but had no luck getting old one loose, so i have to try a 2nd time with different methods.


my exhaust system is pretty good and does'nt have holes that i know of,


i put a new fuel filter one time a couple years ago and put new main relay couple years ago also

OneBadTurboCRV

Heat up the O2 bung with a torch. You didn't say you had a code in your first post, but that could cause your problems having a bad O2.

hondad6

Check the fuel filter it could be loose and leaking. Did you replace the copper crush washers on the banjo fittings on the filter? They should have come with it. Also could have put two on one side they tend to get stuck. Two washers will not seal properly. If the plugs are clean(dont have black oily gunk in the gaps) you are probably good. Yes a comp check is good to do to be on the safe side.

crxaddikt

N3va3vaSatisfi3d,
i've had that O2 code since like 2003 about, lol, i have'nt done it cause i seem to always have more important stuff i got to do to the car than that, but i know its still something you need to do, and that it helps performance, MPG & emissions etc...



HONDAD6,
thanks for mentioning the fuel filter, thats something worth looking at,
it was probly around 6 or 7 yrs ago when i put the new fuel filter in, so i don't remember every detail that i did, it was the first time i installed a fuel filter, but i had the HELMS manual and i know i did it super careful since it was the fuel system and i knew it was real important it was done right.

if it came with copper crush washers then i'm sure i would of used them, and i know i would of been carefull and tightened them to the torque listed in the Helms.

but i remember one thing i did'nt do correctly, there are two bolts that hold the fuel filter bracket to the firewall, for some reason i remember that i could'nt get one of the bolts lined up to the hole or could'nt get it to reach into the threads while the other bolt was in its hold, .... (or something liket that), so i only used one mounting bolt to hold the fuel filter to the firewall, but i made sure it was super tight and made sure it did'nt move also.

i'll definately check it for leaks and try mounting it so its held on with 2 bolts, so does'nt move around when driving.

crxaddikt

i searched google, and found this little article, which describes the gas smell thing real good, and has a list of things it might be:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7557885_ex...-like-gas.html



it says its called "running rich"......

and bad O2 is in the list and your probably right about that being the cause of the gas smell thing, which is weird since i don't even know why i mentioned i needed an O2 and has a code 1, i was just listing couple tune-up related things and the status of my car, but i was'nt thinking that was anything to do with the gas smell at all, but good i mentioned it


so if i'm running rich, another thing i wonder about is how i have my timing advanced, and have had it like that for a while, cause has a stronger low end pull, starting from a stoplight which i like better, but would that make it run rich ?? i was thinking of just putting the timing back to middle like stock again cause its been so long, i might end up liking that better, and it might be better on MPG with the timing set to normal too.


it also says catalytic converter, and i always hear if it goes bad supposed to smell like rotten eggs and make noises or something, and i hear that they don't really go bad that often and last forever usually, is that true? mine has 224,000 miles on it and never replaced with new catalytic converter ever.

1990edsedan

No - it's NOT normal to smell gas at ANY time. Check the lines underneath your car. Check the fuel filler hose that connects to the gas tank. Also check the straps that hold the tank, look for signs of wetness..

Check your oil and smell it. If it smells strongly of gasoline, then you have a fuel management issue.

Do the obvious checks first, and DON'T have a bud "light up" anywhere within 20 feet of your ride..

SuperSlowEF8

dunno if ur car is from texas or not, but check the filler tank, where it go thru the grommet under the rear storage compartment, into the tank and also check the rear lip of the gas tank. up here on the rust belt, both spots on mine were rusted so bad that the nozzle end broke off, and the rear top of the gas tank had pin holes in it from the salt sitting on it.

just the first thing that came to mind

crxaddikt

ok i'll be sure to try and check that stuff too while im at it, but first things i'm going to do is the O-ring gaskets for the plug tubes and put new plugs, and then get that damn O2 sensor loose so i can finally put a new one in, and then reset the ECU and see what happens, cause good chance those 2 things combined is what it is, but if not then i'll go on to the next stuff...


and my car is actually from Sacramento, CA, i got from the original owner's, a married couple from Sacramento, who were in military, living on a base or something, they both shared the car. they moved to Texas for his job and they shipped the car seperate and drove their accord down, and reason they were selling it was they were having babies and switching to the accord.

i found it in 98 & it was in mint condition, & didnt have a sign of rust and still does'nt.

Crow Steel

sounds like:

A) you have a leak somewhere, like others have said check your filter banjo bolts and fuel lines for any leaks.
make sure your fuel rail is bolted down tight(but dont break the studs!!) a loose fuel rail can cause a leak at the injectors.

B)you've got a mis-fire or timing problem.
pull your plugs.. if you're running rich your plugs might be burned white which is a good indicator that something it wrong and your running to much fuel(correct me if i am wrong).
Check your timing and make sure your cam gear(s?) didnt slip a tooth. Off timing may cause a more rich(or lean) firing pattern.



chances are that if you are running rich, you've been pumping fuel into your catalytic converter, which is how you ruin them. so you'll probably need to get a new one.. which means a trip to the smog shop...
wait... dammit... your in Texas, probably don't have to worry as much about your cat.. I read it as your were in Sacramento. I have no idea what Texas' smog laws are there but I know for damn sure they aren't like the good ol' S.F. Bay area in California...


Forgive me if any of this is wrong, I am by no means an expert.. this is just what I have learned dealing with this stuff myself.

anjin

I'd start with the fuel cap myself as the first easy check. The seal rubber or o-ring can go, and fuel vapour leaks out past the cap, particularly when the fuel tank warms up a bit from the exhaust and the fuel being bypassed back from the hot engine bay.

The charcoal container in the engine bay can fail as well, and as that is designed to absorb fuel vapour from the tank that can also cause fuel vapour smells.

But yes - fix the O2 sensor so the ecu can work properly. The ecu will go to default rich mode, and that causes fuel smells and poor economy.

Had all of these problems. Fortunately the O2 problem is in the track car, and I want that to run rich!