05 impala. When I start the car for the first time after sitting overnight there's ocassionally a moderately strong gasoline smell inside and outside the car. I've researched online and seen everything from shitty fuel filter to dirty injectors. The vehicle doesn't seem to be leaking gas, I've never visibily noticed any and if it were the case I'd think the smell would occur more frequently and for longer (indefinite) periods of time. Any input/suggestions would be appreciated.

11/13/2009 3:10:23 AM

try not eating beans for dinner

11/13/2009 7:13:15 AM

does it smell like gas before you start the car (when you get in and sit down) or does it smell like gas after you start it (its running, you are about to drive away)

if its before, its likely a leaky gas cap or another small leak from the fuel tank. charcoal canister (if that car has one) or the seal where the fuel pump goes into the tank, ect.

sounds like something that needs to be addressed ASAP though.

11/13/2009 7:55:55 AM

sounds like its running rich, could be a bad ect sensor

11/13/2009 8:12:20 AM

I don't smell the gas before I crank the car, only after I start it after it's been sitting for a while.

11/13/2009 3:06:19 PM

[Edited on November 13, 2009 at 3:08 PM. Reason : l]

11/13/2009 3:08:13 PM

sounds like its running rich, could be a bad ect sensor

11/13/2009 3:43:15 PM

my truck smells like a school bus?

11/15/2009 10:42:27 PM

Quote :

"sounds like its running rich"

i'd say a leaking injector. if it is and it sits long enough with the intake port open, fuel will collect in the cylinder so when you start it up it'll blow a load of unburnt fuel out your exhaust, thus the smell.

might also explain why it only happens occasionally (as per your verbiage anyway); if only one injector is leaking and the intake valve it feeds happened to come to rest in the sealed position when the engine was cut off, the fuel wouldn't make it into the cylinder and there wouldn't be the smell. in that case you just have feral liquid gasoline gallivanting about the head and eating away at your valve seals

either way you might want to have that looked at, you don't want fuel sitting on your piston head and weaseling its way down into the oil in your crank case


then again i know way less about these things than most of the garage regs, so i'd go with their opinions first



[Edited on November 16, 2009 at 8:33 AM. Reason : dsafsa]

11/16/2009 8:06:53 AM

05 Impala............problem solved.

Its an American car what do you expect? lol

11/16/2009 9:00:18 AM

sounds like its running rich, could be a bad ect sensor

11/17/2009 1:17:29 PM

get a new ect sensor so we can see if 69 is right

11/24/2009 8:29:26 PM

i'm always right

11/30/2009 9:38:04 AM