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Subaru Forester exhaust/fuel smell in cab

52 messages,  Last post on Jan 28, 2013 at 12:27 PM

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What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Fuel System, Fuel System, SUV

Messages Page 3 of 6

#21 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [coldsnowskier] by laurenayn

Jan 03, 2008 (2:59 pm)

Replying to: coldsnowskier (Dec 28, 2007 3:08 pm)
I am having the same trouble with my Outback Sport (2002). In January last year, I smelled fuel in the cab with the heater running. Fortunately, I had purchased the extended warranty, so I went to the dealership, where they kept it for two days and claimed they didn't smell anything. Meanwhile, a local garage checked it and said they smelled the fuel coming from the fuel injector. I smelled it again about two weeks later (again when it was really cold - less than 32 degrees) and immediately took it to the dealership. This time they smelled it and gave me a loaner. They also showed me a notification Subaru had sent out regarding this problem, instructing the mechanics to change the leaky o-rings on the fuel injector. After 6 weeks of the part being on backorder [thankfully I had the loaner the whole time], my car was fixed and seemed to be working fine. Then today (less than one year later and again below freezing), I smelled the gas smell again, inside the cab, with the heater on AND off, and outside of the car after it had been parked for 30 minutes. When you would open the door, the fuel fumes would hit you in the face. It reeked of gas fumes. I went back to the dealer and now have a loaner again. Even the mechanic at the dealership said he could smell it as I pulled up. I will let you know what they say it is this time, but the dealership said there were no other people coming in with this problem, this year or last year. You might want to have your o-rings checked.

#22 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [laurenayn] by aladwag

Jan 03, 2008 (3:36 pm)

Replying to: laurenayn (Jan 03, 2008 2:59 pm)
I posted about this in the late summer of '07, and now I've just become accustomed to driving with my windows closed and the vent on recycle. Shame for a car less than a year old.
 
Subaru claimed they'd do their best to get me out of the car, severely low-balled me on the trade-in value and then offered me 50% of the difference after leading me on with a "sample scenario" where they'd pay $4000 if the trade-in cost $5000.
 
For those of you without a calculator, that sample scenario, designed to placate me and give me false hope (I must assume, since it was so radically and statistically significantly different from the actual offer in percentage terms), was 80%. And even that didn't seem attractive for a brand new car that should have had no smell.
 
Sorry I'm not alone. Best of luck to you all.

#23 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [aladwag] by paisan

Jan 03, 2008 (3:53 pm)

Replying to: aladwag (Jan 03, 2008 3:36 pm)
This was a known problem on the 02-03 WRXs, I forget which hose it was that had a bad clamp on it but it was in the cold weather. Look for a TSB or recall on the 02-03 WRX.
 
-mike

#24 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [paisan] by laurenayn

Jan 05, 2008 (1:36 pm)

Replying to: paisan (Jan 03, 2008 3:53 pm)
I got my 2002 Outback Sport back today. It was an actual fuel leak, as one of the valves was broken and leaking. They replaced it and it seems okay for now. No more gas smell from the heater or from under the hood. I asked them to check for the bad clamp, but they said they were all fine. Thanks for all the help!

#25 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [laurenayn] by ateixeira

Jan 07, 2008 (8:37 am)

Replying to: laurenayn (Jan 05, 2008 1:36 pm)
Glad to hear they resolved it.
 
Mom had a car like that and to be honest they never figured it out. The whole time she had it you could smell gas. Nasty.
 
That was a Chevy in Brazil, though.

#26 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [coldsnowskier] by daniell

Jan 23, 2008 (6:08 pm)

Replying to: coldsnowskier (Dec 28, 2007 3:08 pm)
Own a 2002 Forester S auto, 60k miles. I have had the same problem a few days ago when temperatures here in Ohio dropped below 20 and the car was parked outside for 2-3 hours. I popped the hood right away and I was able to see gasoline leaking from a hose clamp. It's on the driver side, but very close to the center, about 4" long. It's probably the shortest hose I could see, and the farthest away from the fuel filter. Fuel drips on a small metal rectangle right below. The clamp appears to be tight. The leak dissapears once the engine warms up. If the car is garaged or temperatures are at least high 20s, it won't leak. It only does it right at the startup in very low temperatures, when the engine is cold. I checked the nhtsa.gov website and it appears to be the same exact problem reported with the 2002-2003 model year Impreza and WRX. Filed a complaint with NHTSA.

#27 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [daniell] by watkino

Feb 11, 2008 (4:05 pm)

Replying to: daniell (Jan 23, 2008 6:08 pm)
...and I own a 2001 Forester S auto, 85K miles. Had this car since last March and with our '08 Winter in Iowa being a doozy, am experiencing the EXACT same problem you describe. All in all I'd say this car, in spite of it's rugged pretensions, isn't cut out for da Nord country, if ya know what I mean. Once the temps hit around zero, the following has happened: 1) Cracked windshield 2) Name Plate popped of after closing hood and of course, the 3) aforementioned gas fumes in the cab.

#28 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [kev9] by linmcb

Feb 12, 2008 (9:48 pm)

Replying to: kev9 (Feb 05, 2007 6:36 pm)
We have had the same problem since last winter with our 2002 outback wagon. Since it has been really cold the fumes are overwhelming. You have to drive without the heater in the coldest weather. This is our second subaru wagon and we are really disappointed with this problem. The wierd thing is that once the weather warms up the heater works and no smell of fumes.

#29 of 52 Re: fuel smell [sphil907] by jbur1

Dec 12, 2008 (12:16 pm)

Replying to: sphil907 (Feb 06, 2007 4:49 pm)
I have also been getting the fuel smell in the cold weather inside my 2003 Forester (69k miles) as well. It gets so bad at times that it causes irritation in my throat and a burning sensation in my eyes. It also leaves a foul taste in my mouth that lasts well after I exit the vehicle. I have scheduled an appointment at the dealer next week. I called Subaru and they said there was a TSB issued regaring this matter. I got them to issue me a case number in case any issues arrise at the dealer. I didn't ask them if they would help pay for the repair at this point though.

#30 of 52 Re: fuel smell [jbur1] by ateixeira

Dec 12, 2008 (12:56 pm)

Replying to: jbur1 (Dec 12, 2008 12:16 pm)
Hope they can fix that. Ours doesn't have that issue.
 
My mom owned a Chevy in Brazil way back when with a horrible gas smell, we never really figured it out.

Messages Page 3 of 6

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