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Subaru Forester exhaust/fuel smell in cab

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

You are in the Subaru Forester Forum.

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

Messages Page 5 of 6

#41 of 52 Re: Same Problem [kev2380] by pboiler94

Jan 09, 2010 (4:27 pm)

Replying to: kev2380 (Jan 07, 2010 6:30 am)
First, I assume the left side is the passenger side (left when viewing engine). On the passenger side, the spark plug wires go from the spark plugs (far left) to distributor (center of engine). At least they do on the 2002.
 
I'm not sure which bolt you mean, so I had a look at mine. There are bolts on the valve cover (at the spark plugs), and on the fuel rail above the valve cover. The engine block itself has an extra machined hole for a bolt that was never installed.
 
Bolts generally don't have anything to do with fuel. They hold something together, so if you're missing a bolt, you should have two things that should be attached that now aren't. What are the two things?
 
The fuel lines are either hard metal, or soft rubber. When metal meets rubber, the only securing method is a hose clamp.
 
I'd recommend going on a short drive in the cold. If you can smell it in the car, you should be able to smell it much worse from the source in the engine (after your drive). Is the hole you describe stink of gas? Try the smell test again moving very slowly around the engine. It was amazing to me how little the driver side smelled of gas, but how strong it was on the passenger side. Follow your nose.

#42 of 52 fuel smell in warm weather by smellsbad

Jan 10, 2010 (10:08 am)

We have a 2002 Forester w/ approx 160K on it. Last summer we started having strong gas fumes inside the car. I had a mechanic look at it and after finally driving them around for a while, they finally smelled it. Smoke machine found no leaks on the lines inside the car (I was blown away that they would run inside?!?) and they concluded it must be an evap leak at the top of the gas tank. (We also have an evap code that intermittently turns on the CEL.). In the winter months this has been much less noticable, almost nonexistent. Anyone else have a similar problem, solutions? I am told dropping the tank is very costly on this car.

#43 of 52 Re: fuel smell in warm weather [smellsbad] by ateixeira

Jan 11, 2010 (10:58 am)

Replying to: smellsbad (Jan 10, 2010 10:08 am)
I think it's under the rear seat, so they may be able to access it from above.

#44 of 52 Re: fuel smell in warm weather [smellsbad] by forester01

Mar 29, 2010 (4:57 pm)

Replying to: smellsbad (Jan 10, 2010 10:08 am)
I have exactly the same problem with an 01 Forester. Although, seems to be just as bad whatever the weather now. The CEL evap code seems to come and go no matter what they replace and fix.
 
Took it to the mechanic who phoned me to say that they're going to have to take the carpet up inside to inspect the fuel line - I thought he was joking, but apparently it's true: the fuel lines run INSIDE the car!
 
Ho hum.

#45 of 52 Re: fuel smell in warm weather [forester01] by propwash49

Mar 29, 2010 (5:38 pm)

Replying to: forester01 (Mar 29, 2010 4:57 pm)
Fuel lines inside the car have their good aspects and their bad ones. The good news is that they are much less likely to rust and corrode, since they are not exposed to all the road salt and crud that they would be if they were outside the car. The bad news is that if they leak, the smell is horrible and almost impossible to get rid of.

#46 of 52 Re: fixed [ezebil] by fibber2

Apr 05, 2010 (8:35 am)

Replying to: ezebil (Dec 06, 2009 5:26 pm)
I had a similar problem on my '02 OBW. The 'fuelline' link does a nice job showing the multiple hose to metal line connections on the drivers side, but there quite a few also located on the passenger side. All of them needed to be tightened, but these were my biggest source of smell on a single digit cold start. IIRC, there was at least on more down below the one circled on the left side of the picture, and there were 2 very difficult to get at clamps under the circled cover up front. There is a hole in that cover (see arrow) for access, but my clamps were rotated requiring the drilling of another hole to align with a screwdriver.
 
I've had headgasket issues requiring intake removal twice. Removal and reinstallation of things that aren't meant to be taken apart is probably the main cause of repetitive leaks. I imagine that next year it will probably be time to replace some of these hoses and clamps.
 
Hope this helps!
 
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

#47 of 52 Re: fuel smell in warm weather [smellsbad] by paulvnc

Oct 11, 2010 (6:40 pm)

Replying to: smellsbad (Jan 10, 2010 10:08 am)
I was wondering if you've discovered more about what's causing your gasoline smell. We have a 2002 Forester that has a similar strong fuel smell on the passenger side of the car (near the rear wheel) after we drive the car for a while. It doesn't matter what temperature it is. The smoke machine didn't find leaks in our system either.

#48 of 52 Re: fuel smell in warm weather [paulvnc] by aatherton

Oct 17, 2010 (6:35 pm)

Replying to: paulvnc (Oct 11, 2010 6:40 pm)
".... 2002 Forester... strong fuel smell on the passenger side of the car (near the rear wheel)..."
 
Could be a rusty perforated fuel filler neck:
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f88/steps-replace-fuel-filler-neck-48016- - - /#post542647

#49 of 52 Anybody get a concrete answer on the issues here? by jstockman

Jan 12, 2011 (2:35 pm)

I was just wondering if anyone got any concrete answers to the exhaust / fuel smell issues...
 
Jamie
 
PerformanceSubaru

#50 of 52 Re: Anybody get a concrete answer on the issues here? [jstockman] by aatherton

Jan 12, 2011 (7:21 pm)

Replying to: jstockman (Jan 12, 2011 2:35 pm)
"I was just wondering if anyone got any concrete answers to the exhaust / fuel smell issues..."
 
What more do you want on the subject of a fuel smell from the rear passenger area?
Now an exhaust smell is another subject not presented by the original poster. Do you have both issues?

Messages Page 5 of 6

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