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Jim
Grant has been working in the automotive industry for over twenty
years. In addition, Jim is an ASE Master Technician with advanced
L/1 certification. He works as manager and technician in his
family's automotive business in New Hampshire. He writes weekly
automotive consumer columns and is editor of an automotive newsletter
that is circulated throughout North America. |
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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'02 Ford Mustang Convertible, Gas Smell
Q:
I just purchased a
used ‘02 Ford Mustang Convertible. There is a terrible gas smell
while the engine is running. If I close the garage, I can come back later
and the smell is very strong. You can also smell it inside the vehicle.
There are no visible gas leaks. Any suggestions?
- Martha
A:
If you can smell raw,
fuel/gas fumes then the vehicle is not safe to be drivien! The last place
you should think of parking the vehicle is in your garage! Just think
it through a bit and you’ll understand where I’m coming from.
The fuel system on your vehicle operates at a high pressure and the fuel
pump moves a large volume of fuel at this high pressure. When the engine
is running the fuel system is at operating pressure with more than ample
fuel available. When the engine is turned off of course the fuel pump
is turned off, but more fuel can leak out if there is a problem. Why is
that? The fuel system is designed to hold fuel pressure even when the
vehicle is not running. A good fuel system will hold pressure for many
hours and even days. So even after the vehicle is turned off, if there’s
a problem, fuel is still going to leak! Your nose is alerting you and
I’m warning you not to drive the vehicle until it is repaired. One
last thing. If it is parked in the garage, have some friends help you
push it out.
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