Does Your Car Smell Of Petrol?

A dirty garage petrol pump handle or mishandling at the filler can leave a smell of petrol on your hands; we’ve probably all experienced that. But what if it’s something more? Have you or a passenger for example, noticed that your car seems to smell of petrol while driving along, or perhaps even when the vehicle is simply is idling? Where’s it coming from? Is the smell inside or out? The dreaded expression, ‘can anyone smell petrol?’ always sets alarm bells ringing. So what’s the cause? Electric car owners may like to go and make a cup of coffee at this point but don’t forget to come back as we’ll be covering your EV soon.

Why?

There are four common reasons why your car smells of petrol: Either petrol vapour is emitting from a leaking or missing petrol cap, petrol is leaking from a fuel injector, petrol is leaking from somewhere under the car or, finally, the tank has been overfilled. So the trick is to isolate the problem. Of course, it goes without saying that a properly serviced car should not experience these problems as your local car servicing professional garage will spot potential issues during maintenance.

Check the petrol tank cap first. Is it loose or leaking, in which case a replacement is easily obtained from a motor factor. Never, ever, drive without a cap on the filler. So loose is not good. Check the spark plugs. Are they tight and secure? While under the bonnet check that all spark plug leads or coils are in good condition, as well as the torque on the spark plugs. This latter matter is best checked by your local garage for safety’s sake.

Is It Outside?

If you can you smell petrol outside the car, well, the location of the petrol smell can help to pinpoint where the issue lies. A petrol pong from the front end of the car is often caused by a fuel injector leak; again, under the bonnet. Ask your trusted mechanic to replace just the seals or the entire set of fuel injectors if required. Further, it might be caused by a bad fuel pressure regulator. If you detect a strong fuel whiff on the dipstick or oil cap where there should only be oil, it could mean the regulator is failing and allowing excess fuel into the engine oil system.

But The Smell Is At The Back

Obviously that’s where the fuel tank usually is but if the whiff is coming from the rear of the vehicle then it could be an exhaust leak. An exhaust leak can cause fuel vapours to escape, leading to a noticeable petrol smell after driving.

Too Much In The Tank

Is it even possible to put too much fuel in? Full is full after all. Well yes, if you keep trying to pack the precious fluid in right up the neck of the filler just to achieve maximum distance. The answer is simply to not overfill the tank and always stop once the pump clicks off. 

 

Petrol caps are supposed to seal the fumes from the tank, but if the fuel cap is loose, you may have a petrol smell in the car. This can happen if the rubber seal is damaged or if the valve is broken.

You can fix this by replacing the fuel cap. If in doubt, again ask your car servicing provider.

As someone famous once might have said, not a lot of people know that there is a charcoal evaporation canister in the latest cars and they are part of a car’s anti-pollution system. They help the environment, make the car run more efficiently by trapping fuel vapours. If you can locate the smell here then get your garage to fit a new one.

The Fuel Leak

To pinpoint a fuel leak, look under your car and check for any petrol dripping on the ground. If it's coolant and not petrol on the ground you may have a car radiator leak although it might just be condensation from the air-con system. If in doubt, check the fuel filter, the hose connections or any rubber components. Check directly above any patch of petrol. Follow the fuel line up to the fuel injection rail. If the leak is in your fuel injection line, you’re likely to smell petrol when you’re driving and right after you’ve stopped driving. 

Because petrol is a solvent, you'll be able to see where any leak is coming from; there will be a clean, shiny, wet area where the leak is.

Another Reason To Ensure Trouble-free Motoring

The purpose of car servicing is to 1) make sure the car runs efficiently, safely and legally and 2) that any issues are spotted before they become a bigger problem. In the long run, car servicing will save money. If it’s time for service, phone your garage to make an appointment. Incidentally, it helps if your garage is also an authorised MOT station. That’s two jobs done under one roof.