Hi Gurus:

I need some advice on where to look for a leak, I hope you can give me some help, here's my case:

When I start my 2002 GC sport (90.000 miles on it), inside the car there’s a gas smell, especially with A/C or ventilation on, When I’m on the road the smell is not constant, just time to time you smell the gas, but my mileage is not that much affected (20 mpg average in rural roads), so I’m thinking that may be an small leak, my problem is where to look for it?

As additional information I recently have the oil, oil filter and air filter changed? May that affect or generate the problem? may be some loose or broken hose? But again where to look for it?

I really appreciate if you can give my some advice, anytime soon, winter is coming and I will be using the heat all the time.


Thank you,

Hi:

I forgot to tell you: 3.3L engine.
When driving, no stalling, no MIL, no check engine light, no misfiring.

Just the gas smell in the cabin.


Thank you,

I am probably way off here! LOL But, check the fill tube and see if its rotting or the hose section is broke .

Hi:

thank you for your repply, but since the gas smell is stronger with blower on, I'm guessing the leak is from the engine compartment, there's where I need help on where to look for leaks.

I checked the engine and there is not traceable mark of leak. probably the heat when engine is running evaporates the gas.

There are not leaking marks on the floor under the car.

Thank you.

If you have any other idea please let me know.

Regards,

My 97 Grand Caravan with a 3.3 had a leak at a connector on the fuel rail. (tubing for the fuel injection) It was covered by a recall from Chrysler.. I don't know if you would have the same problem or not. Mine invovled a very small amount of gas leaking from a connection...since it was right above the hot engine it vaporized quickly and created a very strong raw gas smell. I would check with Chrysler and see if your model has the same or similar problem.

Spit

One more thing...on my 97 the leak on the fuel rail connector was on the drivers side..where the gas line from the tank attaches to the fuel rail...the leak was so small that the only way I found it was to wipe the tubing in the area of the connection dry...and let the van run. I would describe what I experienced as more of a seepage than a leak....but even a tiny amount of gas above the engine will produce a strong gas smell. I tried to buy a new connector but was told it was a dealer only part...that's when I called the Dealer and it turned out that Chrysler had done the recall repair once before but the replacement failed, so the re-did it no charge.

There are also 2 o-rings on each of the 6 injectors..1 at the top where it joins the fuel rail and 1 at the bottom where it is inserted into the intake manifold. One of them could be seeping...the 3 injectors on the front will be a lot easier to see than the 3 back ones.

Do you a a fuel pressure gauge? Can you tell if the pressure on the fuel rail is dropping significantly after you shut the van off. I would assume it would drop slowly but measurably, and probably not drop below a certain point.
I think (not sure) that these vans produce around 50-55 psi with the van running....I'm not sure how far or fast it should drop and be in the "normal" range...maybe someone else here does?

Spit

http://www.chrysler.com/en/owners/

Open this link and type in your VIN #. to get a list of unaccomplished recalls on your van. There are a couple of fuel leak related recalls on 02s.

Hi:

Thank you for your reply and help.

I just want to update my status.

After checking the fuel rail conector, hoses and lines, there's no leak on them.So my next step was to remove the rail itself and check the injectors and o'rings. Nothing, no leak there either.

I took the car to the dealer and they checked the fuel system with the ODB II for leaks, but nothing, there is not pressure going down, and looks like there is no leak.

However while checking the engine the two mechanics and myself were able to smell the gas.

They remove the air intake manifold cover and access the fuel rail and the injectors, remove them from the engine and re-tested pressure with ODB II, no leak or pressure going down.

Now we are thinking there may be a small leak when the engine is cold, but when the engine gets hot, the leak is sealed, we're going to change the rail itself, the fuel injector's o'rings and rail conectors.

The strong gas smell is there, but ODB doesn't show leak, and we were checking for almost 2 hours and no leak or traces of leak.

Any other idea?

Thank you.

Yuck! That's gonna cost some bucks and it's not a sure fire fix. Have you considered the EVAP system. It traps fuel fumes while your van is off then dumps them into the intake manifold after your car has been running a few minutes. Usually if it's leaking it will throw a code but, who knows. You're not seeing the service engine light are you?

No, I'm not seen the MIL or check engine or any other light.

There is another thing I just notice, when I turn the key to RUN position without starting the engine (fuel pump on), I when to the engine and I can listen to a small hissing coming from some point in the fuel rail, but is very difficult to locate. later I started the engine and let it run for a couple minutes until It reaches working temp and turn off the engine, and the hissing was gone (Fuel pumo ON).

I will give it a chance changing the rail and connectors and will post results.

This is my wife car and we have a 1 year old boy which I can not put at risk or give him the smell especially at winter.

If you have any suggestion I'll appreciate it.

Thank you

Grab a short piece of garden hose, cup one end to your ear and you have a poor man's mechanics stethoscope. Run the other end along the fuel rail and try to pinpoint the hiss.

Hi All:

I checked with the hose, and the hissing was coming from the fuel rail, so I took the car to the dealer and double check for leaks, nothing, no pressure dropping or leak, just the smell. (car warm)

Once there, I decided to replace the rail, the connecting hose and change injector's O'ring as someone here suggested.

I'll pick up the van today and will test, I'll post results later on this week.


Thank you for the help.

Hi There:

I just want to let you know that the gas smell is gone, no more gas smell, Still can tell for sure what the problem was, but the three parts that we changed, fix the problem. (hose from fuel line to fuel rail, injector's o'rings and fuel rail).

I bought them at the dealer, total for parts U$ 150.oo

Thanks to everybody for your great help, especially to RIP I really appreciate it.

See you next time.

Regards,

Your chance worked. Great news. That's one headache out of the way. Still trying to figure out how you had a fume leak with no gas leak. Did the mechanics have any insite on that? Thanks for posting the fix.

Hi RIP:

There was a fuel leak, the problem was that we were not able to locate it, because when the engine got warm, there were no traces of the fuel, we can just smell the fumes, and that way we notice the leak.

We checked the fuel rail, and when cold (in the morning) the smell was stronger, but after 15 minutes, you were able just to smell the fumes.

I checked the old rail, connected to a compressor at my workplace and then submerge into water and there were 5 air bubbles, but not anymore.

Our theory is that when engine was cold the leak was bigger, but after the engine got warm, the leak just stops because of the expansion of the material and the heat, however, when I parked the car, there was that strong smell.

Unfortunately we were not able to locate the leak. (no traces of gas), just the area around the rail, where the hissing was coming from. Heat probably evaporates the gas as soon as it touched the engine, and when the mechanic connected the computer and tested the fuel system the pressure was constant, no droping in pressure.

By the way, the bubbles came just by the end of the rail, the hose is conected at left side and the leak was at the right side close to the stering wheel reserve tank, just at the welded joint with the cap.

But again, no traces on the engine.

Thank you for your help.

Thanks for coming back and explaining. Ya that makes sense. What doesn't make sense is a hissing noise with no leak. The short of it, you changed the most likely part on an educated guess based on the info at hand. The hiss was the only clue. Good job.

Doesn't apply to 02s but there was a recall on late model 3rd generation vans for leaking fuel rails. Something about wrong material in the seals installed on the ends of the fuel rails. They installed these odd looking clamp seals around the ends of the rails as a fix.

2001 T&C, 3.8L Strong gas smell from engine compartment - no leaks or smell underneath car. Could smell gas strongest on drivers side of engine - underneath PS reservoir. After removing reservoir, could see where gas had cleaned off oil build-up from top of head underneath drivers side end of FI rail. Could not see or hear the leak at the time, but clearly evident it had been leaking.

So removed air filter, aluminum intake housing, to get to rail. I ordered a new rail from Chrysler Parts Center at http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=215327, good service, fast delivery - rail was about $60 replaced the rail, and good to go - no more gas smell. Took me a couple hours to get the rail off, and a couple more to get it back on and all together. I'm your average hack mechanic diy'er w/ few specialized tools. Still not exactly certain where old rail was leaking, but my best theory is the pressure relief was blowing off early.