fuel smell from gas filler neck area on 95 legacy.

[weelliott]

I've lived with this problem for years, but have finally gotten fed up
with it.

My 95 legacy is leaking fuel vapor somewhere, and I can't figure out
where. If I fill it much past 3/4 tank, then take a left turn with any
amount of gusto at all, I wind up with my car smelling like gas for a
while. If I fill to within one gallon of full it will smell while just
sitting in the driveway. The odor is strongest outside the car by the
filler, but is noticeable in the car sometimes also.

I have a hunch that the filler neck has a pinhole or crack in it
somewhere, but it is coated in undercoating, so is impossible to
inspect. There are smaller hoses that run parallel to it that I assume
is a vent or soem sort of emission controls going to a charcoal
canister or something. The failure could be in that too. Has anyone
else had this prblem and figured out where it is coming from, then
successfully fixed it? I'm satisfied with JBweld type fixes at this
point. The car has 245k miles on it, and the rust to prove it. So I'm
not going to spend money to put a new gas tank in it. Pretty much
anything over about 250 bucks is out of the question, but even if it
is over that, I'd still like to know what the problem is.

 

[johninky]

I've lived with this problem for years, but have finally gotten fed up
with it.

My 95 legacy is leaking fuel vapor somewhere, and I can't figure out
where. If I fill it much past 3/4 tank, then take a left turn with any
amount of gusto at all, I wind up with my car smelling like gas for a
while. If I fill to within one gallon of full it will smell while just
sitting in the driveway. The odor is strongest outside the car by the
filler, but is noticeable in the car sometimes also.

I have a hunch that the filler neck has a pinhole or crack in it
somewhere, but it is coated in undercoating, so is impossible to
inspect. There are smaller hoses that run parallel to it that I assume
is a vent or soem sort of emission controls going to a charcoal
canister or something. The failure could be in that too. Has anyone
else had this prblem and figured out where it is coming from, then
successfully fixed it? I'm satisfied with JBweld type fixes at this
point. The car has 245k miles on it, and the rust to prove it. So I'm
not going to spend money to put a new gas tank in it. Pretty much
anything over about 250 bucks is out of the question, but even if it
is over that, I'd still like to know what the problem is.

You mentioned the car has rust. More then likely the problem is the
filler tube/pipe has a rust hole in it somewhere. Seemingly a very
common problem in the rust belt region. Never had to replace one so
can't comment on how easy/difficult the repair is.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

I've lived with this problem for years, but have finally gotten fed up
with it.

My 95 legacy is leaking fuel vapor somewhere, and I can't figure out
where. If I fill it much past 3/4 tank, then take a left turn with any
amount of gusto at all, I wind up with my car smelling like gas for a
while. If I fill to within one gallon of full it will smell while just
sitting in the driveway. The odor is strongest outside the car by the
filler, but is noticeable in the car sometimes also.

I have a hunch that the filler neck has a pinhole or crack in it
somewhere, but it is coated in undercoating, so is impossible to
inspect. There are smaller hoses that run parallel to it that I assume
is a vent or soem sort of emission controls going to a charcoal
canister or something. The failure could be in that too. Has anyone
else had this prblem and figured out where it is coming from, then
successfully fixed it? I'm satisfied with JBweld type fixes at this
point. The car has 245k miles on it, and the rust to prove it. So I'm
not going to spend money to put a new gas tank in it. Pretty much
anything over about 250 bucks is out of the question, but even if it
is over that, I'd still like to know what the problem is.

I THINK the vapor recovery tank is back there. maybe some part of it
is cracked?
Try a web search - this problem seems familiar/common to me.

 

[S]

Hi Weelliot!

I've lived with this problem for years, but have finally gotten fed up
with it.

There _is_ a plastic tank behind the right side rear wheel well on the
Legacy wagons, probably something similar on the sedans. I _think_ it
is a fuel/vapor separator associated with the evaporative emissions
system.

While it is entirely possible that the plastic has aged and cracked,
or one of the rubber hoses has come loose, a more likely culprit is,
as John suggests. a rusty filler neck. This is quite common, as the
shield in the wheel well collects mud and debris that is not removed
during the course of a "casual" car wash.

I don't recall it being a horrible ordeal to replace the filler neck,
at least not on a wagon. Hit a salvage yard, and get a filler neck,
the large diameter rubber hose that connects to the gas tank, and any
associated vent lines. That way, if you have to cut anything to get
the old one out, you have spare parts ready at hand. Components from
'90 thru '95, maybe even '96 should all fit. (?)

Put the right rear up on jack stands, pull the wheel, and filler neck
shield, and clean things up as well as practical. From there, it will
be pretty obvious what needs to be done to effect the swap; 3 or 4
screws inside the fuel door, and clamps at the hoses. After 300K
miles, the rubber will likely appear to be fused to the metal neck. If
you can get a grip with a pair of channel-locks, you can usually break
the bond by twisting the hose relative to the metal, if not you will
probably have to slit the hose with a razor knife to get it off.

Do whatever you need to do, replace any questionable pieces, and toss
on a new gas cap. That _ought_ to fix the problem.

While you are at it, take a good look at the gas tank. If there is a
lot of rust present, you might have issues with that as well.
Replacing the gas tank isn't the end of the world, but it is more
involved; the rear diff and carrier have to be removed IIRC.

Let us know what you find.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[weelliott]

I hadn't realized that the filler neck is separate from the gas tank.
I'll have to take that shield off and look at it more carefully.

Thank you for all the replies.

Bill

 

[synthius2002]

I hadn't realized that the filler neck is separate from the gas tank.
I'll have to take that shield off and look at it more carefully.

Thank you for all the replies.

Bill

I had help here a while ago for ONE of my gas smell problems. That one
was a rusted filler pipe. The plastic shield in the wheel well
collects dirt which eventually promotes rust on the bottom of the pipe
curve.

There is also a lot of rubber too. I'm thinking of tying a rag or
paper around the short rubber hose that connects the filler pipe to
the tank to detect leaks, but there are a bunch of little hoses too.

Nils K. Hammer

 

[S]

Hi Nils!

I had help here a while ago for ONE of my gas smell problems. That one
was a rusted filler pipe. The plastic shield in the wheel well
collects dirt which eventually promotes rust on the bottom of the pipe
curve.

There is also a lot of rubber too. I'm thinking of tying a rag or
paper around the short rubber hose that connects the filler pipe to
the tank to detect leaks, but there are a bunch of little hoses too.

Unless they have been exposed to the sun a lot (unlikely) the rubber
is probably OK. If you suspect leaks here, but can't visually locate
anything (wet spots, deep cracks), your best (and probably easiest)
solution will be to simply replace them. You should be able to find
suitable rubber hoses at a decent auto parts store such as NAPA. Be
sure they are rated for fuel service.

Ever see where someone has lost their gas cap, and stuffed a rag into
the opening as a temporary fix? Call 'em "Rolling Molotov Cocktails"
;-)

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[synthius2002]

Call 'em "Rolling Molotov Cocktails" ;-)

Me too! I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Nils