Gas smell

[jcniest5]

Just very recently, my '91 Legacy starts to smell gas at idle or when the engine is on and the car is not moving. Once I give it gas and drive off, the smell of gas disappears. As soon as the car slows down or on traffic stop, the smell of gas comes back. It's very strong, too.

 

I have no idea where to look for. Anybody has this problem before?

[Meeky Moose]

check the fuel injectors for leaking.. if they leak just a little you'll get lots of gas smell...

[jcniest5]

For some reason, it stopped smelling gas the following day, so I just thought maybe it was just a fluke. Thanks for pointing the possible cause of it, though.

[Meeky Moose]

anytime.. my old wagon had leaky fuel injectors.. they leaked in the winter, but in the summer they quit.. never replaced them, just dealt with a little gas smell ocasionally..

[Fermi]

jcniest5

 

What you describe sounds exactly like the problem I just discovered on my newly-purchased 2000 Impreza Outback Sport. I didn't notice it the first few days I had the car, but when it got down to about 0 F and below, the smell was very strong whenever the car was idling (starting and sitting in traffic) with the heater on high. You said it stopped smelling the next day-was it warmer outside?

 

Please take a look at this thread on NASIOC (North American Subaru Impreza Owners' Club) if you're still curious. Your car is much older than the ones being discussed in the thread, but it coudl be a similar problem. We think there is a leaky rubber coupling between two steel fuel lines in the engine compartment; maybe you can check it out. There are dozens, maybe hundreds who have written in to this thread with the same set of symptoms: cold outside, car idling, vents open=gas smell. Hope this helps.