Help!! Car smells like fuel, inside and out.

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Megaboink

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I have of course a 98 Lincoln mark viii blk on blk good condition, 78,thousand miles on it. had it for like 4 years. but I always had a fuel smell inside car. and if left in garage the garage smells like fuel.
took car too the mechanic he check everything couldn't find problem. does anyone had/have a similar situation? it don't leak fuel but where could it be coming from.
I want to restore car to almost new but if I cant find problem wont spend a dime on it if not found.
 
Sounds like you've got a potentialy serious problem on your hands.

I'd look for another mechanic who doesn't work around fumes all day.

Sometimes they get accustom to solvents and somewhat lose their sense of smell.

Check and tighten all loose spark plugs.
Also check for moisture at the schrader valve on the fuel rail. Another area for possible fuel seal failure.
 
No leaks. I let car sit for days even a few weeks and no leaks, unless is ending up on a ledge or something.
will check what you guys mention.
about the mechanic smelling fuel all day losing sense of smell makes a lot of sence.

thanks all!
 
Pop your head under the trunk and make sure the hoses are attached to the canisters in the tray, check for visible cracks as well. Another area would be the front passenger side wheel well where the filter is located. I'd take it to another mechanic.

If it really is that strong I wouldn't be keeping it in the garage.
 
I had this on my 98 a few times when it was really hot out,over 90 and I was told not to fill it beyond the first shut off on the pump handle. That stopped it.
 
Not sure. My friend cut the hose going to the relay and zip tied it to the bumper cover. The fumes were so bad you couldnt sit in it. He did this two years ago and its been fine. However, he doesnt park it in a garage
 
Car no longer in garage

will check these options. will let you guys know what I find.

thxs all so much.
 
Meg,

Try fuel pressure regulator ! Fuel leaks into the intake system , you get the smell but no visable leak !

Good Luck,
Sonny
 
There's also a vacuum hose that taps into the intake just underneath/behind the throttle body. Comes from the vapor canisters or something. It's almost always dry-rotted like crazy. Check that one.
 
Does it smell after sitting for a few days? I know I changed spark plugs and had a comeback for fuel smell and figured I had messed with the injector o-rings while working in the area. I thought I had isolated the leak with a 5-gas analyzer sniffing for hydrocarbons when I found an increase around the SP. plug wells. Replaced o-rings and no fix..... it turned out just needing an extra 1/8 of a turn to 1/4 on all the spark plugs. The owner noted a stronger fuel smell in the mornings and right at start up and it then dissipated slightly but never completely went away until I found the problem.
 
If you have a technician around you that can test your fuel and evap system with a smoke machine and a good scan tool will help find leaks if you have some how does your gas cap look.
 
Start by pulling the hose that leads from your canister into your trunk, pull it hard from the end that goes into the trunk then tie it leading towards the rear of the car pointing down towards the street. I've done it to 3 Mark VIIIs so far. It happens to all of them at one point or another.
 
UltimateSVT said:
Start by pulling the hose that leads from your canister into your trunk, pull it hard from the end that goes into the trunk then tie it leading towards the rear of the car pointing down towards the street. I've done it to 3 Mark VIIIs so far. It happens to all of them at one point or another.
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So that’s the fix to the mysterious gas smell issue ? Has nothing to do with the canisters ?
 
When I first got ours running it would smell kinda like gas actually it smelled like acetone to put it exactly, but after a while it just stopped smelling. Now if it gets below 1/4 almost empty it will do it, but I never let it get below half. When I was a kid I was told you burn up your fuel pump letting it get that low so I avoid it like the plague.
 
Bullymong88 said:
When I first got ours running it would smell kinda like gas actually it smelled like acetone to put it exactly, but after a while it just stopped smelling. Now if it gets below 1/4 almost empty it will do it, but I never let it get below half. When I was a kid I was told you burn up your fuel pump letting it get that low so I avoid it like the plague.
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Yeah yours is strange ? Most users say they get the smell in cabin once the car is up to operating temperatures plus.. It definitely has nothing to do with the tank being under or over a quarter. At least in my car and others I have red about like user ultimateSVT... This is a raw fuel smell but I fixed it using the method above and other users described , there’s a hose on the left side of the evap tray the hose that runs to the vent silinoid and up towards the trunk it’s a lone hose by itself on left side of the tray , I just cut that single hose and zip tied it to the muffler hanger lol since I cut the mufflers both off gotta still give the left hanger a purpose haha works great so far tho no more gas smell.
 
I mean I run my 97 a lot of times to damn near empty , I heard abou the whole fuel pump thing but some reason these cars do just fine.. long as your nice to the gas pedal that is ! I usually like fresh batches of 91 gas in the tank and I never put more than 30-40 bucks of gas & burn it all until 10-20 miles until empty on the trip computer
 
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