2004 Impala LS getting a gas smell

[dorlow]

I keep wondering if it's my imagination or if something is really leaking causing a gas smell. I was wondering if anyone knew of a common problem with a 2004 Impala with about 200,000 miles on it that typically goes bad causing a gas smell.

I took the car over to my dads a few weeks ago and had it up on his hoist and looked from the gas tank to the front of the car and couldn't find any gas leaks or any obvious large areas that smell like gas. (My dad said he couldn't smell it at all.)

When I had it on the hoist, I was working on it because the resonator failed and had a huge hole in it. I cut off the old one, put a slight extension on it and put in a new resonator. I keep thinking I smell a slight smell of a new part getting hot and slightly like burning metal. But later when I tell myself it's all in my head, I then smell the smell that can only be gas.

I have also been watching my fuel economy calculating MPG by filling up and dividing it by the miles driven between fillups. Figuring if I had any good leak, my MPG would have to go down. My MPG is around 29.

[la1]

so on 15 gallons of gas you get 435 miles, is this mixed mode, hiway, a round town ? well you have the evap and the canister, on my Impala the evap mechanism is up by the throttle body and has vacuum lines connected to it, not sure where the canister is. then you have your fuel lines to and from, the fuel rail , the fuel regulator. take the vacumm line off the top of the regulator and sniff the regulator top. I think I remember about one going bad in that way. how does the car run? does it start right away ? also check your fuel injectors. I really like fuel injection, I came from the era of carburetors and distributors, fuel injection is so exotic, though now adays is nothing, having said that the bad side is you get a small leak on your fuel lines an you get a squirt gun with 30 psi of gas behind it. if you really smell gas you may want to isolate the area better or take it someplace.

[SierraK1500]

There is a valve that regulates the flow of gasoline to the fuel rail that supplies the injectors. I had the same issue. Was replaced at the dealer for a cost of 148.00 at the time. There is a seam that is rolled in the middle of the valve. It goes bad and leaks. When you smell gas look at the valve. As you look at the right side of the engine from the grille you will see the valve. It is close to the air intake. If it looks wet, run your finger over the seam and smell. If you smell gas its the culprit. Pays to get new. No junkyard parts. After 40K miles the new valve leaked again. This is a dangerous situation. If you get a bad leak it will travel down the fuel line and onto the exhaust manifold. You will have a fire and lose the car. Get it looked at right away. I got lucky
Let me know how you do.

John

[Colt Hero]

Find anything? I was going to suggest an O-ring on an injector. When I replaced my intake gaskets, the fuel rail and injectors had to be pulled out. I made sure I replaced all the O-rings that were disturbed during the repair for fear of a fuel leak later on

[dorlow]

It was my fuel filter rusted.

[rkvons]

Originally Posted by dorlow

It was my fuel filter rusted.

Yikes! Good thing that is changed.