Gasoline fumes while driving

I'm getting the smell of gasoline while driving (sometimes)
I just got back from a 2200 mile trip. At times I could smell the gasoline. I stopped several times to try to find the source of the smell and I can't find it. There are no wet spots anywhere on the carburetor or fuel lines that I can find.

It seems to be the worst when driving with the windows down. I have never noticed it with the windows up. Also I noticed it fairly strong while going up hills. Going down the smell seems to go away.

Any suggestions where to look and what to look for?

Don't know if it helps, but I had a similar experience with my '62, and the problem was actually the rubber coupler on the filler pipe in the trunk. I knew it was in bad shape, but one day after filling up & taking a short drive, a found a small wet spot on the trunk carpet that turned out to be gasoline. $15 to falconparts.com and no more smell and no more wet spot.

Sounds like my '68 Mustang... which I still haven't diagnosed myself.
Sounds like the same issue thesameguy had.

My primary culprits are going to be the gas tank itself and the fill tube hose.
I notice mine the most when I exhibit 'spirited' driving. I guess is that my driving is causing the fuel to slosh up against a leak that isn't normally in contact with fuel.

My assumption is that with the windows open, it is causing low pressure in the cabin and sucking fumes back from the trunk area into the passenger area.

I also plan on replacing the rubber hoses between the steel lines.

good luck hunting.

In my mustang I had the same problem. It turned out to be the fuel line along the floor pan was rusted and it was leaking. I replaced it and it did the trick. It could also be the fuel tank. Good luck and be careful you don't want no leaking gas around the exhaust pipes.

See this post

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=71728

I've chased gasoline smells on various vehicles over the years. I think the responses above are on the right track, but remember that all it takes is a drip every now and then to perpetuate the smell, so every line should be examined again if checking the fuel tank and filler neck hose don't do the trick.
Good luck!

Thanks for all the responses. I will check out all of the above. What makes me crazy is it's not a constant thing. The thing about a drop every now and then makes sense. As bad as it is at times I think I should see a big wet spot or dripping line some where.

My tank looks brand new so I hadn't even suspected it. I will do a closer look.

I smelled gas too in my car after I bought it and it was the hose in the trunk. That be my first place to look. Good luck!

The filler hose in the trunk doesn't even have to leak to let gas fumes through, in my case it was so old it must have gotten porous and let fumes through. I also used to get a whiff of gas occasionally but could never find a leak, then one time after a car show I left some salt water taffy in the trunk. I found it again later after it had been in there a few months over winter and I decided to try a piece and see if it was still good- it tasted like gasoline! So I replaced the filler hose and after that have never smelled gas in the car either.

Other places to look- the short, flexible line under the tank between the fuel sender hose and the metal chassis fuel line, the short flexible line behind the left front tire between the metal chassis fuel line and the metal engine compartment fuel line, and of course anywhere under the hood the fuel travels.

Next time it smells think if you have just filled it or topped it up

xrwagon":1jvgrlnu said:

Next time it smells think if you have just filled it or topped it up

Click to expand...

That's just what I liked about my old Falcon six went it was gasoline....

Its the hydrocarbons leaking out via whatever part isn't capped off. After 1969, all US cars ran a proper charcol activatin cansiter, it would take it all away. The cats in 1975 reduced it even more.

The old 81 Fox 3.3 charcol canister took all that way.



"We're being sedated by the gasoline fumes
and hypnotised by the satellites"

Had a similar problem.
The 69.5 Maverick 170 was in continual usage and I started smelling gas.
Took a short time to find the source.
I had to look under the hood with the engine running.
The one barrel carb was slowly dripping gas directly unto the exhaust manifold.
That was the last time I used that carb.
Switched to a Holly/Weber two barrel.