My car has been in storage in a garage since October. I went out to retrieve a cd that I had left in it and when I opened the door I could smell gasoline. It smells like someone had spilled a gallon of gas in it. I've stored it the same way since I bought it and never had this happen before. I always top off the gas tank and put stabilizer in it, hook-up a battery maintainer and place a car cover on it. The garage has been closed up and does not have the smell of gas in it. The only place you can smell gas is in the car. I've looked around for a gas leak with no luck. Anyone have a clue on what's going on. Should I pull the car cover off and drop the top or just deal with it in the spring?

 

When you say you topped it off, did you top, top it off like all the way up to the brim? Is the odor stronger in the trunk than in the cabin? Only thing I can think of would be that with the warm weather we had, the gas perhaps expanded enough to force vapors into the trunk and with the top up, into the cabin. Try opening it up and letting it air out. Make sure you prop something so the top doesn't come down as it will after 10 minutes or so. Wish I could be more help.

Take care

 

+2 .. My thoughts exactly....

 

If the gas cap is tight then I would have thought that any fumes would have gone to the carbon filter. With the cap on it is a closed system I think. Pollution control has all gas tank vapors diverted through the filter and engine. I'll check that point.
Where is the can of stabil, is it in the car with its cap loose? It smells like gasoline.
I guess there could be a leak at the filler pipe and tank junction.
Do not light up a ciggy when worrying about the gas fumes.

 

I took it down to the gas station and pumped gas in it until the nozzle shut off, so it should not be overfilled. The gas cap was tight when I checked it and the stabilizer is not even in the garage. I think at this point I'll pull the cover and drop the top and open the trunk lid for a week. Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

I would air it out, for sure. If you wait until spring, you might never get the smell out and the vapors can damage the plastic and vinyl materials and maybe leather. As for the source, fuel does not run through the interior so it has to be the tank or a line underneath.

 

Why not wait for the next semi-warm, dry day in Jackson and take it out for a spin with the windows open?

As posted in the past, I drive mine 1-2 times a month during the winter rather than storing it. Had it out New Year's Day for an 80 MPH run on I-75 in 46 degree sunny weather.

 

I do the same thing....why store a car when there are nice days throughout the winter when you can drive it.

OK OK I know this doesn't answer your concern Frank but hopefully the smell will go away over time....but it would be nice to know the cause too.

 

Not wishing to argue the semantics of the issue but the tank is visible in the trunk after removing the carpeting on the rear of the bulkhead and the fuel filler pipe is visible by removing the panel that covers the passenger side wheel well.
So it is inside the trunk of the roadster and inside the coupe cabin. There are large holes in the bulkhead for wires to pass through and these would certainly allow fumes to enter the cabin of the roadster.

 

Not good from a rear collision standpoint. It sound worse than the old Pinto. I guess I'll have to get more acquainted with the fuel tank. Is it plastic or metal?

 

Here is the gas tank, it is metal and covered by an aluminum plate which is removed here. You can see the filling tube on the right.

 

Frank....look and see if the filler neck connects up by the door is ok, then follow the tube down from underneath, make sure you don't have a crack...or a leak where it connects into the tank...you shouldn't have that smell as long as it has set...unless someone spilled gasoline in the garage around the car...or the "ex" is after you....just had to throw that in there...

 

Did you check for leaks. The area under the car may be dry but have "stain marks" on the floor. Mine had a leak at the fuel filter/pump which is just under the tank and behind the right rear wheel. Had a strong smell of gas but did not find it till I got under it and found some of the coverings wet.

 

Update- About a week ago I went down and looked for leaks. I pulled the carpet back and checked the tank, filler ect. and found no visible signs of a leak. I also checked the floor under the car. I put the top and windows down and left the trunk open. The car no longer has any hint of gasoline smell. My question now is should I close the top, windows and trunk and put the cover back on or leave it open the rest of the winter. One thing I forgot to mention was the trunk smelled as bad as the inside of the car when I opened the trunk.

 

I know that this may sound foolish, but have you added anything new to the interior or the trunk? Things such as floor mats, carpet, luggage, tissue dipensers, cup holders, steering wheel covers, (an inflation cannister perhaps) ... these things may be a source of "off-gassing". Just a foolish notion. . .

 

Well I pulled the car out of storage for the summer and it still smelled like gas. It was even stronger smelling with the top down. I finally figured out what it was. I raised the trunk lid and back of the top to expose the gas tank sending unit and sure enough gas had been leaking out and into the insulation between the bulkhead and the gas tank. I went and ordered a new sending unit seal. The dodge dealer let me borrow the special tool needed to remove it since they had one from having to remove it 3 years Aggi to replace a sensor which had gone bad. Guess what the mechanic that repaired it 3 years ago did not clean around the area that the seal goes on and I found a large piece of insulation on the old seal when I removed it. The good news it was a cheap fix. I just hope the gas smell will go away in time.

 

I've always found the best way to get gasoline smells to go away is to stand back and throw a lit match on the problem.
Not a good idea here I guess.