Gas Smell in my GX

[spill]

Hi I am a proud new owner of a 1999 GX with 40,000 miles. I have owned it now for about a month. I have a gas smell that I have not been able to pin point, it is not random either like just after I have filled or on cold days or hot days (no hot days in Salt Lake Lately). When I close the doors and have the windows up within 24 Hrs or less you can smell the Gas.
This is what I have checked. (Please excuse my non technical term and fill free to add the technical terms)
The fuel filler connector: It had what looked like hard black plastic pieces in there so I got the long tweezers and pulled all that junk out. A few days later after I had filled up I was still smelling gas so I put a balloon over the filler connector and pulled it flat across the opening like a drum and put a little pin hole in the middle and brushed soapy water over the hole to look for bubbles. No luck. I did the same thing with the vent that is in the filler door and also no bubbles.
I took the back seat and the trunk cosmetic barrier out and have moved the rubber sleeve that covers the lines into the tank, and did the soapy water test on all the connections. No luck there either.
So Now What? Or where do I take it I already put more into it then expected (new plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor). I live in Salt Lake City, Does Sno-Motion do diagnosis like this? I have seen there name on other forums.

Spencer

[Green GX]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

Spencer,

Sounds like you're doing a good job of hunting the leak down.

With regard to the black plastic pieces in the filler spout, my '07 GX has an o-ring around the inside dimension of the spout, just outside the check ball. Do you have an o-ring in yours? Could the pieces be the old o-ring? The way mine is made that o-ring doesn't seal the valve; it's outside the valve on the low pressure side of it. The o-ring probably doesn't come into play until the car is being filled.

What about sniffing around at the front of the car, under the hood? Or use a creeper and roll around the car to see if you smell an area where the odor is stronger. Squirt any fuel line fittings with soap that go from the tank to the engine.

Bill

[ajgiorgi]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

I have a 99 and I think this is a regular thing, your supposed to crack your windows when you park for long periods of time. I read it in the owners manual that came with mine. You could always take it in and get a tank inspection and they will find the leak for sure. Way to go on finding such low mileage. Mine has 63k and I thought that was low.

See ya,
Anthony

[spill]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

Thanks Bill,
I have had my nose in more places on that car then I care to admit. The only time that I had a strong order of gas was just after a fill up and right at the Ball check valve and an hour or so later the smell got very week there, that seamed like that might be normal.

I do have an O ring on the filler valve that looks to be in good condition.

One good thing that came out of getting the GX up on ramps last night and poking around is that I found that there is a manual shut off valve under the car.

I have had thoughts of shutting that off and taking the filler valve off and cleaning it with carb cleaner, and putting it back on. Any thoughts here?

The GX does not have a strong odor of gas but it is there and sometimes worse then others.

I will continue to monitor.
Thanks
Spencer

[spill]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

I have a 99 and I think this is a regular thing, your supposed to crack your windows when you park for long periods of time. I read it in the owners manual that came with mine. You could always take it in and get a tank inspection and they will find the leak for sure. Way to go on finding such low mileage. Mine has 63k and I thought that was low.

See ya,
Anthony

Hi Anthony, So you are telling me that if all else fails read the instruction. :-) The thought of taking the car in for an inspection is difficult for me to comprehend at this time, mostly because I figured that I could find the leek my self. But I am leaning toward taking it in and having it inspected. I am also wondering if the tank weeps naturally at all, that doesn't seam right though. Anyway thank you for the thoughts. And I am very pleased with finding this car it is in great shape.

Spencer

[John Mitton]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

If you know anyone in the HVAC business, they all have small hand-held gas detectors which could be used as you run it around possible leak areas. Much more accurate than the human nose

[Johnlaroux]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

UHHH I wouldnt take the fill nossle off as im pretty sure that shut off valve just isolates the gas to the engine compartment, not the fill nossle. Im assuming you mean the valve behind the rear left wheel of the car. John

[spill]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

UHHH I wouldnt take the fill nossle off as im pretty sure that shut off valve just isolates the gas to the engine compartment, not the fill nossle. Im assuming you mean the valve behind the rear left wheel of the car. John

Yes I am talking about the valve behind the left rear wheel. Ok Thanks for the heads up, but how do the techs replace the fill nozzle? Just wondering.

Yesterday after work when I got in the GX and it did not smell, this morning when I got in the GX it did smell. currently I am sitting about a half tank. I just can not put my finger on it. The oder is not strong but it is there, when it is.
still searching
Spencer

[camryman]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

I have the same problem with my 2001 GX. I took it to the dealer and they soaped down all the fittings between the tank and the engine and did not find a leak. On a hot day or if the car has been sitting for a couple of days locked up you can smell the cng when you get in. It's not too strong and the fuel indicator doesn't ever move down, but you can surely smell it. I think it might be coming from between the fill valve and the tank. Let me know if you find the cause.

[Johnlaroux]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

If there isnt another valve on the tank itself then they would have to bleed all the pressure out of the tank before removing the nozzle. I knew the way I was spellling nozzle didnt look right, I needed to turn my s's around and make em with straight lines.


John

[spill]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

Hi I am a proud new owner of a 1999 GX with 40,000 miles. I have owned it now for about a month. I have a gas smell that I have not been able to pin point, it is not random either like just after I have filled or on cold days or hot days (no hot days in Salt Lake Lately). When I close the doors and have the windows up within 24 Hrs or less you can smell the Gas.
This is what I have checked. (Please excuse my non technical term and fill free to add the technical terms)
The fuel filler connector: It had what looked like hard black plastic pieces in there so I got the long tweezers and pulled all that junk out. A few days later after I had filled up I was still smelling gas so I put a balloon over the filler connector and pulled it flat across the opening like a drum and put a little pin hole in the middle and brushed soapy water over the hole to look for bubbles. No luck. I did the same thing with the vent that is in the filler door and also no bubbles.
I took the back seat and the trunk cosmetic barrier out and have moved the rubber sleeve that covers the lines into the tank, and did the soapy water test on all the connections. No luck there either.
So Now What? Or where do I take it I already put more into it then expected (new plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor). I live in Salt Lake City, Does Sno-Motion do diagnosis like this? I have seen there name on other forums.

Spencer

SO I GAVE UP AND TOOK IT TO KEN GARFF HONDA HERE IN SLC UTAH, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR THAT WAS LEAKING FUEL. THAT WILL BE $2,500 DOLLARS FOR THAT PART PLEASE........... EXCUSE ME CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? THERE IS NO WAY I CAN COME UP WITH THAT KIND OF MONEY, I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR. HELP!!! IS THERE SOMEWAY TO REPAIR THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR? CAN I FIND A REBUILT ONE SOMEWHERE?

HELP

SPENCER

[John Mitton]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

Garff's service dept. is notorious for exploiting their monopoly GX dealership role. Everyone here pays thru the nose. Call around to dealers in CA then drive the thing down there to get it fixed. Curtis?

[ajgiorgi]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

Is that covered under warranty? Maybe?

[Curtis]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

Garff's service dept. is notorious for exploiting their monopoly GX dealership role. Everyone here pays thru the nose. Call around to dealers in CA then drive the thing down there to get it fixed. Curtis?

I'll see about what the thing should cost through my parts dept and post the price for both parts and labor seperately. My guy is out until Wed, so if I get sidetracked (which is happening a lot lately with Thunder/Cruise-In/Expo and my day job distractions) someone shoot me a reminder.

[spill]

Re: Gas Smell in my GX

I'll see about what the thing should cost through my parts dept and post the price for both parts and labor seperately. My guy is out until Wed, so if I get sidetracked (which is happening a lot lately with Thunder/Cruise-In/Expo and my day job distractions) someone shoot me a reminder.

Thank you, Curtis. Please let me know what you find out.
I just got off the phone with Ken Gaff again to ask some more questions about the Fuel Pressure Regulator. The Tech said that the "O" Rings get old and brittle and goes bad, and that they will replace the entire unit.
The cost of the FPR is $2,100 and Labor is $400. I questioned the cost of Labor because the tech that called me on Saturday said that the FPR is on the firewall and easy to get to. Today's tech said that the FPR is back under the fuel tank and the time listed for this repair is 3 hr's.
The conversation continued something like this.
Tech "Oh and by the way my trailing arm bushing are almost bad," Me, What does almost bad mean? Tech, Well they are almost broke through. Me, How much does that cost to repair? Tech $500, but you have more pressing things on the car to repair to worry about those. Me, Ok Thanks, I will be in at 4:30 to pick up my car."


This is just frustrating. Maybe I will almost let them work on my car again. Ok being fair they did diagnose the gas leek which is what I asked them to do, and they put the insulator blanket on around the fuel tank. I was just not prepared for the cost of the repair and my wife is giving me one of those look like I told you not to purchase some experimental car. UGH.

Just so you know I am willing to drive several hours to save some money, so driving to Cal is something I will consider seriously.

Thanks again for all your help.
Spencer