gas fumes in cabin in cold weather

I have a 2000 Outback with automatic transmission. The car runs great and the engine light never comes on. Sometimes, in the winter, I will start the car and gas fumes will fill the cabin when the heater is on. When the gas fumes are present, they really pour into the cabin at every stop light too. The problem is really inconsistent. It seems to happen more frequently when I make short trips. This could just be a result of highway driving blowing away the fumes. I had it checked out by the dealer, but they said they didn't find anything wrong. I had it checked out by an independent mechanic, he said it sounded like a gas leak, but could not find any leaks. Let me know if anybody else has had this problem or if you have any ideas about what might be causing the fumes. Thanks!

Reply to
shawnhill
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This is common. Loose fuel line clamps from the fuel lines shrinking because of the cold.

Reply to
Mike

It is a KNOWN problem with Subaru! The clamps on the fuel lines DO LEAK in cold weather. Subaru knows about it, the dealers know about it. Subaru wont fix it! here is the problem.... They leak when its *COLD*. By the time you get it to the dealer it's warm..problem gone... Subaru has been really "Chicken Shit" about it. have the hoses and clamps replaced with good stuff. Fires have been reported from this.

Reply to
Porgy Tirebiter

I have noticed the same problem with my 2000 Ouback (4 cylinder with automatic). The gasoline smell occurs intermittently, but seems worse when it gets very cold -- a very strong smell of gasoline in the morning when I start the car when the overnight temp is below 25 degrees. I have asked my Subaru dealer to check it out, but the temperature was warmer whenever I took it in. I would like to hear if anyone has any ideas for this.

Reply to
worzacct

Take it to a muffler shop for a free inspection. Could be one of the gaskets between the pipe pieces has crumbled and letting out fumes before the tailpipe, so they roll up around the engine or mid-frame and you smell them with the air intake picking up the rising fumes.

I'm not sure if "gas fumes", to you, means the smell of gasoline or the smell of exhaust. If it were gasoline then, like others, I'd be looking at the fuel lines, the rubber ones. I've never had the smell but then I replace my own fuel filter and use screw-down clamps instead of springy wire bales. I've also replaced their rubber hoses on a couple of my Subies simply because the hose gets stretched too much and their rubber hoses aren't very good for repeated wear (i.e., once or twice you have to yank those hoses the less likely they will seal). The length of rubber hose isn't very long (in my cars) since the metal tube is at the firewall not too far from the filter, so I just buy a couple feet and replace it when I replace the fuel filter (that is, I replaced their hose with better hose and haven't done it since). The hoses that I get are also thicker so I can use the screw-down clamps which provided a wide pressure & contact area instead of just around the wires for the plier-clamp types. If it about time in the maintenance schedule to replace the fuel filter, get new and thicker hoses along with screw-down clamps. Easier to take off, easier to put on, and wider seal area under the flat band clamp.

Reply to
Vanguard

Yup, exact same problem, 2000 OBW with a manual transmission this time. I first noticed it last winter, during a really really cold day (below

-10C). Occurred briefly this winter too (but it's not been really all that cold around here this year so far).

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

There was a recall on some WRXs (or STis ???) involving a fuel crossover leaking when cold IIRC. I am unaware of an unusual number of fires from the issue though. There have been a coupla door fires on Outbacks, probably from rearview mirror heaters - but that is inconclusive.

hmmmm

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

I also remember some other electrical issues, will have to go look over the write-ups on them. Something about amplifiers burning up..

Reply to
Porgy Tirebiter

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@a3g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...>I have a 2000 Outback with automatic transmission. The car runs great

Reply to
shawnhill

FWIW, I took my 2002 Outback Wagon to the dealership today and complained of the same problem.

Right there in the pull-up area, the tech said "Oh, you?re the 4th one today". (It?s 4 degrees outside) So, the guy whipped out a screwdriver and tightened all the fuel line clamps and it doesn?t smell anymore.

I?ll probably experiment with adding locking nuts on the bottom of the screws to see if that helps.

"shawnhill" wrote: > That is what I was looking for. Thanks to everyone for your > help. > > On Jan 2, 5:23 pm, "Porgy Tirebiter" wrote: > > wrote in messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@a3g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...>I have a 2000 Outback with automatic transmission. The car runs great > > > and the engine light never comes on. Sometimes, in the > winter, I will > > > start the car and gas fumes will fill the cabin when the > heater is on. > > > When the gas fumes are present, they really pour into the > cabin at > > > every stop light too. The problem is really inconsistent. > It seems to > > > happen more frequently when I make short trips. This > could just be a > > > result of highway driving blowing away the fumes. I had > it checked out > > > by the dealer, but they said they didn't find anything > wrong. I had it > > > checked out by an independent mechanic, he said it sounded > like a gas > > > leak, but could not find any leaks. Let me know if > anybody else has > > > had this problem or if you have any ideas about what might > be causing > > > the fumes. Thanks!It is a KNOWN problem with Subaru! > > The clamps on the fuel lines DO LEAK in cold weather. Subaru > knows about it, > > the dealers know about it. Subaru wont fix it! > > here is the problem.... > > They leak when its *COLD*. By the time you get it to the > dealer it's > > warm..problem gone... > > Subaru has been really "Chicken Shit" about it. have the > hoses and clamps > > replaced with good stuff. Fires have been reported from > this.

Reply to
malacai

I have a 2001 Forester, same issue... how hard is it to tighten them myself?

"malacai" wrote: > FWIW, I took my 2002 Outback Wagon to the dealership today and > complained of the same problem. > > Right there in the pull-up area, the tech said "Oh, you're the > 4th one today". (It's 4 degrees outside) So, the guy whipped > out a screwdriver and tightened all the fuel line clamps and > it doesn't smell anymore. > > When I probed him further about the problem, he acknowledged > they get loose over time, and that Subaru has told them simply > to tighten the connections. > > I'll probably experiment with adding locking nuts on the > bottom of the screws to see if that helps.

Reply to
rrp268

All you need is a Philips screwdriver. I'm not sure how the Forester engine bay looks like, but in my Outback engine bay, on the right side near the firewall is a dark gray/black canister. You follow that to where the fuel crossover rails are. Just tighten the screws. You can usually see the gas on the metal shortly after you start the car.

HTH

Reply to
phoboyjimmy

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