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Gas smell on 94 Camry

This all seems so simple.. But.. -- For over a year now, every once and a while we smell raw gas towards the back of our Camry. But checking all over, nothing seems to be leaking. Then the other day I found some inexpensive gas and filled the tank for every last drop I could get in the tank. Then the next morning I moved the car and noticed something dripping around the middle of the drivers side, back door. I jacked up the car and sure enough it was gas. There are a few rubber to metal hoses and the tank there. I put my hand up above the bottom hoses to the top of the tank and the gas ran down my arm. So I know the leak is above the bottom hoses, but where I have no idea. So I called the dealer and brought it in the next morning. They put it up on the lift and called me in the afternoon and asked me where it was leaking? I drove back to the dealer and sure enough it was all dry and didn't smell of gas. ( Dealer is about 30 miles away) The dealer said they pulled out the back seat to look at the fuel pump and everything looked fine. I asked what they thought and they said to not fill the tank so full. Well, I guess so, but I can't believe there is a overflow that just dumps raw gas if the tank is over full. I ask what it would cost to replace the gas tank and associated hoses that could be the problem. They looked it all over and said they need to drop the exhaust and that all the joints are rusted and would probably all the exhaust would have to be replaced.. Anyway, adding all this up, it has a price tag of around $1500. After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I told them I would have to think about it.

That was a month or so ago and we have been driving the car just fine and have filled it up a few more time and no leaks. Sorry for such a long winded post, but looking for suggestions. I think the bluebook for the car is around the cost of the 'fix'.

Joe

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Reply to
AG4QC
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I still cant figure out why people go to their "dealer" for repairs when local mechanics usualy do jobs for half the price. Id say for now just dont fill it till it leaks, but also look for a mechanic that doesnt do what dealers do, jack up every price and job they can.

Reply to
m Ransley

Your gas tank is part of a sealed system to comply with emissions requirements. Actually, what burns inside the engine is fuel vapor, and since gasoline is volatile (evaporates easily) these vapors are controlled as a component contributing to smog formation. The way it is supposed to work, is that vapor from the fuel tank is routed to a charcoal canister ($200-$300 to replace) that absorbs these fuel vapors when the car is at rest, then there is a thermal vacuum switch that routes the fuel vapors to the throttle body to be burned when the car is running at normal operating temperature. When you "fill every last drop" into the gas tank, liquid gets into the recovery system designed to hold only vapors. The dealer is right. Just fill the tank until the automatic nozzle clicks off. If your read the instructions at the gas filling station, they'll tell you the same thing.

Reply to
Daniel

I used to own a 93 4 cyl. Camry that had a gas leak. It smelled gas sometimes, without any trace of a leak anywhere. Found out the crud accumulating around and on the gas tank over time acts a a sponge. Had the tank repaired. End of the smell and the leak.

Reply to
Bassplayer12

I had the same problem with my wife's '95 Camry. I made the "mistake" of filling the tank to the very top and found the gas leaking rapidly from the hose connection from the filler to the tank. I imagine that in your case the gas is coming from the same place and "dries up" as the level goes down -- unless you park on a hill.

Fotofreak

Reply to
Fotofreak

Fotofreak wrote: snip

As Daniel pointed out though you still shouldn't fill a fuel tank to the very top, just until the filler nozzle clicks off. (I usually restart the nozzle on lowest setting after it clicks off the first time and quit when it shuts off the second time). The scenario Daniel pointed out can also cause raw fuel to enter the engine and due to being unmetered, cause problems to spark plugs, O2 Sensors, catalytic converters and other possibles. I've seen a few that would fall on their face when accelerating and the problem was too much fuel. HTH, Dave

Reply to
davidj92

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