lexus311

I have a 97 SC300 and have been smelling a very strong odor of gasoline inside of my car this past week. What is strange is that you cannot smell it outside of the vehicle, but once you open the doors, it hits you like a brick wall. I took it to one mechanic and they said that they found a minor leak around the gasket by the fuel line coming off of the tank underneath. They recommended I take it to the Lexus dealership because they did not want to work on it since they normally do not work on Lexus's. Instead of taking it to the Lexus dealership, I took it to a mechanic my family has been going to for years (so I could get a little bit better deal since I already paid one shop to look at it). Long story short, I told the guy what was wrong and what the other place had supposively found. Two hours later I get a call saying that I do not have a gas leak, and that the moisture the other shop showed me around the gasket/fuel line underneath the car was just oil that was being flung up from the axle.

So now I am $200 already in the hole with no answers. I took the car back home, tore the rear seats out and the lining in the trunk to see if I can find anything, and nothing. However, I am still smelling gas. The second mechanic said that what I was smelling was my exhaust leak. But that has been leaking for two years, and I know the difference of the smell of exhaust versus gasoline. Does anyone have any ideas??? HELP!

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

Check the charcoal canister in the engine bay on the passenger side by the firewall to see if it is giving off a gas smell. sometimes they get faulty like if the gas is accidentally filled too high and it ends up in the canister tank. sometimes the check valve will fail.

what is a good giveaway is if the smell comes through the a/c when on fresh air, and it goes away (after a few minutes) when you have it on recirculate. that means its coming from up front.

Harbinger

Smells like you're riding around inside of a gas can, right? You should check the gasket around your fuel pump access panel. I haven't had this happen in the SC yet, but had this precise issue in one of my other vehicles. I replaced door/hatch seals, every manifold & exhaust gasket, charcoal canister & the fuel filter to no avail. On a whim I opened up the access panel to the fuel pump & discovered the gasket had deteriorated into nothing. A healthy dose of clear RTV & I could enjoy the fresh air again.

lexus311

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I will let you know what I find.

yonex

mine dose it to only when i fill it to the top so i never put more then ten galons in it and i dont get the smell

MKIVS374

iTrader: (2)

Think you may have a gas leak somewhere!

dwayneamir

Really curious of the outcome. I have a similar situation with my 92 sc400 - with the AC on in outside air mode, I smell gas / fumes / oil. I'm not a car guy, so I can't tell for sure, but my gut says gas.

I spoke with a service manager at Lexus about a month ago. I explained the symptoms, and he suggested it is probably oil smell, that get's in cabin from under hood when the AC switches to outside air mode. He suggested changing the valve cover gaskets and quoted me $700 to do the job. Told him I would think on it.