In the last week my sc400 has had a gas smell coming from the engine compartment. If I use my heater drawing air from outside, the gas smell comes intot the car. I have checked the threads on this topic and have found the following as possible culprits to the problem:

Fuel filter
Funny looking hat thing on top of the engine
Silicone gas vent tube located in the back of the engine
Cracked fuel line

I am open for other suggestions. Let me know if you have an idea as to the problem

Thanks

 

Fuel smell usually indicates a fuel leak. Have the entire fuel system rubber hoses checked.. it's cold now and the hoses tend to crack. It is probably just a "weep" of fuel at one of the fuel connections, but worth having checked out. Not meaning to frighten you; after all, fuel fires are caused by leaking fuel on the hot engine. Your's is a 1992.

 

If you fill your gas tank all the way to the top it has been known to overflow into the charcoal canister. Once it does this the smell will stick around - coming and going as it pleases. There is no way to empty the canister and the fumes will remain present until the unit is replaced.

A canister is about as expensive as a catalyst convertor, so you definately don't want to replace it knowing the next time you fill up it could happen again. Just try not to overfill the tank when you fill up.

Hopefully this fairly common problem is what is bugging you and not something more serious.

 

not sure your advice. have same problem: gas smell from engine compartment . that happen only few times when was extremally hot summer day and my fuel tank was almost empty....

 

I found the gas leak. The top hat looking thing on top of the engine, which is the fuel pressure regulator, had a bad seal and was leaking on top of the engine. The part ran about $100 from lexus. Napa did have but it was only $20 less so I went with the real thing.

 

sorry to pull up an old thread,

but could you smell this gas smell when the car was not running?

 

you prob have a fuel leak.

 

id figure i use this thread instead of making a new one.. but how do you test a fuel pressure regulator? i just did a 2jz swap not to long ago and i got that common hesitation, i did the 12v mod still has fuel cuts.. i disconnected the vaccum hose form the regulator plug it and put a seperate hose on it.. btw i did not see any gas come out of the line.. i started up the car let it idle and i created vaccum for the regulator with out using engine vaccum.. rpm or the way it ran did not change.. other than using a fuel pressure tester can i determine its faulty?
With out vaccum the regulator should be fully open right so techinically it should be running rich? any ideas? I do have a code 21 wich is a 02 senesor... so when it tries to go to closed loop i guess the 02 isnt working but besides that wouldnt u think applying vaccum would effect the engine load?