What to Do When a Vehicle Smells Like Gas

Some smells are not easy to identify, but gas is not one of them. When a new Nissan in San Jose develops a gas leak, it is incredibly easy to notice due to the pungent smell that the driver will experience.

While a vehicle is known to experience quite a few leaks, a gas leak is not something that should be taken lightly. When gas starts to escape from the vehicle, it creates a flammable hazard and is wasting precious fuel, resulting in the driver having to spend more money to fill up their tank every week. That is why a fuel leak should be dealt with as soon as it is discovered. Here are the various reasons a certified used Nissan in San Jose could be experiencing a gas leak and how drivers can check to see if it is the root cause or not.

Faulty Fuel Tank

Since the fuel tank is where the vehicle’s supply of gas is located, it makes sense that this is one of the most common locations of an issue when a gas leak occurs. Although fuel tanks are designed to be fairly durable, they are not invincible. There are a variety of reasons a fuel tank could develop an issue.

One of the more common reasons is a simple matter of wear and tear. If a vehicle is fairly old and has been driven a lot, then over time the fuel tank could be subjected to a variety of conditions that have worn away its structural integrity. This could lead to some kind of hole or crack forming in the tank itself.

The other situation that could have caused an issue to occur is that the vehicle drove over something that then ricocheted and damaged the fuel tank. This is far more likely to happen to vehicles that travel down gravel roads or go off-roading, but it can still occasionally occur with vehicles that only drive on paved city streets.

Issue With the Gas Cap

One of the other most common issues that causes the smell of gas to occur is some sort of issue with the vehicle’s gas cap. This vital component is necessary to contain the gas fumes within the vehicle. If it is not working properly, then the fumes can freely escape into the atmosphere and result in the driver smelling a distinct gas smell coming from their vehicle.

One of the first things a person should check when they first notice a gas odor coming from their vehicle is whether or not the gas cap has been tightly locked. If the cap is not properly put on after the vehicle was last filled, then it could be possible that the fumes are escaping from the slight gap in the cap seal. So the driver should untighten and then tighten back up the gas cap and see if the gasoline smell dissipates after a couple of minutes.

However, when they go to check the gas cap it may be a simple instance of them forgetting to put the cap back at all. If they notice that the gas cap is completely off then this is almost certainly what the issue is and they should not need to take their vehicle in after reattaching the gas cap.

Unfortunately, even if the gas cap has been placed back on the vehicle in the proper manner, there is no guarantee that it will be able to stop the gas fumes from escaping. Over time, the gas cap can develop wear and tear just like the fuel tank. This could lead to the gas cap seals becoming cracked and forming slight gaps in the sealing process.

In this case, they will likely need to bring the vehicle into a Nissan service center in San Jose to get it replaced or repaired. Otherwise, fumes will continue to escape from the gas tank leading to the unpleasant gas odor and a reduction in fuel efficiency.

Damaged Fuel Hoses

For the fuel to go from the fuel tank to the rest of the vehicle, it needs to travel through the fuel hoses first. Therefore, if these fuel hoses ever experienced any sort of damage, then it could very easily lead to a gas leak occurring. These hoses are often made of a rubber material that is durable but can be subjected to repetitive forces, resulting in damage occurring.

The unfortunate thing about these fuel hoses is that as soon as one crack forms, it vastly increases the chances that others will form as well. So while it may start off as a barely noticeable problem, a gas leak could quickly turn into a major problem if the root of the issue is a damaged fuel hose.

If the driver suspect that the fuel hoses maybe the issue, then they should be able to get underneath the vehicle and examine the hoses themselves. If they shine a light on the hoses and are able to see any sort of dripping gas or slight crack in the material, then this is the problem. If one of the hoses is damaged, then it will require that it be completely replaced, since these fuel hoses cannot be properly repaired.

Cracked Charcoal Canister

Many people are not aware that their vehicle comes with a charcoal canister that is designed to work with its fuel system. This helpful component is able to use pieces of charcoal to absorb the concentrated gas fumes and convert them into a less potent product.

Unfortunately, this charcoal canister can sometimes develop a crack in it due to excessive force or wear and tear. When this happens, the gas fumes can start to escape out of the crack and lead to the driver experiencing a strong gas smell coming from their vehicle.

If this is the issue, it should be fairly easy to recognize since it almost always causes the check engine light to turn on when the charcoal canister experiences any sort of damage. However, if the driver still believes that the charcoal canister could be the root of the problem, then they need to bring their vehicle into a mechanic to get it professionally looked at.

Posted in Santa Clara Nissan Dealer | No Comments »