Well my car has a duke (85 2m4 Auto tranny), and whenever it runs there is a strong smell of gas.... there is no gas leaks in the tank because it only smells like gas when it is running.

I know i have an exhaust leak where the exhaust manifold enters the straight down pipe, i know this can mess with the o2 sensor, but the gas smell is strongest when the car first starts... so doesnt this kinda rule out that exhaust leak being the problem? I know i have good plugs/wires just changed the oil, timing is set to 8* And on top of this if im lucky i will get 20 mpg, usually lower... and no matter how low i run it it seems that the pump will only let me put about 8.5 gallons in, which seems kinda weird to me.

What could it be? At first the car likes to idle at 2k rpm... it dies down after a while, but i have a feeling this is where my problem comes from.

I have pulled codes and i get none except code 12, which is good. I have gone through the process to reset the IAC, TPS is good, and i just changed the Air Temp sensor by the air filter.... Now let your creative solutions flow from your minds onto this page =D

[This message has been edited by JZeFF (edited 01-21-2008).]

i guess i should have stated that I do plan on fixing the exhaust leak, just dont have the time or place to do it now.... too cold.
Also sometimes water comes out of my exhaust, just some splatters... only when i rev it high though. That also seems kinda weird.........

Possible gas leak... I had the same problem last year with my 85GT... Stunk like gas when running, poor mileage.... I had a gas leak at the fitting going into the fuel filter.

Cleaned the fittings, replaced the filter and havn't had a problem yet.

The Duke is a TBI system so the injector is at the throttle body. In cold weather when the engine is cold the fuel sprayed does not evaporate as fast. My guess would be your injector is dirty. When you first start it up it is not spraying very well. More like spitting. This makes the engine run richer because raw fuel is getting into the cylinders. The way to correct this is to clean the injector and throttle body. Gummout makes a Throttle body cleaner spray as well as fuel injector cleaner that you pour into the tank.

Park the car in a garage and clean out the TB with the spray. Then add the injector cleaner to a full tank of premium gas Like Shell or Mobil.
Within a week the smell should go away and the car should run better. (Don't forget to fix the exhaust leak.)

------------------

Happiness isn't around the corner...
Happiness IS the corner.
ZZ4 Powered !!

http://www.pennzoil-quakers.../products/gumout.htm

Heres the list of gummout products.... can you tell me which ones i should get? Kinda confused

Im assuming its some of these... Ones a carb+injector cleaner, ones just an injector cleaner, and ones an additive?
http://www.autozone.com/sel...opping/selectZip.htm
http://www.autozone.com/R,N...oryProductDetail.htm
http://www.autozone.com/R,N...oryProductDetail.htm

[This message has been edited by JZeFF (edited 01-23-2008).]

quote Originally posted by JZeFF: http://www.pennzoil-quakers.../products/gumout.htm Heres the list of gummout products.... can you tell me which ones i should get? Kinda confused Im assuming its some of these... Ones a carb+injector cleaner, ones just an injector cleaner, and ones an additive? http://www.autozone.com/sel...opping/selectZip.htm http://www.autozone.com/R,N...oryProductDetail.htm http://www.autozone.com/R,N...oryProductDetail.htm

This is the stuff you put in the tank.
http://www.napaonline.com/N...x?R=84840&ShowPics=1

Here is the spray:
http://www.napaonline.com/N...?R=100118&ShowPics=1

Not sure why... but those links dont work for me...
"This website is only for access by specific client applications."

quote Originally posted by JZeFF: Not sure why... but those links dont work for me... "This website is only for access by specific client applications."

Here is a link to the products:
Gas tank additive http://www.valvoline.com/pa...etail.asp?product=27

TB Spray http://www.valvoline.com/pa...etail.asp?product=52

You should be able to find them at NAPA, Auto Zone, Pep Boys, or Murry's auto parts stores.

Well i went to advanced auto parts.... i purchased
CRC Throttle Body Cleaner & Air intake Cleaner (Aerosol can)
And Valvoline max life Fuel system cleaner.

Next time i fill up im going to fill with a premium gas and dump in the cleaner.
But one question, what should i spray with the Throttle body cleaner? Should i take the fuel injector out and spray through it? Should i spray the metal flap that controls the amount of gas let into the engine.... just kinda confused. It says do not spray the MAF sensor... what is that?

Haha sorry for my lack of technical terms, still kinda learnin.

i am having the same prob with my 2.8

Bump for im leaving town, most likely wont have a computer for the weekend.
Thanks for all the help so far.

Constantly smells like gas.. when running

Hmm, lay off the beans and stop running
REally, find the leak before you add to the myth about Fieros If you can smell it in the car good chance there are fumes in the engine compartment and fumes can go boom.....

------------------
[IMG]



Trueleo.com/fiero.htm
RSpiderII@aol.com

My GT had the same problem and it was the filler hose that went to the tank.
Tightened up all the hose clamps and it went away. I could find mine because
of the "trail" it left on the bottom of the pipe.
Could a bad hose to the vacuum canister cause this?
Thinking out loud.
tg

Hey all. Wanted to tack onto this thread because the symptoms of my '84 are almost identical. When I first got it and took it to a local shop, I was told the injector was bad and was spitting rather than spraying. A friend and I replaced the injector and the car ran ok but was still running rich, among other problems (including hesitation when trying to start out or sometimes even on a 1-2 shift). Cleaned up the IAC and it was running better and even driveable a few weeks ago except for the hesitation, but this week I tried to start it and it wouldn't stay running... ran for about 30 seconds, then the idle would drop and it would stall out if I didn't give it more gas -- and even if I did give it gas, it would sputter and cough and then die anyway.

So, took a look at the injector today and found there was a LOT of gas pooled all around the top of the injector and basically all of the fuel pressure regulator pod was wet. Took the injector cover off and discovered that some of the screws were put back in the wrong places! So I fixed that and was hopeful it would solve the problem, but the car still has the same symptoms except it doesn't seem to be leaking from the pressure regulator area anymore (at least not yet).

So, while this thread talks a lot about cleaning the injector, I don't think that's my problem since the injector was just replaced (although it is a rebuilt injector) and seems to be spraying very nicely, just getting two much fuel. The strangest thing is that there are no codes at all, just like the original author wrote. I know there are a bunch of things that could be the cause, but at this point I think the most likely suspects are a bad coolant sensor or bad fuel pressure regulator. Thoughts or comments?

The next question is whether I want to start pulling and replacing parts myself, or have the car towed to a shop where they can properly test things before just randomly replacing them. I'm guessing the cost of towing and labor will probably be more than the cost of the parts though!

-- Marc

[This message has been edited by Indypacecars (edited 03-02-2008).]

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Is the fuel pressure regulator something that's fairly easy to replace? I know the tech manual says to not remove it due to a high-pressure spring but I found some other articles that say you just have to loosen the screws slowly and evenly. (I know the design was changed in '85 so I want to make sure it's not dangerous to open up the regulator on an '84.) Or is it more likely that the problem lies with the fuel pump rather than the fuel pressure regulator?

Even though I really don't have a clue what I'm looking for to try to troubleshoot this, I realized I could replace the coolant sensor and fuel pressure regulator for less than the cost of towing alone, so I guess I will start there.

Check for vacuum leaks. A leak will tell the MAP sensor that there's more air in the engine. Also a bad MAP will do the same. If you removed your cat you'll always have a slight gas smell as the cat reburns this extra fuel. When you start your car the engine runs rich anyway since the O2 doesn't tell the ECM anything yet so it's tuned RICH when cold. The high idle tells me either a vacuum leak exists or the ECM is countering excess air by giving more fuel. Also checking the Throttle position sensor (TPS) is a good idea while checking things. The TPS should be giving a smooth output while throttling they usually get a bad spot in the idle or just off idle location.

[This message has been edited by DIY_Stu (edited 03-15-2008).]

Thanks. The OP may have mentioned a high idle but I don't have that problem -- in fact right now the car simply stalls after about 30 seconds.

A vacuum leak is a possibility, but I've tried unplugging the MAP sensor but that didn't make any difference. The IAC was pretty gummed up too but cleaned it up with throttle body cleaner. Would it be worth replacing that too?

None of these are terribly expensive parts, but I don't want to replace things unnecessarily, or replace everything and still have to have it towed to a shop to find a vacuum leak.

quote Originally posted by JZeFF: .... there is no gas leaks in the tank because it only smells like gas when it is running.

First thing is to make sure there are no leaks in the fuel lines. Look at the back wall of the gas tank for evidence of leaking gas (clean areas or streaking). If all looks good, pressurize the system and look for leaks along the lines. Do this in an open area outside and be careful! Turn on the fuel pump by jumping battery voltage to the fuel pump at the ALDL connector. (The pump will run continuously with the ignition off and the pressure regulator will return the gas to the tank in a closed loop).

If there are any line leaks they should show up. Also check the injector to see if it’s dripping while the system is pressurized (it shouldn’t).

quote Originally posted by spark1: First thing is to make sure there are no leaks in the fuel lines. Look at the back wall of the gas tank for evidence of leaking gas (clean areas or streaking). If all looks good, pressurize the system and look for leaks along the lines. Do this in an open area outside and be careful! Turn on the fuel pump by jumping battery voltage to the fuel pump at the ALDL connector. (The pump will run continuously with the ignition off and the pressure regulator will return the gas to the tank in a closed loop). If there are any line leaks they should show up. Also check the injector to see if it’s dripping while the system is pressurized (it shouldn’t).

Good idea!