Hi all,

My 87 sedan has a faint smell of gas from the rear area - but no leaks at all!!!

Can someone tell me a good place to start? I was hesitating taking out the gas tank as a first step...unless someone tells me that's the best place to start...

I can't figure this out - there seems to be no sign of a liquid leak anywhere..though I did just replace the bushings..maybe the banging around back there did something??

Thanks,
Curt

One more thing you might want to check is that top of the intank sender unit. There is a rubber o-ring that sits between the metal for closing off the tank from the outside world. Those dry up over time and need to be replaced...its a simple 5 minute job with a bung nut tool. Otherwise you can cross thread two insulated screw drivers and "unlock" that twist cover to see the o-ring.

Good Luck
Ryan
--
VOLVO LOVER WITH AN 80 AND AN 82

Check that the mouth of the filler tube isn't out of round. I was smelling gas in the passenger compartment while driving. A mechanic put a pair of channel lock pliers into the mouth of the filler tube (one jaw inside, one outside) and bent the mouth back into round (force on gas nozzle whle filling tank pushed it out of round). This cured the gas smell.

Two quick thoughts:

1) Look all around the tank from below, as best as you can. It could be a small leak above the center seam. Small enough to smell, but be absorbed in dusty crud and evaporating.
(Any difference with tank full vs low?)

2) Remove the access plate in the trunk (left side) and check the top of the sender unit for rust-thru on the Output (large) or Return (small) pipes. Just a pinhole leak could cause smell but no drips (yet).
--
Bruce Young,
940-NA (current)
'80 GLE V8 (Now gone)
'83 Turbo 245
'73 142 (98K)
'71 144 (track modified--and still here)
New 144 from '67 to '78
Used '62 122 from '63 to '67

...Get right down on the ground and look up all around the tank with a good flashlight. If you find a wet spot, you can clean it off and fix it with a 2-part sealer from NAPA.

I did this on an '89, but it was a PITA -- had to take off the triangular "tank guard" on the left side for access to the leak (it was above the "belt line"). But that fuel tank sealer really worked.
--
Bruce Young,
940-NA (current)
'80 GLE V8 (Now gone)
'83 Turbo 245
'73 142 (98K)
'71 144 (track modified--and still here)
New 144 from '67 to '78
Used '62 122 from '63 to '67

On my wagon it was a little rubber hose on the filler tube on the inside of the car some sort of vent I'm sure... but like most old rubber hose it had flexed it's last... the gas smell was quite strong,
Bret
--
rust free in west Texas