Jim Grant's Tech Tips

'02 Ford Mustang Convertible, Gas Smell

Q: I just purchased a used ‘02 Ford Mustang Convertible. There is a terrible gas smell while the engine is running. If I close the garage, I can come back later and the smell is very strong. You can also smell it inside the vehicle. There are no visible gas leaks. Any suggestions?

- Martha


A: If you can smell raw, fuel/gas fumes then the vehicle is not safe to be drivien! The last place you should think of parking the vehicle is in your garage! Just think it through a bit and you’ll understand where I’m coming from. The fuel system on your vehicle operates at a high pressure and the fuel pump moves a large volume of fuel at this high pressure. When the engine is running the fuel system is at operating pressure with more than ample fuel available. When the engine is turned off of course the fuel pump is turned off, but more fuel can leak out if there is a problem. Why is that? The fuel system is designed to hold fuel pressure even when the vehicle is not running. A good fuel system will hold pressure for many hours and even days. So even after the vehicle is turned off, if there’s a problem, fuel is still going to leak! Your nose is alerting you and I’m warning you not to drive the vehicle until it is repaired. One last thing. If it is parked in the garage, have some friends help you push it out.