Have you smacked a strong smell of gas this morning when you stepped inside your car? If yes, the first thing you need to remember is that do not panic.
To start with, you need to hire a professional help from a certified and authentic auto repair shop if ever you get too strong smell of leaked gas in your car. And to make sure it doesn’t recur, take a note on the following reasons that can cause the gas leak out from the exhaust.
- The O-Ring or Gasket of the Oil Cap
The most common place from where a fume of gas can leak is from the engine.It is a part that we mostly overlook, it is the O-ring or gasket that would find under the oil cap. If you find the gasket cracked up or the oil cap broken, you are narrowly saved, as the replacing cost of both these items is simply negligible. Even the diagnosis is a very easy process, which can take a time of about 15 seconds. But at the same time, determining if this could be the actual reason behind the foul fuel smell will be the most important part of the whole game. So how do you make sure?
Well start with opening the hood and look for the area around the engine oil cap.Ifyou find oil or debris have accumulated in quite a good amount on the cover of the valve which is placed just below the oil cap, the probability is that, the O-ring has worn out and has caused the leakage and therefore the fumes from the engine, which is now smelling like gas.
- Loose Spark Plugs
The other probable reason could be loose Spark Plugs, as they too can cause the gas leaking out and fumes spreading over the cabin. If the spark plugs of your engine are not properlty tightened with the torque, either the crush washer or the sealing ring can cause the fumes come out of the combustion chamber channeling it right into the engine compartment which lies just next tothe HVAC fresh air intake. This way it can draw the fumes into your vehicle cabindirectly and trouble or panic the passengers.
- Leaking Oil
While performing an oil change to your car engine, it could have leaked out of the engine because of an old gasket. In such situation the leaked oil can drip into the hot exhaust system. Result? The used motor oil coming from the inside of the engine has now got unburnt fuel mixed into it, and a leakageof that mixed oil, out of the motor and getting in touch with the hot components can causethe fuel smell spread into the cabin.
In any of these situations, the automobile experts will suggest you to visit an auto repair shop or hire a professional mechanic, rather than trying to address it all by yourself. There can be various reasons that might have cause the gas leaking out of the exhaust, which is certainly a matter of great risk. While knowing the reasons behind a gas leakage in your car will be the first step towards preventing it from happening any further, ignoring such symptoms can lead to fatal mishaps.