Eelsfoot_Inn

Hello all,

My daughter's 1st car is a '90 Stanza, with 98k miles. Pretty good condition throughout thanks to the 1 owner AARP owner!!! I was not there when she bought it...just her and her Mother...I notice a gas smell from the passenger front side under the hood. Any guesses as to what I should check first? My 1st, and uneducated guess on Stanza's, is a fuel filter or split fuel pipe...

Sending her out for a maintenance manual this weekend, but thought I'd at least ask on a knowledge collective too....

Thanks.

PapaCap

Fuel smell is indicative of a leak. On a car that old, it is common for the fuel lines to crack and fray. Check from the sending unit (aka steel fuel lines that run under the car) to the fuel filter. It's a tight squeeze, but rub your finger across it. Feel for cracks or gas. And of course, check the lines from the fuel filter to the fuel injection runner. If you cannot find a leak, also check by the gas tank. There are several rubber hoses (overflow, etc) that could be the culprit. Actually, you may want to check these anyway. I had fuel line leaks from the sending unit to the runner AND at the gas tank. Number one rule of cars=old cars break.

And remember. If you do have to replace a line, it requires a high pressure line/hose. Standard pressure fuel hose can explode or collapse. Most auto stores charge a fortune for it, but if you call around, you can find a generic high pressure line for cheap. I found it for around $2.00/foot from O'Reilly's, but it was not fuel line specific.

pc

smj999smj

Also, check for fuel on the fuel injectors. I've seen a number of fuel injectors leaking externally on these engines.