'02 legacy gas smell

[tom klein]

on startup in cold weather (it was -16 this morning), my '02 legacy
stinks of raw gas, and the colder it gets, the worse the smell.

and if i try using the defroster, it sucks the smell straight into the
cabin (the intake is at the base of the windshield), because subaru's
"engine ears" decided that i have no right to use recirculated air on
the windshield (even if it does heat up a LOT faster, and work better -
please, no arguments until you've tried it). it's too bad none of
those guys have ever driven a car in a canadian winter! (the smell
goes away once the engine gets nice and warm.)

my question is, what can i do about it? are there any technical
bulletins from subaru about replacing the gas lines with something that
doesn't shrink in the cold? (some men would like to know about that,
too!) can i replace them, safely, with aftermarket gas lines made of a
different material? or can i add some sort of gasket material at the
couplings, to fill the gaps? (i'm guessing the problem is coming from
aluminum lines contracting at a different rate than the other metals
that they are attached to.)


........ tom klein

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

on startup in cold weather (it was -16 this morning), my '02 legacy
stinks of raw gas, and the colder it gets, the worse the smell.

and if i try using the defroster, it sucks the smell straight into the
cabin (the intake is at the base of the windshield), because subaru's
"engine ears" decided that i have no right to use recirculated air on
the windshield (even if it does heat up a LOT faster, and work better -
please, no arguments until you've tried it). it's too bad none of
those guys have ever driven a car in a canadian winter! (the smell goes
away once the engine gets nice and warm.)

my question is, what can i do about it? are there any technical
bulletins from subaru about replacing the gas lines with something that
doesn't shrink in the cold? (some men would like to know about that,
too!) can i replace them, safely, with aftermarket gas lines made of a
different material? or can i add some sort of gasket material at the
couplings, to fill the gaps? (i'm guessing the problem is coming from
aluminum lines contracting at a different rate than the other metals
that they are attached to.)


....... tom klein

Hmmm - I THINK there's a TSB about this. A clamp or hose that shrinks
too much in extreme cold or something. But maybe for the Imprezas?
Check around at www.cars101.com or call the dealer.


Carl

 

[VanguardLH]

in message

on startup in cold weather (it was -16 this morning), my '02 legacy
stinks of raw gas, and the colder it gets, the worse the smell.

and if i try using the defroster, it sucks the smell straight into
the cabin (the intake is at the base of the windshield), because
subaru's "engine ears" decided that i have no right to use
recirculated air on the windshield (even if it does heat up a LOT
faster, and work better - please, no arguments until you've tried
it). it's too bad none of those guys have ever driven a car in a
canadian winter! (the smell goes away once the engine gets nice and
warm.)

Tighten up the screw clamps on the hoses at the fuel filter.

 

[gotbent]

in message



Tighten up the screw clamps on the hoses at the fuel filter.

I've had this problem with my '02 Forester when the temps went down towards
0°F. I found two hoses leaking. One was by the fuel filter, near the left
shock tower and the other is was on the (as you face the engine) left front
side of the engine. Both hoses are similar, about 6 inches long with clamps
you can tighten with a screw driver.

 

[tom klein]

I've had this problem with my '02 Forester when the temps went down
towards 0°F. I found two hoses leaking. One was by the fuel filter,
near the left shock tower and the other is was on the (as you face the
engine) left front side of the engine. Both hoses are similar, about 6
inches long with clamps you can tighten with a screw driver.

i appreciate the information, but how did you spot the leak, liquid
fuel spurting out, or by smell?

 

[gotbent]

i appreciate the information, but how did you spot the leak, liquid fuel
spurting out, or by smell?

The first time I followed the easy to see fuel lines and there were two
rubber hoses that coupled steel tubing together. I tightened the clamps on
them and it solved the problem. A few months later I some service done to
replace the brake pads and a few hoses. The next time it got below freezing
I noticed gas odor. Both of the replacement hoses were leaking and I could
see fuel residue by both. Tightening them fixed the problem again. I fixed
them in November or December and we've gone through a winter of almost
daily near zero temps in Jan and Feb, so I think some muscle on those four
clamps is the fix for cold weather fuel odors. This doesn't rule out other
points in the fuel system, but the two hoses are easy to see and it's easy
to tighten the four clamps. If that fixes the problem you're done in a few
minutes. If that doesn't fix the problem, you'll need to go to a garage that
has a hydrocarbon sniffer (used to find refrigerant and fuel leaks), or
crawl around under the car looking for other places the fuel lines are
connected. I think another source of gas odors might be the charcoal
canister, but the high pressure side of the system from the fuel pump to the
injectors is where I looked.

 

[Todd H.]

I've had this problem with my '02 Forester when the temps went down towards
0°F. I found two hoses leaking. One was by the fuel filter, near the left
shock tower

Is this driver's side, nearer the firewall than the strut tower? I
think I tightened this one once this winter. Looks like I have some
fuel hoses to replace too.

Anyone replaced fuel hoses? Is there much to worry about other than
the small amount of gas that'll be in the hose itself?

and the other is was on the (as you face the engine) left front
side of the engine.

Passenger's side front, gotcha.