If the smell goes away, there's probably nothing wrong.
if you happen to smell gas periodically when your car is turned off, this could be a sign of an internal problem with your engine or fuel system.
gasoline is an organic chemical solvent that readily dissolves the thin coating on metal parts, iron oxide in unburned carbon particles in exhaust gases and chemicals like nitric oxide (no) and formaldehyde (hcho) emitted by catalytic converters. consequently, gasoline used in vehicles often has chemical agents added to prevent these substances from causing corrosion or creating harmful substances which might coat critical engine parts. the gasoline additive called “ethylene dibromide” (edb) does this by providing protection against
why does my car smell like gas when i first start it?
since it's not unusual for an engine to leak a very small amount of gas, it's possible that this is the explanation for your question. this is because gasoline has no detectable odor which accounts for its popularity as an automotive fuel. if gasoline featured a bad taste or even just had some kind of artificial chemicals added to it then people might not be so quick to use it, but since there are cars that actually run on chocolate syrup (they're called flex-fuel vehicles), the only way we know if you filled up with pure gas or something else is by looking at the numbers printed on the pump – usually they indicate how many gallons you bought and whether they were unleaded, diesel or “premium.” when you take
why does my car smell like gas but there is no leak?
q. why does my car smell like gas but there is no leak?
a. this popular question has over 100 answers with many plausible explanations. one may include carbon buildup in the exhaust system, which will make the vehicle smell like gasoline even if it's not leaking any gasoline!
it would help to know specifically why you think your car smells like gas with no apparent leak; that might give us clues about where to look for the problem (and maybe even what solution).
we've had some readers fix their situation by checking fuel filter location and hosing down the engine bay. others have found success due to low-grade intake leaks over time or because overfilled fuel tanks can cause an accumulation of vapors
is it normal to smell petrol when i start my car?
yes, it is common for a person to smell petrol the first time they start a car. this is because petrol vapor can remain near the engine and enter your nose as you open the door. petrol also has an odor if it spills onto oil or other hot surfaces within the engine compartment, so there's no need to worry unless you'm smelling an unusual odour. the only reason why someone might not notice this at all is if they wear perfume or another strong-smelling scent which could mask the smell of petrol.
