2003 Forester strong gasoline smell

[ziggy82323]

Hi everyone,

 

I recently got a 2003 Forester from my wife's grandparents. I just passed 55,000 miles on my way up to Vermont this weekend, where temperatures have been in the negatives, and we noticed a strong smell of gasoline every time we stopped on our way up after we got gas. Once in a while, later in the trip, the smell also returned while driving. This is my first time driving the car in temperatures this low - before this weekend, the coldest I had driven in was about 19 degrees Fahrenheit. On the drive up, the lowest temperature I saw on the dash was -12 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

I brought the Forester to a local mechanic this morning, who said that not only was I leaking fuel, but it was also mixing with leaking antifreeze. The fix would be a new head gasket or full engine replacement. I have to drive approximately 300 miles to get home on Monday, and no place else is open this weekend (New Year's) to offer a second opinion or do any work before we have to leave. Questions for the forum:

Have any of you heard of or experienced this issue?

How was it resolved?

Will this car, which is otherwise in great condition (it just came back from my trusted mechanic), make a 300-mile return trip, where it can go back to said mechanic?

 

For what it's worth, my wife said her father had a similar issue with his '01 Outback many years ago. It turned out the cold was causing the fuel line hose clamps to come loose. The fix, as you might imagine, was to tighten them. The local mechanic here, though, dismissed that immediately when I brought it up.

 

I do have an alternate plan to get home, but if I can drive the car instead, I'd rather do that. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated! Thank you and Happy New Year!

[Turbone]

Take it to a different mechanic. Fuel willer never leak out the headgaskets but antifreeze can.

It could be a clamp loose as stated or a rubber fuel line.

[dp213]

Try and tighten the the fuel lines. And definitely get it to a different mechanic. Whoever looked at it is pretty much an idiot.

 

It should be fine for the drive home, where you can take it to your mechanic.

[GeneralDisorder]

Fuel lines or injector o-rings. Seen it many times.

 

GD

Edited December 31, 2017 by GeneralDisorder

[3Pin]

Mine just did the same.  A Phillips screw driver tightening the fuel line clamps took car of it.

[heartless]

definitely check the fuel line clamps..

 

that mechanic sounds like one that is only out to make a buck on unsuspecting people that don't know much about cars.

Run - don't walk - away as fast as you can from that place.

[ziggy82323]

Thank you for your responses, everyone! My wife and I made it home safely with no issues other than the slight smell of gasoline. My trusted mechanic has the car now and thinks the issue is likely what you've all outlined above, considering the temperatures we've been experiencing lately.

 

Thank you again for all your help!

[1 Lucky Texan]

that car is overdue for a timing belt system service. 105 months OR 105K miles, whichever is first.

 

given that it wasn't driven much, it's possible he saw a little water/oil emulsion in the PCV line or under the oil cap or somewhere.