Gas smell when stopped

[rpl3000]

Hello all. 2001 legacy wagon 120k, 2.5L. timing and water pump done at 93k

 

This car has thrown the P%#$ code for the cat failure like 100 times and since the car was bought with a year's warrante on the engine, the cat has indeed been replaced no less than 6 times.

 

Now the code is back and I'm off warantee. The gas smell happens both warm and cold.

 

I've read through similar problems and as far as I can tell it could be:

 

-1 of 3 O2 sensors

-the cat may be bad (mine may be toast from running it rich for a month now but I hardly believe that is really whats wrong given the previous 6 replacements)

-evap system (I don't really understand this one something about a solinoid and/or a plugged line)

 

If this helps, It is shaking more than usual stopped when it is in gear. I would say that the engine is definately not getting the right fuel mix. Sometimes when accelerating the engine seems to bog under 3k rpm, then its like someone threw a switch and I get great top end acceleration all the way to 5k rpm. I feel that the exhaust is not plugged or the fuel delivery system based on this.

 

I'd like some suggestions on where to start? Thanks in advance.

[crazyhorse001]

Sounds like your fuel pressure regulator has crapped out on you.

Your drive-ability issues may be from an extreme rich mixture.

One simple check is to sniff the exhaust. If it stinks of raw gas, then you have more troubleshooting to do. That means, either the fuel pressure regulator isn't working, or an injector is stuck open.

Check your fuel pressure, I dunno how to do this on a Subie, but I'm SURE someone will chime in with an answer.

[rpl3000]

no gas smell in the exhaust. seems to smell more when the car is cold.

[nipper]

no gas smell in the exhaust. seems to smell more when the car is cold.

 

which is when the car runs the richest.

 

Check all the fuel lines first and try to find out if the smell is front or rear of the car. Check the hoses under the acess plates behind the back seat.

 

nipper

[Suzam]

no gas smell in the exhaust. seems to smell more when the car is cold.

So you're smelling raw gasoline?

 

If so here's a thread I remembered from a while back:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11897

[uniberp]

the cat has indeed been replaced no less than 6 times.

 

$3000 worth of cat replacements? Kidding, right?

Seem like something else would have been investigated in that time.

[nipper]

6 cats? it just shows they dont know what the hell they are doing.

 

Replace the O2 sensors and it should be done.

 

 

nipper

[rpl3000]

UPDATE:

 

So after tolerating the gas smell last winter and the CEL on for about a year I had to get emissions done in DEC. I took it back to the garage where I bought it and said that I just need it through emissions.

 

Turns out that the knock sensor needed replacing. The CEL has been off for about 3000 miles now but I still have the gas smell on cold start. I need to check the EVAP system and fuel lines. I wonder if the whole system just needs some time to clean itself out after basically running rich for a year (25k miles).

 

The surging at 3-4k rpm has stopped and gas mileage has increased from 20-24.

 

As a note about the garage replacing the cat 6 times. I'm sure they weren't new cats. It was under warranty so I'm sure they were just pulled from other cars. I didn't pay anything so I didn't ask.

[nipper]

Youy need a new garage. To find the gas source is extreemly easy for a garage with half a brain and an exhaust gas sniffer. Thery just poke around with the sniffer till it goes off the scale and that is the source of the leak.

 

 

nipper