3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
I have a '95 V6 LE with 160K miles. Within the last couple months I've noticed a gas smell when the car is running. It is most noticeable immediately after I get out of the car. Smell seems to originate from the rear half of the car and I tend to smell it more prominent on the drivers' side. There is no rust on this car (from TX). Filler neck looks good, plenty of pressure when I open the filler cap. I read several threads here on the topic and investigated accordingly. My best lead: I removed the rear seat and removed the fuel pump access panel. I stuck my nose down there and I could definitely smell gas. However, after inspection with a flashlight I could see no dampness from a leak. Perhaps the stuff is quickly vaporizing though. Also, I know I am not getting a full view of the top of the tank - so maybe I'm not seeing the critical area. Has anyone been down this road before and solved the problem? Thanks in advance.
First I'll probably remove the fuel pump mounting plate from the top of the tank and replace the gasket.
Probably a reasonable first guess, since most of the other options involve dropping the tank. I cured a persistent gas smell from my 95 4-banger by replacing that gasket, but I was actually able to see a darker area (not wet, just darker and mildly gassy smelling) near that gasket before I decided to change it out.
check ur charcoal canister. remove it , and shake it and if u cant hear the charcoal shake, it is clogged, hence the gas smell. the canister routes the unused vapors back to the gas tank.
OK sizzla, I can check this. My question is: if the canister is clogged, where are the unused vapors being dispensed? Is there a port on the canister that routes vapors directly to atmosphere if it is clogged?
Yes. When I removed the old rubber gasket, it was damp and the holes where the screws went through were enlarged/deformed. Almost as if the gasket had changed location slightly over the years. Anyway, that must have been the problem.
ok, I have been smelling gas for couple of weeks now, and i got a p440 (small evap leak detected code, it was gone for a good 6 months after replacing a vaccum hose and returned along with the gas smell). I checked the front and rear vsvs, both click when 12v is applied, all hoses are in good shape around charcol canistor. Filler neck is good, no rust at all. I don't have any pressure when i open the fuel cap (cap is good, tested on another car). So since I am smelling the darn gas, should I try this first or build a DIY smoke machine as shown here http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/081547.html and try to find the leak?
I tried spraying car cleaner in the engine compartment while the engine is running, but couldn't find anywhere that reved the engine high.
That charcol canistor is looks like difficult to remove. Do i have to remove anything else to remove the can (to test if it is clogged up as suggested by sizz)
Yes. When I removed the old rubber gasket, it was damp and the holes where the screws went through were enlarged/deformed. Almost as if the gasket had changed location slightly over the years. Anyway, that must have been the problem.
Well, the smell is back now. Not all the time, but definitely noticeable at times, especially on warm days. If the charcoal canister is bad, is it possible that somehow the system is "belching" out vapors? There is also a purge valve somewhere in the EVAP system. Could this be a culprit? If so, is it integrated into the canister assy or a separate component? Enough questions. Thanks. My next step is to do with sizzla suggested earlier.
Last edited by lgrouper03; 10-19-2011 at 09:15 PM.
Well, the smell is back now. Not all the time, but definitely noticeable at times, especially on warm days. If the charcoal canister is bad, is it possible that somehow the system is "belching" out vapors? There is also a purge valve somewhere in the EVAP system. Could this be a culprit? If so, is it integrated into the canister assy or a separate component? Enough questions. Thanks. My next step is to do with sizzla suggested earlier.
There are two vsvs on 2000 camry one next to the spare tire accessible from under the car. There is a DIY here on how to replace/check it
The other one is next to the air box at front. I am having the same problem and eventhough the vsvs are checked fine, i still have the smell and 440 code. Dealer wants to replace the canister. I have a new thread here so hoping to get some more answers from others here.
thanks mail2 for the information. The smell is only at the rear of the car, most noticeable at the drivers side wheel well. Last night I again popped off the fuel pump access panel from inside the car, and the fumes were strong there. I just don't see evidence of a leak (but there could be one I suppose). I am wondering if something in the EVAP system is malfunctioning and causing the pressure in the tank to be elevated - as a result releasing fumes from somewhere back there. Not sure if this theory holds water or not. In any case, I am not getting a check engine light and the car is running great (over 30 mpg on my last highway trip). This is a confusing issue.
Today I finally got around to replacing the charcoal canister. On the old one, the tank port was stopped up. The "new" one (used one for $35 off ebay) was not stopped up as I was able to pressurize that port and establish flow. So hopefully this is the fix. I won't know for sure until we get a warm (70+ day) - when this gas smell typically manifests.
Last edited by lgrouper03; 11-26-2011 at 09:55 PM.
Reason: changed "line" to "port"
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