Toyota - Corolla :: 1997 - Stinky Car Smells Like Gasoline
Aug 7, 2011
My husband drives a 97 Toyota Corolla. Great little car with one problem, it stinks. It smells like gasoline after its started. I never smell it from inside the car, just after its run when I exit the car. Took to a mechanic.... they couldn't find a leak and of course they didn't smell anything. He told me the LEFT OUTPUT SHAFT SEAL needs to be replaced but wasn't very positive that had anything to do with the gasoline smell. He only suggested replacing the gas cap, again, not with much confidence. Should I take it back, take somewhere else, anyway of narrowing down the possible leak areas myself or other suggested areas for them to look for the leak???
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I have a 2007 Nissan Murano. When I first get into my car after it is sitting the smell of garbage is overwhelming! Once I start to drive it, the smell begins to disappear. The longer the car is sitting turned off the stronger the smell when I get into it. We have searched the vehicle inside and out for signs of food, although the car is extremely clean. We have also searched for reminants of a dead animal as well as moisture but have found nothing. Where to look next?
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We recently took our 2001 VW Jetta TDI in to a body shop to have a dent in our fender repaired that occurred the day after. The body shop we selected quoted us 5 days to repair the dent. Little did we know they'd also drop a toxic chemical bomb on the car's leather and vinyl interior as a courtesy.
When I picked the vehicle up I was greeted by the manager who told me the four-month-old, battery recently installed by one of Michigan's two trusted TDI specialists was dead (it wasn't). He told me I should just head over to the VW dealer to get it looked at (he said there had been an issue with the battery since I dropped it off a week earlier... when I questioned why he was just now telling me about this issue, he said he "just found out about it." Needless to say we got off on the wrong foot. I then noticed there were scuffs all along the bumper from the wax not being rubbed in properly and the red paint they'd sprayed on the repaired (and poorly reassembled) fender has also sprayed onto the black plastic below the bumper. But none of this matters compared to the significant loss of brain cells due to the chemical odor that my husband and I, as grad students, simply could not afford to lose.
As I was driving the vehicle the two miles back home, I noticed a strong smell that was not your typical "new/clean car" smell. While I got a little light headed, I didn't think much of it. Until the next day, after the car had been sitting in the sun, when I got in the vehicle to go grocery shopping and I noticed our beautiful, shiny black leather and vinyl had a white-ish residue that had dripped, smudged, smeared dried and crusted all over it. Further, I couldn't drive the car without the windows completely open without my eyes burning and throat getting sore and a severe headache.
I asked my husband to call the manager (he and I were already not on good terms). After convincing the manager the smell was definitely not from bike grease, the manager conceded that "MAYBE his new cleaning crew had used the wrong chemical when wiping down the interior of the car." Because the vinyl is now sticky and tacky, we were pretty sure it was a pretty strong solvent. The manager agreed to "go above and beyond and clean the car" himself - which he did attempt to do - and when I picked it up he did show me the solvent he thinks his cleaning crew used. Unfortunately, while much of the staining is now reduced, the smell is still very strong and is not only in the cabin but also very strongly permeated throughout the trunk.
It's been about a month and we've tried scattering baking soda throughout the trunk to no avail; I'm about to go to an auto parts store and see if there's anything else we can get to clean it out.
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I am getting a raw constant raw gas odor from under the hood - and in the cabin with the ventilation on. This happens whenever the engine is on - hot, cold, at start up or 50 miles down the road. No visible leaks, no drips - nothing. My lousy Honda dealer found nothing. Pressure check on the fuel system was fine,no leaking hoses, no check engine light, no codes. Smell seems to be coming from the behind the engine on the left side (looking at the engine from the front) - behind cylinders 1 and 2. 125k EX V6.
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I have a 2005 Corolla with 78,000 miles. The other day it stalled at a stop sign and wouldn't start. I got it towed to the repair shop and they called me the next day with the following:
1. Under the back seat is a fuel compression module. This has gone bad. They need to take out the seat, order the part, install new.
2. The belt that drives the accessories motor (or something like that, don't recall the exact phrasing) is worn, cracking, and probably going to break. Needs replacing. Battery is corroding and needs replacing.
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I've had the car for 130k/2 yrs, and been very happy with it. Will definitely buy another. That said, I'm puzzled. Yesterday and today, after it had run for 10-20 minutes at surface-street speeds (so was warmed up), I got stuck at a lengthy traffic light and noticed a distinct smell of gasoline - not other cars' exhaust, but a fuel smell coming in on the blown air in the cabin. I have done no mechanical work on the car, or spilled gas into the glove box.
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Our 1994 Suburu Legacy runs on Petrol or LPG. For some unknown reason, there is a strong petrol smell in the car. When this happens, the car will eventually stop and the engine stops. There is power, but the engine will not start. Several minutes and many attempts later later, it starts. What may be happening?
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I have a 1997 Toyota Hilux (unleaded, not diesel) and I'm looking for input as she keeps breaking down but no one is able to figure out the problem. While in gear and driving, the gas stops engaging and the speed slowly drops. The car stutters while slowing down but then if I switch gears or rev the engine it will stop. After some time this continues to happen more frequently (at all speeds) until the car eventually stops and dies. Try to restart and the engine will turn over but not start. After sitting for a night or so, though, she starts up and runs just fine. Thus no mechanics have been able to solve the issue!
Could be a fuel problem as the exhaust pipe makes a banging sound when this happens, but it could also be electrical.
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Friday of last week my wife's Corolla refused to start. It cranked strongly but refused to catch. Fearing the worst my mechanic father-in-law assumed the timing belt had gone and we spent the weekend replacing that. The tensioner bearing had seized leaving the timing belt glazed but intact and, as far as we could tell, the timing was still correct. We replaced the belt and closed her back. Tired turning it over, nothing. Father-in-law noticed he didn't hear the fuel pump turn on when the key was placed in the ON position so he replaced that and the fuel filter. Turns out that the fuel pump only comes on when it's cranking? Who knew? We didn't. So that's been replaced.
At this point we have it towed to the shop where my father-in-law works(After this point all my information is second hand). We were going to let Big Al, their resident diagnostician, hook up his magic boxes and tell us what's wrong. Big Al suggests it's the distributor so that's changed but it still doesn't run. Big Al suggests that we set the timing incorrectly. That is torn apart again and, remember this is second hand information, "it was right but it was wrong". Whatever, they get it back together and it cranks and runs! Hooray!...but not so fast.
Next morning father-in-law arrives at work and gets bubkis. Cranks, sounds like it wants to start but won't. Somehow Big Al determines it's the PCM and that the car is getting "too much of a fuel pulse from the injectors" I ask if they are able to pull any codes from the computer and I'm told that they can't get any codes from ODBII scanner because it can't communicate with the car's computer. Also it's found that the catalytic converter is completely shot.
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The fuel filler vent line rotted off so I had the gas tank and fuel pump replaced in September. Drove the car for 2 months without a problem until last week.The car lost power then stalled. I smelled gas and found that there was a large amount of gas pouring out of the bottom of the vapor canister.I bought a new one (very expensive for a plastic can) and put it on. Drove the car a couple days and then it happened again. Someone told me not to over fill the tank but I never did. In fact, this doesn't happen right after I get gas. Its a couple days after I get gas that it happens. I had two different auto mechanics look at it and neither one of them could figure it out.
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I have a 1997 Toyota Corolla that will not start unless it is jumped, but it's not as simple as that.
Once it's jumped it runs well after a few minutes to warm up. The gentleman from AAA informed me that the battery is bad and needs replacement, but when I took it to the store where I purchased it (and it is still under warranty) they informed me that they would charge it first to verify it was still working before offering a replacement. Forty-five minutes later they assured me that battery was fully charged and would hold a charge. I took it home and put it into the car and it still will not start.
But it's not as simple as that... Here's the odd thing thing. When I put the battery in, and place key in the ignition the usual check engine light, door ajar light, dome light (etc.) work. When I turn the key to start the car I hear a single click then... nothing. If I take the key out and reinsert it, the usual check engine light, door ajar light, etc do NOT work.
Stranger still. If I disconnect the battery and then reconnect it (or just wait 20 minutes) the check engine light, door ajar light, etc do work, until I try to star the car and then the single click returns and the process repeats. To add there is moderate corrosion on the battery terminals.
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My fiance has a 97 Corolla had belt that was located near the engine block on the passenger side going long ways. This belt had a frayed edge since she and I started dating(over 2 years). Whenever asked about it, she said that any dealership or shop she took it to for something else said that it was fine or they didn't think it needed to be worked on/fixed. Alarms for me? Yes, but it's her car. For whatever reason, it hasn't been fixed.
Yesterday, the battery light kept flashing on and off and the steering became hard and sluggish, as if the power steering wasn't working. We got home and I opened it up and the belt was gone except for a few solid strands left.
So, is this the timing belt, or something else? And what is required to fix it?I'm also in the process of hunting down my Haynes book for this car still but wanted to ask the masses that exist here.After finding the book, it looks to be called the serpentine drive belt.
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My 1997 Toyota Corolla has recently began hesitating when starting. When I turn the ignition, her idle seems normal, but then goes 'down' and it feels like she's going to die. But then the idle/revs go back up and she's fine. However within the past week, she dies when starting (usually the first start or two of the day). She turns over, but then 'fizzles out' and dies. However when she does this, a small tap on the gas pedal revs her up.
This does not occur every time I start her. In fact the more I use her throughout the day, it seems she starts normal. There are no issues with RPMs/Idling when driving.
I've taken her to two mechanics and they could find nothing. Fuel pump, fuel line, throttle body, etc. All fine. When hooked up on the computer the only thing that showed a slight reading is the idle air control valve. But they can't be sure that's the problem.
Of course she hasn't died for the mechanics, just me as it's sporadic.
When I turned her on today she didn't die in the morning like she has all week, however the idle was so low that we were waiting for her to die. Slowly the revs picked up and she was fine!
I put fuel injector cleaner in a few days ago and got an oil change yesterday. That's it.
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All of a sudden my radio and clock stopped working, k-checked fuses 20A, seem fine- two days later, the door chimes stopped working, and then the lights are one-chimes stopped, then the key in the ignition, and when the door is ajar, stopped dinging---is this a computer malfunction or sensor-WHICH ONE? 1997 toyota corolla........
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My uncle has a 1997 Corolla that has been sitting on his garage for about 2 years. We jump started the car and after a while recharging the battery, we saw fumes coming out from the engine. I then noticed that there was oil all over the front of the engine.. From what I have found in google it seems that this is a valve cover leak. How serious can these be? Are they easy to fix? because my uncle is thinking on calling the junkyard.
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I have a '97 Corolla with 198K miles... this week all of a sudden, it has a strange moisture issue. It rained some on Sunday and a little Monday morning. I got in the car to go to work, and there was fog on the inside of the instrument panel window--turning on the defroster fixed it, but that's the first time I've ever had to defrost my speedometer!Monday while I was at work, it rained a lot more.
I got in the car to go home, and it was very humid inside! I turned on the air and opened the windows for a minute, and all was fine. It hasn't rained since, but due to the moisture now the car smells pretty bad at first in the morning...I have to turn air on/open windows for a minute when I get in. What would allow moisture to get inside the instrument panel??
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I have a 1997 Corolla with 150k miles.
I had my catalytic converter and flex pipe replaced this summer. Lately, my car has been idling rough. While stuck in some horrific stop and go traffic three weeks ago, it started to make noises as if it would stall out. It didn't, but it still sometimes makes those noises.
The car seems fine on the highway. No loss of power. I did think that the hood felt too warm on a recent trip, but the temperature gauge in the car showed no issue.
The car hesitated when I tried to start it last week, but normally starts fine. It was the first cold day of the year.
I saw some white smoke come out of the tailpipe last week. It only happened once. Coolant and oil levels are fine. The spark plugs look good.
The fill pipe has been leaking gas for several months. It leaks if the tank is more than half full and it drips a bit of gas when I fill up. Two mechanics have not been able to find the leak and have told me not to replace it until it is a problem, given the age of my car.
I took it to a mechanic today (not the one who replaced the cat). He told me that the rough idling is due to the new flex pipe being shorter than what was originally there. He assured me that the car is fine to drive long distances and that there was nothing wrong with it. There's no check engine light or anything on the dash to indicate a problem.
I should be relieved, but I'm not. I've lost confidence in my car. Can the stalling noises and rough idling be explained away by a changed exhaust system? Or are these signs of a problem about to happen?
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I have a 2003 rav4 with about 100000 miles on it. Over the last 4 months I have noticed that, whenever I drive half hour or longer on the highway the car starts to smell like burning rubber or burning antifreeze or something like that. I live close to work, play, and groceries, so I don't drive it that long very often. I have not noticed decreased levels of any of my fluids. No change in performance either. I've had the oil changed regularly and no problems there. I am about to drive it a thousand plus miles and would love to get this figured out before I go.
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I have a 99 Ford F-150 Lariat. I am smelling oil in my coolant reservoir. I have looked all over the engine and do not see any leaks. I do not see any oil on the ground. The truck does not overheat so I don't know how it is getting in. My engine runs great. What can be causing this problem?
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I have a 97 f 150 with the 4.2 bad miss on # 6 changed plugs and wires still missing. Also have a bad tick and exhaust smells like fuel. Check engine light is blinking.
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I got this car recently but had driven it several times before. I had never had trouble before, but now it is a very long process to fill the gas tank (at any station/pump type). There was a thread where someone with a similar problem was asking whether this was related to the cold, but my guess is that I have the same problem as this thread: [URL] ....
...where the car had been overfilled too many times and the overfill sensor was stuck on.
1.) Is the problem indeed with a stuck sensor in the tank?
2.) Is this a do-it-yourself fix? How (specifically, beyond "poke a wire in there")?
3.) I had never heard of this before it happened to me.
If it's not something I can fix, what's a reasonable charge from a mechanic?
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