Raw fuel smell on an '01 Impreza RS

[chrisell]

Well the temperature here in Utah is getting down there now - it peaked at 14 degrees F today and when my wife got in her car to come home tonight, she told me it had an awful stink of raw fuel until the engine warmed up. I've trawled the forums and become aware of TSB 09-36-03 but that seems only to apply to the WRX. Would I be right in assuming the fuel rail design is the same in the WRX as the RS and if so, that this TSB would also apply to our car? Or is there a different service bulletin for the 2.5RS?
Any help would be appreciated as it's forecast to get down to 5 degrees F in the next couple of days and I've got the opportunity tomorrow to get something done about it.

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[chrisell]

Well I see nobody has replied so I'll reply to my own post to (a) bump the thread and (b) provide a solution.
The Scooby sat outside in -19C (-1F) all night outside my garage on purpose. I started her up this morning with the hood up and followed my nose. Turns out the MY01 RS2.5 does suffer the same problem as the later WRXs only not on the passenger side. There's a rubber fuel hose that sits in between the two intake downpipes on the DRIVERS side on this engine. The outboard side clamps to a solid fuel rail that goes down to the injectors and this clamp was loose. On my engine the screw had a spot of blue paint on it too where the inboard clamp didn't. The fuel was dripping from the outboard hose connection and settling on top of the cylinder heads where it was vapourising to give the smell in the cabin. It was a very visible drip - about 2 drips a second so it was easy to see. I tightened up the outboard clamp about 1 turn and the inboard one about half a turn and the drip stopped. I sniffed all over the rest of the engine and couldn't find any other strong fuel smells so I think I've got it sorted. I'll post again if there's anything else I find out.

Photos in the next couple of posts in case anyone else has this problem.

[chrisell]

[chrisell]

[Subaruski]

dirty engine bay

[chrisell]

Originally Posted by Subaruski420

dirty engine bay

Yeah - that's what happens when you drive a car, especially in bloody cold weather when the roads are covered in dusty salty nastiness.

Also it helps find leaks when the dirt is a different colour.....

[LordBass]

It's 2*F here this morning and my '02 had a raw fuel smell for the first time in a few years. First noticed it about 10 minutes after starting, went away in a few minutes. The last time it happend was on a -10*F night.

I'll have a look at mine to see if this simple fix will work here too.

Thx for the excellent pics & detail.

[chrisell]

Let us know if it was the same problem in the same place.

[Calamity Jesus]

Good job! Thanks for the info. I'll have to check mine before visiting family in Upstate NY. *brrrr*

[dpjef]

I have the same problem on very cold mornings. Thx for the tip, will check
that part on my engine as well.

[84118gc]

Its funny cuz my girlfriends 01 GC had the same problem. Were also in the valley. Whenever she was waiting at a intersection or stopped she had a bad fuel smell in the cabin. She was scared to drive cuz she thought she would blow up.. Turns out one of the clamps on the rubber hose to the passenger side fuel rail was loose and was physically dripping gas on to the block. That was putting the fuel smell in the cabin. This was the first time we have noticed this problem. I find it ironic that your having the same problem.. Damn cold weather...

[LetItSnow]

This was the solution to my problem as well, posted here (6/04!). I could see that the hose near one of the clamps was a shade darker, gave a screwdriver a turn, and... problem solved.

Good to hear that it was a simple fix.

[LordBass]

7*F this morning. No fuel smell in the cabin. The offending clamp did look a little damp this morning from yesterday's leak.

Looked dry tonight. I figured I'd tighten the "blue" screw anyway..


It was easy to give it a few tightening twists...


Hope this will keep the fuel in the motor on the next 0*F morning. Thx for the tip. I'd not heard of this fix before..

[chrisell]

Originally Posted by LordBass

Hope this will keep the fuel in the motor on the next 0*F morning. Thx for the tip. I'd not heard of this fix before..

You're welcome. Like I said - I'd seen a lot of stuff about the WRX passenger side leak but nothing about the RS drivers side one.

[06grayrex]

Thanks also!!!!!!!!!!!! My wife's 04 RS also has a BAD fuel odor. I'll have to check those lines later today.

[lh0628]

My 02 TS wagon is also leaking fuel at about the same location in the pictures above. There is actually visible wet fuel. And the smell is quite strong.

I'm going to try to tighten the screws tonight or tomorrow and see if it stops it.

[subaru_terrence]

I smell gasonline everywhere too everytime when I remote start the car and I found that screw was a little bit loose so i tighten it as well.

I will see if I still smell anything tomorrow morning

[b2sotm]

Old thread but I just wanted to say thanks. I recently had a raw fuel smell coming from the engine bay in my 2000 OBS, and the pictures in this thread helped me to figure out what was going on. With the cold temps the clamps on both the driver's and passenger side short rubber fuel hoses had come loose. Tightened everything up and all good.

[Bob Jacobson]

Originally Posted by 06grayrex

Thanks also!!!!!!!!!!!! My wife's 04 RS also has a BAD fuel odor. I'll have to check those lines later today.

Im bumping a long dead thread here,

But Im new, and I just picked up on 04 TS wagon and drove it home 2000 kms.

I live in Winnipeg Manitoba its -33 C at the moment.

Car was fine until the temps dropped below -25C on the last leg of my trip.

When I came to a stop the cabin just started stinking of Gas.

Its dark out and I just drove for 21 hours straight but is the general consensus that this effects pretty much every car when it gets cold enough?

Are the clamps that need to be tightened in the same location on the 04 as the 02 shown above?

Thanks a lot guys.

Rob

[GrundleJuice]

Originally Posted by Bob Jacobson

Are the clamps that need to be tightened in the same location on the 04 as the 02 shown above?

Rob

They should be around the same place if not identical. You can follow them from the firewall and check/tighten all the clamps you see. They should come out around the brake/clutch cylinder area. The may be a regulator or check valve in line it will have clamps on it, too. Not sure if they are all the type that can be tightened. If you find a leak and the clamp will not solve it, swap it out for the correct size screw type hose clamp.

[Bob Jacobson]

Originally Posted by RaceFaceXC

They should be around the same place if not identical. You can follow them from the firewall and check/tighten all the clamps you see. They should come out around the brake/clutch cylinder area. The may be a regulator or check valve in line it will have clamps on it, too. Not sure if they are all the type that can be tightened. If you find a leak and the clamp will not solve it, swap it out for the correct size screw type hose clamp.

Thanks,

I will take a look once i can convince myself to go out in this weather.

[Bob Jacobson]

I had the issue exactly as shown in the pictures above. Only difference being the 04 has a plastic upper. Just tightening the screw seemed to fix the issue for now.

Pretty stupid problem with a very easy fix.

[beauej25]

my 04 2.5rs has the same exact problem when it's bloody cold out. I tightened a ton of those screws which were all fairly loose. I might have missed a few.