Petrol Smell in Car? – Major Causes and How to Fix
Petrol Smell in Car? - Major Causes and How to Fix
A car is like a second home for many of us. We spend considerable time driving around. Apart from this, a car is a place in which we have some of the fondest memories like family trips. Therefore, it’s only natural that we treat the car with the utmost care. Timely maintenance and keeping it clean is the ultimate form of care that one can provide to their car.
Apart from the fond memories, one must always keep their car clean. Why? Well, a vehicle is a reflection of your personality. If it looks dirty or gives a foul odour, no one will come near you. Apart from this, a dirty car is a place for bacteria and other germs to thrive. They can be harmful to you. Therefore, keeping the car should be your top priority.
Talking of odour, you might have felt that your vehicle or a friend’s smells of petrol. While many of us like the smell of petrol, your car shouldn’t smell of petrol as it might be indicating problems within the vehicle that require urgent repair. Before discussing how to fix/repair your car’s petrol smell problem, let us go through the most common reasons behind the smell.
Major Causes of Petrol Smell:
The following are the major causes of petrol smell:
· Fuel Cap –
A faulty or loose fuel cap might be causing the petrol fumes to escape. When the fumes escape from the petrol tank, you would easily feel the smell of petrol inside the car. If the fuel cap is faulty or even lose, it might cause the check engine light to turn on, a much-needed feature in terms of safety.
· Spark Plugs –
The spark plugs are responsible for giving the spark to turn on the vehicle. In case they are faulty, loose, or leaky, they will allow the petrol fumes to escape. Many of you can repair your car easily, and checking the spark plugs won’t be an issue.
· Oil Leakage –
If you smell the oil, stop and bring the vehicle to a halt. After a few minutes, look underneath the vehicle and see if there is any oil leakage. If not, pop open the bonnet and give it a thorough look, especially the valve cover gaskets. These gaskets are extremely prone to leakages. Even smoke from the engine is an indicator of an oil leak.
· Exhaust –
If the petrol smell is coming from the rear of the vehicle, turn on the vehicle. Next, bring your face closer to the exhaust pipe. If you can smell petrol, it is from the exhaust fumes that are unable to burn the petrol properly. In this situation, take the vehicle to the nearest workshop right away.
In case you are outside driving when you feel the smell, drive to the nearest workshop. If that’s not possible, call a vehicle recovery service. Avoid driving around as the smell can cause health-related problems. Apart from the health problems, you might be actually aggravating the issue just by driving around.
Getting Rid of the Petrol Smell:
Now, let’s focus on how to get rid of the petrol smell.
· Check the Fuel Cap –
Check if the fuel cap is properly tightened. In most cases, a faulty or loose fuel cap is responsible for the smell. Only if you have made sure that the fuel cap is not the source of the smell should you take the car to a mechanic.
· Check the Gasket& Plugs –
As mentioned earlier, at times the gasket is letting the fumes escape. In that case, check if the gaskets and plugs are in their proper place. If they are a little loose, tighten them with the appropriate tools.
· Mechanic –
We recommend that you get the vehicle checked right away instead of trying to fix the issue yourself. A minor delay can aggravate the problem. If previously it required a small fix, the delay might force you into an expensive repair. It is why we ask our readers to avoid trying to fix the problem themselves and avail the services of a repair company like PitStopArabia.
Our readers in the UAE would already know about this company. For those of you who are unaware of PitStopArabia, it is a relatively new business that offers tires, car batteries, and vehicle repair services throughout the UAE. The best thing about them is that they offer mobile repair services.
You can get the petrol issue fixed at your home, office, or anywhere else as long as you are in the UAE! The best thing about PitStopArabia is that their workforce. Just by looking at them, you will feel confident that they know their work. While you are working or at home relaxing, the workmen will be fixing your car outside.
Author:
M Junaid Lead Writer, Content Marketer at PitStopArabia, A writer by Day and reader by night