ok for about a week or two now i have smeeled a very strong gas odor around my car, not just b4 and after i start it but all the time, and alomst every time i start it it starts to sputter and smoke pours out of my exhaust until it clears up, my dad thinks i have a leaky gasket, but we havnt had a chance to fix it yet, were supposed to today, but what do yall think is the problem, it seems to be getting worse and worse, at the gas sattion the other night after i filled up it died twice b4 starting and the pouring smoke out for seom time, please help this is not good at all...thanx

 

Your description seems to indicate that the mixture is very rich. There can be several causes, including leaking injectors, a leaking injector pod, failed oxygen sensor, vacuum and/or exhaust leaks upstream of the O² sensor, leaking fuel lines, a saturated EVAP canister, and several others.

If someone else has evaluated the situation and suspects a gasketing problem, I'd suggest repairing that before proceeding. The cash you are wasting on extra fuel is probably more than the cost of repair parts.

 

What color is the smoke?

 

Like Vader said it could be a leak around the tbi. Prime the pump a couple of times by keying off for 5 secs or more and turning the key to the 'ON' position. This will usually build up enough pressure to cause the leaks to show up. Look closely around the bottom and tops of the injectors as well as by the fuel regulator and see if you can spot any fuel coming out. Some possible places for leaks are the o-rings that seal the passages around the injectors as well as the internal o-ring seals of the injectors themselves. The diaphram in the fuel pressure regulator can leak as well. If your getting alot of back smoke on startup a leak somewhere could definatly be the explanation.