Lately my car ('89 TA, 305 TBI, 700r4, all stock) has been getting poor mileage, very poor (close to 13-14mpg+- in town, never been this bad I think). When I start the car (don't know if this is related), often there's a short puff of blue-white smoke that stops after a second or so. After I stop the car and shut it off, I smell gas, outside of the car only.

Any suggestions, anybody been here and done this? Any help would be appreciated, haven't inspected the fuel lines yet.

 

Fuel lines are fine, but I found a black rubber line/tube coming from near the gas tank, the line goes to a small white plastic "lid" that is partially connected to a small white plastic canister-type dealy that is also hooked to a tube/line. The canister looks like it might be some sort of in-line filter maybe, but the "lid" won't close on it.

I'm trying to find a replacement part for it, but I don't know what it is! Anybody have an idea of what it might be? If you follow the gas/brake lines to the back of the car, it's right whre the lines all go their seperate ways. Sorry for the poor description, trying to find a digital camera but being unsuccessful. Might this be the culprit?

Perhaps it's an emissions control device, something to regulate pressure variances within the gas tank without the tank crumpling in or expanding.