I checked the gas cap, and it holds pressure and no smell. Makes the whooshing sound when i release it. What happened was, yesterday I was driving this chick around and we were having fun, about 20 mins in i started smelling gas(had windows open). Dropped her off after an hr 30 and when i parked and shut her down i got a strong gas smell from the driver side door. Can't find any leak except oil pan leak. Car is all stock, was garaged for 25 years. 86 Trans Am 305 tpi. Plus, i get a small hint of smell of gas in the engine bay when its hot. Help would be greatly appreciated. thank you

 

Check the charcoal canister behind drivers side head lamp. Might be clogged

 

I doubt the following is the problem, but early canisters actually have a filter on the bottom, which is supposed to be replaced from time to time. I'd guess most members don't know that they exist.

JamesC

 

The charcoal canister filter can be bought at autozone? Where exactly is it located behind the light?

 

Yeah, it sounds like your charcoal canister is saturated. Squeezing the tank(overfilling) can cause this, as well as age. The canister is located behind the driver's headlamp, opposite the battery. Make sure that the canister purge valve is working. The valve not working will cause the canister to load up with fuel vapors.

 

Tell me more about the charcoal canister filter. It never dawned on me that it needs changing. I ask because I had my head under the hood of my '83 last night around the canister and got a whiff of gas. I found that strange, since I havent started it in almost a week.

 

The canister filter on older cars is located at the bottom of the canister. Remove the can and turn it upside down and you'll no doubt see a disintegrating filter--I doubt that most have ever been changed. At any rate, I purchased mine at CarQuest p/n 87998.

JamesC

 

Just to be sure their should be a panel at the rear wheel(left side) that you can remove. i have had issues their also. check Canister first

 

I actually overfilled the tank quite a few times because I wanted to load up before the gas prices would jump each time. If i change the filter will it stop the smell? and that fuzzy looking thing is that the filter?

 

Doubtful. Yes.

JamesC

 

Do i need a lift for the car to replace the filter? Sorry for the questions but I know this is off topic but I also have a oil pan that leaks after the car is shut and wont leak when it's running. What can be the cause of this?

 

No, you can accomplish the replacement from under the hood--if your car has the filter. I don't recall offhand when the canister changed.

JamesC

 

A large quantity of oil runs back to the pan from the cylinder heads and lifter valley when the engine is shut down. The leak is probably at one of the pan end seals, or the rear crank seal, where much of this oil passes through.

 

I fixed the oil leak after a year of going nuts searching for the answer, it was the oil pressure sending unit. The gas smell is still there and stronger than ever. I'm gunna pull the canister today and see that filter because the fumes were insanely strong in the car yesterday after runnin for about 2 hrs. Sorry to resurrect an old thread

 

Did you ever fix the issue of strong gas odor?

 

I know that not everyone has this option but the garbage can is a great place for a charcoal canister. My ecm is sitting in a box in my spare room. We don't have inspections here so I got rid of all that crap.

 

I did fix it, it was the tank vent being clogged and the ecm was compensating for a bad pump and bad fuel injectors.