Questions and Answers

Infiniti I-30 Fuel Smell Q. Vincent, I have a 1997 Infiniti I-30 (by Nissan) with a fuel injected V-6 engine with 114,000 miles. The car is still performing great except for one annoying thing. When ever I fill up the fuel tank I get a strong odor of gas for the first few days after the fill-up.

This odor is not noticed after driving for a day or two or when the tank is about a ¼ down from full. Any ideas on what I should check?

Thanks in advance for your help.

A. The first and most important thing to look for is a fuel leak. Even a small leak could cause the smell as well as being dangerous.

Once we know there are no fuel leaks, then we have to look at the Evaporative Emission System (EVAP) for the problem. The first thing to do is replace the charcoal canister filter. It is a thin round fiberglass filter that fits in the bottom of the canister. Just grab it with a pair of pliers and pull it out. Then just tuck the new one in.

When you have the canister out you can check it for cracks and make sure the vacuum lines and vapor hoses are in good shape. It is also possible you have a bad gas cap too.

That's about all you can do without special test equipment. The Infiniti dealer has a special machine they can hook up to the EVAP system that can check the valves for proper operation.