The Car Care Clinic with the Dr John

93 Chrysler Concorde - Very strong petrol smell

Harry from Shepherds Bush, London

Question

I am fairly savy when it comes to automotive repair, but this issue has me stumped on my 93 Chrysler Concorde. I have been experiencing a very strong petrol smell when driving the car. I tracked down, what I thought the problem was, and found a rubber hose off the PVC valve that had been totally eaten away by the petrol and oil. At the dealer parts counter I was informed that, “Oh yeah,” Chrysler did not make this hose out of petrol resistant rubber and that this is a common problem.

I replaced the hose with another potential defective hose, and thought the petrol smell would go away. Now I am having the smell continuing and have been able to isolate it, by smell, to the right side fuel injector while facing the car. The problem is the smell is intermittent now, where as before it was consistent, but when it does come on it is very strong to the point of getting a headache. I have tried to find the source but there is no outward indications of wetness or leaks. I was hoping that this was a known issue with a fix but my searching has been fruitless. Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Answer

First, you should take your vehicle to the dealer and have it checked for a safety recall. My Information Systems shows Safety Recall # 790 addressing a problem with the fuel rail to the fuel injectors leaking. This covers Chrysler vehicles manufactured between ‘93 and ‘97that are affected by this recall. Your vehicle model and year is mentioned in this recall. Gas leaks in the engine compartment are not something to mess around with. The chance of fire is too great! If I’m not mistaken you may even be able to call the dealer with your vehicle identification number to confirm that it is part of the safety recall. Work performed for a safety recall is at no cost to the vehicle owner even if you are not the original owner of the vehicle. Use your vehicle savvy; don’t wait in getting your gas leak diagnosed and repaired, do it ASAP!

Good Luck!
Dr. John