Car stinks of petrol: cause and what you can do

If your car smells of petrol, it is not only unpleasant, but can also pose a major safety risk. For this reason, you should get to the bottom of the cause of the stench and fix the problem as quickly as possible.

Reasons why your car smells like petrol

If your car smells strongly of petrol, it may be due to various reasons

• One possible cause of the petrol smell in your car can be, for example, leaking petrol lines or a leaking petrol filter.
• A leaky fuel tank can also cause the smell.
• It is also possible that the smell is caused by a carburetor or fuel injector overflow.
• Faulty seals in the engine can also lead to an unpleasant petrol smell.
• In some cases, the wrong fuel can also cause the smell of petrol in the car.

What you can do about the smell of petrol

First of all, to eliminate the smell, you can try to find out the cause of the problem yourself and then fix it.

• First of all, find out where the smell is coming from. Is it mainly noticeable in the interior of the car or perhaps more in the engine compartment?
• If the smell is only slightly noticeable, you can try to fix the problem yourself, such as sealing a leaking fuel line.
• On the other hand, if your car smells very strongly of petrol, you should stop it immediately and switch off the engine to prevent further damage to the car.
• If you cannot find the cause yourself or the repair is beyond your own abilities, you should rather have the car checked by a specialist garage.
• Prevent the problem in the future by having your fuel lines and filters checked regularly and always close the fuel filler cap tightly.