My teenager just bought a 2001 Ford Mustang. We have smelled gas several times when we stop the car and open the doors. It seems to be stronger once the doors are open for some reason but it still can be smelled in the car. Is this a problem? I have to mention that that the smell is not constant. We ran a car fax on the car and have found it to be in an accident and have some trouble with the passenger door's window...once we roll it up and down the window will seal. The dealer has promised to fix it for the past week but of course keeps finding reasons as to why he can not get to it. We still have an opportunity to cancel this deal. Any suggestions?

 

I don't know... but when ever i fill my car up a lot... like too much i can smell gas... My moms Mountaineer did the same thing but just randomly... it finally just stopped. Have it checked out..... just because it was in an accedent doesn't mean its crap... mine was and it just good as one that wasn't... but.. the dealer probably wont fix it do to it would probably would take a lot to fix... but idk....

 

Thank you for your reply, she did fill it up as a matter of fact...soon after we smelled the gas. As for the dealer, he has not done anything he has promised to do and has put us off repeatedly to fix the window he PROMISED would be fixed the day we picked up the car. He told us that it was fixed and not to touch it for 24 hours....it wasn't fixed. He is a smaller car dealership along a country road, but my daughter fell in love with this car so.... It is a BEAUTIFUL car and I understand how she feels.

 

I guess there are no leaks on the ground? Make sure the gas cap is sealing properly.

One thing to try is do a fuel economy check. Compare it to what other cars are getting.

 

is the exhaust stock or has it been modified. I had my exhaust cut off right by my door and i can smell gas because of it. If he has dumps, or has the exhaust cut short, that might be why. Either way, in my opinion its not something to "worry" about. It wont kill him while hes driving =P

 

The gas smel can be coming fron several places.
The grommet between the filler neck and the tank can be leaking.
One of the hoses between the tank and the charcoal canister can be loose or cracked.
Therecould be an actual fuel leak somewhere between the fuel pump and the injectors.

This is an emissions related issue and I think the warranty is for a ten year period.(I could be wrong)

The window problem is just an annoyance for you and the dealer.I would gather up my paperwork and appear at the dealers door,prepared to return the car to their lot if they don't agree tofix ALL the things you've listed.I would give them no more than five days to do ALL the work or they get to keep the car forever!
Don't mince words or act like you might give in to a sob story or you'll be stuck with these problems to deal with on your own.
Tha wrecked history of the car isn't a deal breaker but be sure to look the car over carefully.
Look for;
Freshly painted,slightly different colored places under the car.
Uneven body seams.
Pull up the trunk mats and look under them for signs of rear end collision damage.
Do all four tires match?
There are too many battle scars to list them all here but you get the idea.
Take it to a reputable mechanic and pay him to give it a close A-1 inspection if you can't do it yourself.
There are too many Mustangs out there with no damage history to settle for one that could turn out to be a load of crap.

 

You just described my 89.
The gas smell is a result of rust on the
top of the fuel tank. It will seep out whenever
you fill the tank for the first 50 miles.
$100 for a new tank - a medium effort
to put it in.
My pas window sometimes sticks down, I need to
hit a bump in the road to get it to go up.
It is associated with the limiter switch that
tells the window not to go down anymore.

 

Thanks for all the information it really helps!

 

yeah i agree with chopper. take it to the dealer asap with all your return paper work and tell them if they dont start working on the car in a timely ****ing manner they can have it back. you gotta understand, i know the car may be "beautiful" to you and your daughter, but its a mustang. they are by no means rare...they are dime a dozen. what im getting at is if the car is ****ed up and the dealer isnt going to do the work, there are PLENTY more mustangs....return that and get adifferent one.

 

Yes I have a 1999 mustang convertable 4.0L with gas smell. Its coming from the filler grommet. Have filler neck out (be carfefull plastic check valve on the end of it which I broke. I just cant seem to muscle newgrommet back in. Im trying without droping tank. Any suggestions???

Dan[:@]