I smell gas from my 84zx
 

Hi everybody,

I am new to the idea of working on cars and am trying to learn as much as I can. I have a 1984 zx non turbo and I smell raw gas when it is either running or just with the electrical power turned on. I have noticed when it is turned on (not running) I hear a humming from the fuel tank and in the engine bay. I can feel vibrations on the tank and on the 3 hoses that come from the tank to the engine. I have looked all over and have found no leaks. I don't know if it is fuel vapors that are leaking or that it is leaking on to something else I can't see.

I have noticed that the smell takes about a minute from being turned on to start smelling and it comes from under where the distributor cap is. The smell also dissipates after the car is turned off.

If anyone has any ideas what this could be please let me know.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

zx-white-belt

Welcome to ZDriver! :006:

If you haven't done so yet, I suggest downloading the FSM from XenonZ31 Reference

Also, do you know if your car had the injector recall performed?
And check the fuel pressure regulator for leaks since it's right by the distributor.

Thanks for the reply!

I have already downloaded the FSM but I have not checked on the recall. I will do that and see what I find out. I will also check the Fuel Pressure Regulator for leaks and let you know what I find.

Thanks

zx-white-belt

Okay, I attached a pic of, I think, the fuel pressure regulator that is to the left of the distributor cap... let me know if I am wrong.

Going on that it is.... I checked around the FPR and it did sound like it was the source of the air/gas fume leak. Still didn't see any fuel though, nor could I feel the air blowing from the FPR it was just hissing louder from its area.

Is it possible to have a air leak from the FPR?

Also, the car idles up and down like I tapped the gas pedal and then it goes to almost sounding like it will stall then shoots back up again and it just keeps repeating that. Could that be related to the FPR?

Thanks for your help!

zx-white-belt

air won't come out of the fpr. quite likely the source of your problems however. put a fuel pressure gage between the filter and the fuel ring. monitor pressure to see if it is fluctuating. the fpr has a vacuum line going to it to increase fuel pressure when vac is high.

pull the vacuum hose from the FPR and see if fuel spurts out.