Each time we fuel up our vehicles, we get a little whiff of gasoline, so your nose knows the smell. There shouldn’t be any gasoline smell in or around your vehicle when you are away from the gas station. When you do smell gasoline away from the gas pump, the causes can range from something simple to something that could be very dangerous.
Let’s begin with the simple causes. It could be a loose or faulty gas cap, or you might be missing one entirely. You may also have a leak in the fuel tank vent hose. These are relatively straightforward things to repair. By the way, because your vehicle has fans that draw in outside air, you may be able to smell these outside gasoline leaks inside the cabin.
Here are some other possible sources of a gasoline smell. You could have a leak in your fuel tank, and these are more common than you might think. Fuel tanks can rot or get punctures by road debris. The tank can be fixed or replaced.
The fuel lines can also deteriorate or be damaged by road debris. Vehicles with fuel injectors have high pressure in their fuel lines, so any small holes or leaks can allow vaporized gasoline to escape, sometimes near hot engine parts. Obviously, this is something that a technician should repair as soon as possible.
Another couple of causes of a gasoline smell? A leak near a fuel injector can also allow small amounts of gasoline to escape. A technician can replace the seals or O-rings if they have deteriorated. Also, you could have gasoline leaking out of your vehicle’s charcoal canister, which is a device that prevents evaporating gasoline vapors inside your fuel tank from venting out to the atmosphere. This will often cause the Check Engine Light to illuminate.
Gasoline fumes and leaks can be dangerous for a couple of reasons; they could be a fire hazard and inhaling fumes can cause health problems. It’s always wise to get fuel leaks checked out at your auto repair center as soon as possible.
Towing takes a new set of skills. There’s a process for hitching and unhitching a trailer, as well as know-how for how to drive in traffic with the added length and weight of your vehicle. Do you understand the process? If not, you could be putting yourself, your passengers, and everyone around you at risk.
There’s a little part on your vehicle you may not know about, but when it develops a problem, getting it fixed sooner rather than later can save you a lot of money in the long run. Have I got your attention now?
Every component of the suspension system is placed together with kinks, bushing, bearings, and joints. These connections can be made from metal, plastic, or rubber, and wear down over time.
Rack and pinion steering connects the steering wheel and steering column to a rack, which moves a piston as the wheels turn.
Trucks are designed to carry, haul, and tow. They are designed in similar fashion, with a basic cab and some type of chassis attached to the rear. Pickup trucks are trucks with a separate frame and an open bed. They take a design from each category – cars and trucks – and combine them into one vehicle. Pickups are a smaller version of a truck, designed for multi-use. They are compact, perfect for family use as well as functional enough to use for smaller business.
Oil changes are an important part of any car maintenance routine, but especially for a vehicle you hope to keep for years to come. While you may use your car simply to run around town running errands and bringing the kids to daily activities, your truck may do a variety of different things during the day. Drop the kids off at school, pick up a load of lumber, head out on dirt roads to camp for the night – it can experience a variety of road conditions all in the course of a few hours. Because of this variance, you should ensure the oil is changed frequently to keep all working parts operating correctly. Heavy hauling can deteriorate certain parts quicker than normal driving conditions. Error on the side of getting the oil changed on a frequent schedule.
The thermostat is part of your cooling system. The thermostats in your vehicle perform a similar function to the thermostats in your home. At home, you set your thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature range. Then when your home gets too hot, the air conditioning kicks on or when it gets too cool, the heater turns on.
Motor oil isn’t the only thing your truck needs. While this is the one fluid you should monitor and replace regularly, other fluids need occasional work too. Engine coolant helps keep your engine cool and prevents it from overheating. You’ll find the cap identified by a warning label and illustration to ensure you never open it up while the engine is hot. It should also be checked and filled according to manufacturer’s guidelines. It’s also a good idea to fill up your windshield washer fluid reservoir regularly, and even keep a jug of the cleaner somewhere in your car. The more time you spend on dusty, off roads, the more you’ll need to add to help you drive. While there are other fluids – brake fluid, for example – letting one of our mechanics evaluate your systems will ensure the equipment isn’t compromised, preventing you from driving.
That was the starting point for traction control. As engineers looked at how well ABS controlled skidding, they also played with sensors, actuators, and computer technology to detect and prevent tires from spinning.