Smell of Fuel

Last week, as I was driving, my fuel pump went out. Simple enough, got it towed to the dealership and they replace the pump. After I picked it up and filled it up with fuel, it began leaking fuel from underneath my car. Fuel was running down the street and the inside of my car stunk of gasoline. Another tow to the dealership, they fix the problem (pinched seal of something like that) and I go to pick up my car. When I get in my car, it stinks of gasoline still. I inform then dealer that I am not going to take a car that smells like gas inside. They let it air out for the weekend but nothing else. I pick it up on Monday, and when I arrived all windows were down and the moonroof was open, so of course I'm not going to smell anything...when I get up this morning and go to my car (windows up) it smells like gasoline again.
This is somewhat of a venting session, but also I am open to suggestions and hearing any similar experiences from any of you.

I have a 2010 328i btw.

when I had similar symptoms it turned out to be a crack in the gas tank, which also led to a new gas pump.

Fuel smell gets everywhere, and it's not something that you can wash out or cover up. I'm afraid that you're just going to have to wait it out until the smell dissipates.

Leave your windows open as often as you can. And let the car's interior get hot as often as possible to evaporate off the fuel.

When I spill fuel in my garage and the smell seeps into the house, I burn candles. It helps, but I cannot recommend leaving lit candles in your car.

Frederic

Originally Posted by TXFred

Fuel smell gets everywhere, and it's not something that you can wash out or cover up. I'm afraid that you're just going to have to wait it out until the smell dissipates.

Leave your windows open as often as you can. And let the car's interior get hot as often as possible to evaporate off the fuel.

When I spill fuel in my garage and the smell seeps into the house, I burn candles. It helps, but I cannot recommend leaving lit candles in your car.

Frederic

Thanks for your input.

Do you think a interior detail would help?

Originally Posted by Nick9597

Thanks for your input.

Do you think a interior detail would help?

I disagree with Fredric. Fuel smell is strong, but it will dissipate relatively quickly. And, spilled fuel from a pump replacement should not give you a pronounced gasoline smell.

On my vehicle, the gasket on the fuel pump failed. That caused the tank to expand slightly which led to hairline cracks and a resulting fuel smell. With the new plastic tanks, cracks are a possibility anytime the fuel pump fails.

I would encourage you to get that checked out.

And, interior detailing only helps with odors when the smell is trapped in the upholstery and carpet. I doubt that is the case. So, my guess is that it won't help much (if at all).

put some dryer sheets in the car, it will help cover up the smell,
there shouldnt be gas in the carpet or trunk, gas lines dont run in the interior of the car. so question is where is the smell coming from

Originally Posted by hondo402000

put some dryer sheets in the car, it will help cover up the smell,
there shouldnt be gas in the carpet or trunk, gas lines dont run in the interior of the car. so question is where is the smell coming from

My point exactly. Gas on the exterior of the car will evaporate relatively quickly, and not leaving a lasting odor. If the odor is constant, or pronounced, then there is something else going on. Most likely, there is an issue related to the gas tank or something that went wrong with the fuel pump replacement.

When the dealer replaced the valve cover gasket on my N51 it took them 2 tries to get right. I noticed a strong burnt oil smell almost immediately and retuned the car just as fast. Then did the repair over again any the problem was fixed.

This is what drives me nuts about dealership quality and workmanship. In my case and in your fuel pump repair the work was shoddy plain and simple. Careless and sloppy work on a premium product such as our BMWs makes the dealership look silly and amateur.

I hope they make it right for you.

the sqeeky wheel gets the grease!!

I believe all mechanics get paid the same, a certain repair has a certain number of hours allowed to fix and a set price , the mechanics get paid per job, so the faster they finish a repair the more jobs they can do per day and the more they make

and when you get in a hurry you can make mistakes,

if you still smell gas then there could still be a leak

Fuel smell still in the car even after a dealership interior detail. Took my case to BMW NA. Received this emailed response yesterday....."After an investigation of the complaints presented, BMW NA has concluded that the vehicle does not qualify for repurchase, and BMW NA is not in violation of California or Federal law. Given this evaluation, BMW NA will not reacquire the vehicle at this time."

So dissatisfied, I cannot even put it into words. BMW has let me down on such a huge level. I feel like a fool because I spend a decent amount of time every day explaining to people how great BMW is.

My confidence in the brand and it's customer service has been severely shaken.