Strong fuel smell on startup

[Zombaja]

okay, so here it is, over 4 months of getting the new motor installed. Mechanic finally got rid of the oil smell issues, and got most of the performance issues resolved. But there's still some remaining.

Latest is a fuel smell in the cabin a few seconds on startup when the car sits for a number of hours, either in the sun or overnight.

There's no fuel puddling around injectors or rails that I can find.

So we suspected something in that rats nest of evap emissions control stuff. Car also had some hesitation around 2.25 and 2.75K on the tach.


Last week (wednesday), we tightened a hose down to try to seal the issue while yet another part was on order from the local Subaru dealer. The next morning, and all day, the car ran flawlessly all thursday.

Friday AM, the smell is back stronger, the car hesitates at lower RPMs even though the temp gauge is over a quarter, for about 4 miles including freeway. Of course by this time the hesitation clears until the car gets to sit for more than 6 - 10 hours.

I wait until Wednesday (yesterday) until the hoses get replaced. The car doesn't get to sit so it runs okay (some slight hesitation before 3K again).

this morning, back to strong fuel smell and serious hesitation issues.

First off, I gotta find a way to leave the car overnight so they can start it cold and see how sh*tty it runs and smells.

What is left to replace? there's a purge valve, a purge control solenoid, and some hose adapters and T's in the EJ255, right?

this is driving me NUTS. Already $4K in parts and all this time and STILL getting the car back from the mechanic only to find it doesn't run right after sitting.

[Debo]

I was getting the same issues especially during cold weather. Tightened the fuel line at the fuel injector rails and solved the problem. Once the engine warmed, the rubber expanded and no more leak. Sound like you may have more of an injector issue. Maybe at the fuel supply rail.. Pain in the butt to get too. That's what I'd check.. Small leak, getting air in the system.. Good luck.

[Wingzero_ac19x]

I have had to have the fuel lines replaced twice on my 05 turbo in the past year. A bunch of the small lines under the intake on the motor are notorious to leak. Cold weather is usually the worst for this issue. During winter whenever I would start the truck (especially with heat running) it would flood the cab with a strong fuel smell. Subaru techs have told me that especially on the turbo's these lines go out all the time. I had to leave it overnight with the dealership for them to see where the leak was.

[Zombaja]

we'd replaced all the hoses but there's that solenoid we haven't touched yet. I think there are some barb fittings in that ratsnest too that could be cracked. the thing is, my fuel smell issues were often worse when the car was hot, or in a warm place, than cold. Makes me think it's the vapor line back from the tank, it's not venting properly. I get the "fuel cap missing" CEL too occasionally.

sadly about two days after I first posted the fuel smell issue, on a routine trip to SF, the rattling I'd been told to ignore as normal forged piston noise started increasing to the point I had to pull over, where the engine shut itself down.

So other than the hesitation, fuel smell, and refusal to boost or develop power until warm, the new engine block spun a rod bearing.

Only good news is the new heads/valves/etc. were undamaged.

so now the shop and the guy who they bought the engine from have to figure their stuff out. I'm back to trying to get either of them to give me an estimated time of completion. The builder never answers his phone, and has had the motor for over two weeks since he texted my mechanic that he had all the parts in. Still hasn't even come to pick up the heads to finish the build.

I go to the mechanic twice a week to look at my car, to remember what it was like, instead of driving the POS "loaners" Ive been stuck with since the end of November.

At least all this latest crap is under warranty. *sigh*. maybe another month or two then back to figuring out the emissions issues.