Hi guys,

I bought a mazda 1998 626 manual 4 cylinder car a week ago.

car drives nicely, looks like it was taken care of nicely but does look like it spent most of it's time outdoors, it's got some rust here and there.

The car smells from gasoline. the smell seems to be all around the car... outside the car, and the smell comes inside too even though all windows are closed.
the car has a Check engine light, but I haven't had a chance to pull the code yet.

I'm pretty good at fixing problems, but not so good at diagnosing!
can anyone help to provide a hint as to where the gasoline smell may be coming from?
Thanks folks,
Manny

 

I now have a better idea where the smells are coming from.

yesterday I removed the back seat, and in the center of the area where the seat sits are two rubber grommet-like plugs. I removed one of them, and took a sniff.

it stunk from gasoline. i put my finger through the hole to the surface underneath which was wet and shiny, and touched it. I smelled my finger. gasoline.

It seems i have located the area of the problem. is this spot the top of the gas tank?

does this mean I need a new gas tank? new fuel pump? or new seal of some kind over there?or an o-ring of some sort? what part is it that could have gone bad?

 

I know under your back seat is your fuel pump, most likely your fuel line is leaking...

 

Hi emanuel and welcome to MazdaForum!

Clearly you have some work ahead of you, but you problem could come from one or a number of places. It sounds like you mazy be dropping the fuel tank.
Be sure to check all the rubber that is also under there, especially any that involve the fuel evaporative system. Cracked hoses can hide. If I were you, I would replace everything I could whike there.
Also, when you get the car on the road, remember to avoid over filling the fuel tank. This can saturate and harm componrents of the evap fuel system.