I just bought a 2002 Protege5 with 126K miles. I'm smelling gas in the cabin. Sometimes thru the air vents. Sometimes not. I pulled the hatch under the back seat. Looked okay, however, I did not lift the 8 screws and peer inside at the fuel pump area. Should I? What would I look for specifically? I'm not a mechanic.

What else should I consider?

 

I had something similar. The rubber hoses going to the fuel pump were dry rotted and cracked and needed to be replaced. I had to locate the fuel pump for my sedan which was under a panel bolted to the underside of the wheel well to replace them. For older cars, it is very important to inspect all of the rubber hoses and vacuum hoses and replace them if they are suspect. Heat, age, vibration, etc. takes a toll on them and they do not last forever. Once I find the correct size, I usually buy a spool of it and go to town replacing them.

 

I am going to replace my fuel pump body, since I now have gas leaking down the gas tank.

They are known to crack and gas to leak out. (Plastic, it figures)

Similar to this thread:
https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/maz...v-2000-a-2781/

RockAuto sells a Beck-Arnley "fuel filter" which is actually the assembly.
I found out NAPA sells a similar one by Altrom Imports

You need to order a few things from a dealer:
Plate BJ0E-42-16XE (only if existing is in bad shape)
Gasket B25D-42-166
O-ring ZL01-13-ZE5

I ordered some metric stainless steel cap screws from boltdepot.com to replace the existing screws.
"Metric socket cap, Stainless steel 18-8, 4mm x 0.7mm x 8mm"

I guess I was lucky with mine, all of the screws can come out easily.

NAPA has a 10% sale if you reserve online and pickup in the store from 2/23-2/27

Harbor Freight sells a kit cheap for the fuel quick disconnect lines.
I believe the size needed is the one for a 3/8 line


That brings the price of the assembly down to $23.85, which would be cheaper then the Beck-Arnley from RockAuto,

 

I have decided the gas smell in my Protege5 may have been spilled gasoline on the carpet. Perhaps the auto dealer accidentally spilled gas when he filled the tank the day I bought the car. I couldn't find any signs of leaking fuel, so I used a carpet cleaner and noticed an immediate improvement. Now, over a month after my original complaint, I no longer smell gas. Using a degreaser on the motor also helped rid the smell of engine oil and antifreeze coming thru the vents.

 

I just bought a 1997 protege and am smelling gas coming from the rear driver side of the vehicle, and am getting an error code related to the leak. (Forgive me I don't know what the code is at the moment.) I looked under the car and could not find a wet spot in this area. I'm glad to find that there is a hatch under the seats to check on top of the gas tank as I didn't relish the thought of dropping the tank. I'm hoping I can find the source of the leak/smell and fix it with these instructions in mind. Thank you.

 

i know this thread is old. But I am having the same problem with my 97. Did you ever figure it out as to I have or see no fuel leaking?