Wafting Gas Smell

[hectormon]

Alright, maybe I'm getting old and the old sniffer isn't working like it use to, but my wife has been driving my 96 Polo and when she last gassed up (hey, with the premium stuff, not Taco Bell), she noticed a puddle under the car that "kind of" smelled like gas. It was positioned slightly in front of the passenger front wheel. The car didn't change on performance, but this also coincided with the Check Engine light coming on. I checked under that part of the car, nothing but that annoying (small) gasket leak and a few drops of oil.
She drove it last night and claims that she is smelling gas, but I didn't catch whiff of anything but the pizza in the front seat.

Any ideas what it may be, what I should check?

[budbaer]

You could have a leak in your gas tank or a fuel line. The tank and the lines are presurized when the car is on. Turn the key to the on position, you don't have to start the car just to where the windows will work. Once the car is on then check under the car for a gas leak.

[dcarrb]

I had a loose/improperly seated hose clamp on the fuel filter outlet, allowing seepage under pressure. No puddle (and it would have been behind the front wheel, not in front), but I got a strong gas smell on start-up that dissipated completely once underway. Checking hose connections would be a good place to start.

dcb

[SVXRide]

In front of the passenger's side front wheel? The only things that could be leaking in that area would be the radiator, the ABS box, or the power steering cooler lines (and they'd all have to find a way to "drain" to that spot). Moving back to slightly behind the PS wheel and you could have condensation draining out of the AC drain tube or a leak out of the windshield wiper fluid reservior. Hard to image gas getting to where you say the puddle was.
-Bill

[budbaer]

I think it was just a coincidence that there was a puddle behind the front tire. I don't believe there is anything fuel related in front of the front tire. Was it gas? Did you check to see what the puddle was? Another gas smell posibility is check to see if your gas cap is on tight.

[dcarrb]

Whoops, I was thinking the other side of the car. Pardon my inattention.

dcb

[SVX_MY_BABY]

My gas line leaked above the gas tank. The gas never made it to the ground but there was always a faint smell until the leak finally got worse and was found.