Fuel smell
Smell of fuel around car; leak or evap system issue. Treat as safety-critical.
HIGH RISK
Common symptoms
- See page for quick checks
Cost expectations
Typical costs vary by car and region. Use this as a ballpark.
- DIY / parts: £20–£80
- Garage / labour: £80–£250
Most likely causes (ranked)
Start at the top. Rule out the common, cheap causes before expensive ones.
- Fuel line leak
- Injector leak
- Evap purge/vent fault
- Fuel cap seal
- Charcoal canister saturated
Quick checks (fast, low-cost)
Fast checks you can do with basic tools before buying parts.
- Do not smoke / avoid sparks.
- Inspect for wetness under bonnet and under car.
- Check fuel cap seal.
- Scan evap-related codes.
- If raw fuel visible, don’t drive—tow.
Recommended tools
These tools make diagnosis faster and stop you buying random parts.
Related fixes
If your symptoms don’t match perfectly, check these next.
What to do next
- Fix leaks immediately; fire risk.