I am not convinced that the two are related. If you are still smelling gas fumes, then you haven't looked hard enough yet, or something. I mean if it's leaking and you can smell it, it's obviously going someplace. Perhaps it's leaking onto something else and never making it to the ground, but in that case perhaps you should be looking for something that's unusually clean.

Is there some way that the engine could be getting flooded? Something unusually clean...I think it is in the engine bay. Wondering if I should replace the fuel regulator just in case.

Your beginning to sound like an auto mechanic! I prefer to test stuff and prove that it's bad before replacing it. I would think that you could do that on this car as well.

Hahaha sounds about right. I am inclined to agree with you, but it's gas...burny flammable blow you up stuff lol. So my urge to correct the problem burns pretty high. After driving it, it is so bad that it can be smelled in the garage, through the garage door, through the laundry room door and in the house. My wife moved the baby to a different room because she was worried about him smelling the fumes lol.

With fumes that potent though, there HAS to be a puddle somewhere but have yet to find a single one.

here's an idea, park it outside and not in the garage, until you figure it out. Don't risk your family.

I found the source of the leak. Turned the car on, let it run for a bit until I could smell it, then saw the little bell shaped part below the fuel was glossy and wet, touched it: GAS!

I am trying to post pictures but having a hard time resizing on the mac. It is bell shaped, underneath the spark plug wires and in front of the throttle body. Directly in the fuel line. Hopefully that paints a good enough picture to tell me what it is until I can get a picture up.

I've probably posted this before, but the only time I had an incident related to what you have there was at the track. The first symtoms were missing, poor performance, bad idling.

Then I had it parked in the pit area till it cooled. When I tried to start it, there was the strong smell of raw fuel around the car. Some guys immediately said "That's a stuck injector." Could be, but no leaks, puddles or anything to indicate where the fuel smell came from.

The car became harder to start, each time the raw fuel smell got worse, the missing got worse, and finally white mist of burning antifreeze came out of the exhaust pipe. Lucky for me Mike (N2-OLDS) had a trailer there and I was able to drive it on and off, and finally into my garage.

The trouble was a bad LIM gasket, and probably a stuck injector, but it was never clear exactly where the fuel exited the engine area. I suspect it made its way past the LIM somehow.

In any event, I took off the intake and found its leak, and replaced both the LIM gasket and the injectors, just to be safe.

I am having trouble picturing whatever this is. Probably the fuel pressure regulator, but there is an O ring there as well. This particular O ring I remember fondly while doing a LIM job since they have this annoying tendancy to go flying and I had to do some reading here and finally found a pic of it (the brown O ring) after which I was able to easily find it (once I knew what I was looking for).

I did find a picture of someone testing their fuel pressure level:



Whole thread is good:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t674101.html

Is this the part:





If so I'm still thinking more along the lines of a gasket problem there than the regulator itself. Unless it's rusted, or something.

It is something with the fuel pressure regulator. Leaking like a siv. Took it to the mechanic. Beyond a fuel filter, spark plugs and wires I do not really want to do gas too much. Not even sure if I have the parts and definitely do not have the time. Will post more as I find out the finer details.

It is really easy to put in a FPR, just get one from gm and do it yourself....

Time, time, time. Military giving me the shaft this week. 64 hour work week and I am on call today. I am able to punt, so I do.

At least you are less likely to get bent over by the mechanic if you can point to the leak. When you report back include how much it cost.

estimated $225 to replace. The regulator itself was $95.

There are some electrical issues to deal with now though...

OK, so it cost you $225 + tax and nusiance fees and you have verified that there is no leak anymore, correct?

Still in the shop. With the regulator replaced, it still has the issue where it cranks but will not start. They are exploring some electrical issues and will get back to me when that is resolved.

Just 225$ total. Maybe cheaper if it was done quicker I was told.

Pretty crazy how it was hard to find. Only did because the engine was cool and it leaked then. Otherwise it just dries the gas and no one can know the better.

Leak resolved. Fuel pressure regulator is the source. Also proof that you can have leaks with no codes.

Looks like I was right when I said that this wasn't related to the starting problems.