I've owned my '94 XLT for only about 6 mos and - for just the second time - I filled the tank with gas. I pumped until it shut off automatically and did not "top off". I observed right away that the gauge did not indicate "F" - more like mid-way btwn 3/4 and "F". Since 18.679 gals had just been added to a 1/4-filled tank, I surmised that the gauge was off, not the pump. This was 11/15 and ever since then there has been a fairly strong odor of raw gas that can be smelled whenever I approach the cab. I did not spill gas that day. I checked to see if I screwed the cap back on tight. I did. I see no gas puddles in my driveway.

Any ideas about what is causing this smell? If it matters, the fuel pump and fuel regulator were replaced a month earlier. And, when I first filled the tank, the gauge went a little ways past the "F".

Thanks

 

If you smell gas then you have a gas leak somewhere, yeh I know I am Sherlock Holmes, lol.

Most common place is the filler or vent hoses that connect tank to bed filler.

Less common are the connections at Fuel filter(in frame rail under drivers seat area) and Fuel Pressure Regulator, since this was just changed I would check it.

If you can get/rent a fuel pressure gauge you can hook it to the fuel rail and turn the key on and off a few times, that will build up pressure in the system, then leave key off and watch if pressure continues to drop, if it does then you have a leak in the pressure lines from tank to fuel rail.
If pressure hold for 10 minutes then leak is at the tank or the return line

 

Thanks RonD. I understand what you are saying. But I'm still wondering why there was no odor right after I picked it up at the garage 1-1/2 months ago. I'll take it to the shop (needs inspection this month anyway) and hope it's something minor.

 

It's back from the shop. They THINK the fuel filler assembly needs replacing. Probably has deteriorated where it meets the tank they say. $300 to fix. Or only fill it up 3/4 and it should be fine. Amazon has many new assemblies for $35-40 with free shipping for what they CLAIM is a $124 part elsewhere. I have examined the pix of the part on Amazon but can't determine from them how it attaches to the tank. Appears to be a tube/pipe similar to the one found on a gas pump's nozzle at that end. I won't attempt to do this myself but I question why they suspect the assembly is bad when (it seems to me) there is an equal chance that the part of the tank that accepts the filler pipe could be the part that has rusted (or whatever).