I swear if you dont get one thing repaired, something else happens.


There is a strong fuel smell coming from the hood of my mothers Mercedes. I tracked it down to this hole in the top of the air cleaner... it has never did this before until tonight.



She had been on a 70 mile trip and said she didnt smell gas when driving, but when she got home, I walked out to help her and I smelled fuel as I walked out of the front door! I thought it was the gas cap, because as I reported the other day, we were smelling fumes from the gas cap area... I checked under the hood that day and there was no gas smell at all from under the hood. Never has been except 2 years ago, there was a faint smell of it, but it went away and never came back until today and traced it down to that hole. It gives off that smell like an old carburated car gives off when its turned off. I felt all under the air cleaner and looked with a light, its dry as a bone. I am wondering if perhaps the throttle body is sticking open allowing the smell or ? I know the gas cap seal is bad... would that cause the air pressure to allow the smell to escape from the air cleaner area? Now she is afraid to drive the car.


Thanks for any info!


BTW, the engine is a M103, inline 6, 3.0L.