As for the fuel smell, you might want to remove the air cleaner and inspect the EHA valve for leaks when you start the engine. If the EHA valve body is wet, the EHA valve body likely has a hairline crack in it and needs to be replaced. The hesitation issue may be related to a faulty Oxygen sensor. When was it replaced last? As far as I know they should be replaced every 60,000 miles on that vintage vehicle.

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Fred Hoelzle