BHSMarlin

When I started up my car this morning, I heard a hissing noise (that's the best word to describe it I guess). I thought one of my tires was losing pressure at first, but when I got out, it was coming from under the hood. I got about a mile down the road and my car just went crazy. It started jerking and shuddering and all my service lights came on (well, I at least saw the SES and low oil light, I'm not completely sure if it was all of them). I turned around to head home; but, while I was at the stoplight, something smelled really funny. My best description (yeah, I know, it's not very technical) is that it smelled like some kind of burning fuel, but my dad said it may have been a line that came loose and I was smelling whatever was flowing through it. I also noticed that my gas milage was very poor on the way home. When I left my house, I had about a quarter of a tank and by the time I got home, I was almost empty. This might be completely unrelated though. My dad's guess was a vaccuum line came loose. Any suggestions? My usual mechanic is in the process of moving to a different city and I don't want to take it to someone I don't know with no idea of what's wrong with it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

BHSMarlin

Oh yeah, forgot that my tach and speedometer were both also going crazy. The whole initial ordeal lasted about 5-10 seconds, but the smell lingered.

Injuneer

Almost sounds like two simultaneous problems. The tach, speedo and idiot lights will often act up when the system voltage is low... alternator problem.

The fuel smell has a limited number of sources.

Check the vacuum line from the fuel pressure regulator to the passenger side/rear of the intake manifold. If that line has fuel in it, the fuel pressure regulator is damaged.

Possible to saturate the EEC carbon canister in the drivers side rear fender, and pull raw gas through the vent line to the engine.... doesn't usually smell though.

Fuel lines... the group of three lines that run from the drivers front fender well, in a loop to the throttle linkage cover and then to the back of the intake where the fuel pressure regulator is located. If the plastic ring clamp on the TB linkage cover breaks off, the fuel lines can drop on the exhaust manifold and melt... severe situation, and probably would be obvious from the flames coming out from under the hood.

Point is, if you smell fuel, don't drive it until you resolve it.

BHSMarlin

Thanks for the suggestions, but all that is over my head. I'm sure I'm going to have to take it somewhere to get it worked on, as I don't know how to do it myself. The smell wasn't gas, it's definately something different. The lights/guages thing just happened for the first time today. What are the odds of those to problems happening at the same exact moment? Also, is it OK to drive it up to a shop?

Injuneer

At least look under the hood for obvious signs of anything leaking. Look at the front of the engine, and in the radiator area for coolant leaks. Sniff around for any fuel smells. Look under the car/engine for any obvious drips, whether its coolant, oil or fuel. As long as you don't have raw fuel dripping on the hot engine, and your oil pressure gauge is showing decent oil pressure, you will be OK for a short drive.

BHSMarlin

Well, I just tried to start it and it's dead. Could it be just the alternator causing all of that? Maybe the noise and the smell was it burning up?

BHSMarlin

Any more suggestions?

BHSMarlin

Please?

shoebox

Dead as in battery dead? Get it jumped off and running and see if the alternator is charging. You might sniff around the alt first, to see if it smells burnt. Since you said you don't have much capability to fix it yourself, you are going to have to take it somewhere anyway.