2003 Protege5 - cant smell fuel even when just sitting

barcand

Member
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2003, Mazda, Protege5 (hatchback)
Hi Folks, I have a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 and it has a strong smell of gas even just sitting in the drive way. Nothing seems to be leaking, do you have any recommendations?

Thank you, Brian,
 
I have the same. I removed the rear seat and opened the fuel access panel to find that it is leaking at the top of the tank. NOt too sure if its one of the line connections or from the seam but it looks like its moreso from where the plastic cap meets the metal.

Any suggestions?
 
I realize this is an old post but how did you resolve this issue. My wife's car recently developed the same symptoms.
 
I fear that your plastic pump housing/fuel filter body has developed pinholes/cracks in the top. On mine, rust under the metal disk scratched off the coating on the plastic and it disintegrated. If so, there's a post on here of what to do and part numbers.

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123718385

If this is true, you would eventually see fuel accumulating on top of the tank at a standstill when the motor is running. So you may want to dry it off and see. ( I thought mine was just the rubber gasket - wrong) If so, no need to drop the tank. BUT the 8 rusty phillips scews are wicked, and vent well when you finally get it off.
 
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Thanks for the info. Looked at it last weekend and it is definitely the issue. Where did you purchase your parts? Local dealer wants $240 for just the housing.
 
I got mine from Montgomery Mazda.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=214264

As I said in the other thread, the housing was pretty cheap at 40-something, tho the rubber seal for the high pressure line is like 20 bucks.

Also check Rock auto parts on the web. Here's the housing

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1387447,parttype,6200

Did you get the phillips screws out yet? Patience is the key. If you mess them up you'll probably have to drop the tank etc. to fix it.
 
I got mine from Montgomery Mazda.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=214264

As I said in the other thread, the housing was pretty cheap at 40-something, tho the rubber seal for the high pressure line is like 20 bucks.

Also check Rock auto parts on the web. Here's the housing

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1387447,parttype,6200

Did you get the phillips screws out yet? Patience is the key. If you mess them up you'll probably have to drop the tank etc. to fix it.

I doubt it. I stripped nearly all of my screws to hell. Went and picked up an impact driver for $15, and was able to get them all out within an hour. Replaced with stainless steel bolts and never looked back ;)
 
Thanks for the response. I'll order parts today. I have an impact driver and a wood-pecker http://www.skygeek.com/ats-at540b.html . Use it with a pneumatic rivet driver and it works wonders.

As an aside, everyone seems to be concerned about using electric drills, No one has yet suggested pneumatic tools. Used with cutting lubricant there will be no sparks. Thats all we use in aviation. Or worst case a manual hand drill. Sounds archaic but sometimes its just the right tool
 
Fuel Smell

I know this thread is old, but I'm having the same issue - gas smell in the cabin of my Protege 5. I just purchased this car - has 126K miles. After smelling antifreeze/engine oil, I cleaned the engine using a degreaser. That helped a lot, but I'm now smelling gas. Sometimes strong. Sometimes unnoticeable. I lifted the cover under the rear seat. It was dirty but otherwise seemed okay. I didn't lift the 8 screws and look inside...since I'm not a mechanic, I decided not to go there.

Today, when coming to a quick stop, the smell of gas became stronger. Since the tank was 3/4 full, I wonder if gas sloshed through a tiny crack near the top of the tank. When I test drove the car, the tank was only 1/4 full - I didn't smell gas then, only anti-freeze and engine oil. Perhaps there wasn't enough fuel to slosh out at that time.

How can I access the gas tank to look for cracks or other problems? Remember, I'm not a mechanic so give me the layman's version.
 
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Hello, my first post!

I just bought a 2003 Protege5 to find out the white plastic cap on the fuel sending unit is cracked and leaking gas. Damn this is a hard part to track down on its own! The local Mazda dealership first quoted me $485 for an entire new sending unit, then $280 for just the plastic housing, which is all I need. I'm currently in school and completely broke so I have to fix this myself or the car I'll have to sell the car :( Any help would be appreciated.

Information online about the parts isn't consistent. I called Rockauto about the part that was linked in this thread - BECK/ARNLEY Part # 0433010 - and the girl who answered said it was JUST the fuel filter, not the plastic housing. The local Mazda dealership also said they had just the fuel filter that goes inside the housing for about the same price, and the housing was separate at $280. I wonder how RABID_MP5 got the part for $40 when CaRtharsis and I were told over $200?

But there's also a part - GY01-13-ZE0 - that also looks like it might do the trick, but I'm worried it might be just the black housing for the fuel pump/filter, not the white plastic cap.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/2102/mazdaprotege52002fuelfi.jpg I need JUST the white plastic cap! Its frustrating that $1 worth of plastic is being sold for $200+ :(

If anyone could help me locate a reasonably priced sending unit housing, my kids and I will thank you for helping get our car back on the road. <3
 

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