Strong Gas Smell After Refueling

[BobRae99]

Hi All,

With 7 hours added to the four on my boat when it was delivered and about 1/4 tank of fuel left it was time to visit the fuel dock this weekend. I filled the tank until the handle clicked off, then out of habit added about 2 seconds more fuel, then replaced the fuel cap and put the boat in its slip.

I returned to the boat later in the day to put the covers on and when I lifted the forward seat back cushions encountered a fairly strong gas odor. I lifted the engine compartment and didn’t notice a stronger smell there and no fuel in the bilge. Thinking I may have overfilled the tank, I took the boat out for a half hour and opened the compartments to air it out. It seemed to dissipate and I then moored the boat and covered it.

The next morning, I went to check on the battery switch position and when I uncovered the stern area I again smelled gas fumes.there was no smell present when I met the dealer at the gas station on delivery day to fill the balance of the tank. In that case the gas station attendant actually filled the tank enough to allow a bit of gas to splash out of the fill neck.

Is it possible a vent line has come loose? Any other thoughts?

The boat is a new 2016 Cobalt 210 with 11 hours on it.

[cmattj]

Your vent lines run to the Starboard side ( driver) and if its filled like you said its possible the vent lines are brimming to the top. Does the cover go over those vent lines?? ( Its a Open system unlike a Car of today.)

Id run it and lower your fuel level, as Ive filled boats on the trailer and as Im backing it down the launch ramp , Ive watched the fuel puke from the side vent.

The other.... is the tank sender or fittings don't like the level and aren't seal correctly. Take her our and run the level down. Boat in general are a pain to top off .. Its a splatter spray back Mess.

Good day to go Boating!!

[Ytmsn]

Sound advice Matt. Bob mine will rarely spit if I stop when the handle clicks off. I'll fast fill and watch the gallons, then set the handle to its slowest setting when nearing full. Works good every time. If I fast fill or try to completely top it off it runs the risk of spitting.

It's likely your level is right at the top. As fuel heats up from the day it will swell, or at least the fumes do. As gasoline gets hot it will put off more fumes. Have you ever cracked your auto gas cap and heard the fumes gush?

You probably had fuel right there at the top, then the fumes purged. You should be fine as long as you dont overfill.

[BobRae99]

Thanks for the replies. I think I’ll check with dealer. It seems to me that the purpose of the vent system is to vent fumes to the atmosphere, rather than the boat. Assuming the vent is in the starboard side, I didn’t see any fuel spitting out the side . My cover is bow and cockpit, not a full cover.

[ajcampen]

I agree with contact the dealler. U have a three year warranty and this is a safety issue (potentially is a safety issue). Their service department should have an answer for this quickly

[Silverbullet555]

Also check your inlet hose and make sure there are not low spots. While you shouldn't have to fix it due to the age of your boat, it's something to look at. The inlet hoses have a different permeable rating than the fuel lines. Low spots can accumulate fuel which can work it's way through.

[BobRae99]

Also check your inlet hose and make sure there are not low spots. While you shouldn't have to fix it due to the age of your boat, it's something to look at. The inlet hoses have a different permeable rating than the fuel lines. Low spots can accumulate fuel which can work it's way through.

Thanks. I've reached out to the service department. They didn't know, immediately what the problem might be. they suggested the boat might have to come in for them to look at it. I mentioned that I understood the new boat warranty includes dockside service and given that the trailer they sold me is waiting for a tongue part, I wouldn't be able to bring it in any way, they said that they'd look into it further and get the matter resolved.

It just seems to me that if it was filled for the first time and there was no smell, then there must be something wrong. I can't imagine that any gas fumes should be venting into enclosed areas of the boat under any normal circumstances.

Unless someone has experience with the gas tank vent system, I'm thinking the best thing to do is wait to see what the dealer says. Maybe they can fix the single speaker that is dead at the same time. I'd just like to avoid having to haul the boat out and transport it in from the lake. There are only 13 good weekends in the summer for us and I hate to lose any of them.

[NautiGirl]

Like Matt said, boats don't have an EVAP system like modern cars, so your fuel does vent to atmosphere. Little fuel smell, especially after filling up or uncovering if your cover goes over the vents, is not uncommon.

If it was me I would make sure to run the blower before starting and at idle speed which you should be doing anyway. Go run it and enjoy a day on the water, get the gas to 3/4 a tank and then if you are still having issues I would call in service. It doesn't take much spilled gas to make a pretty strong smell that sticks around for awhile.

Just me though, strokes for folks.

[BobRae99]

Like Matt said, boats don't have an EVAP system like modern cars, so your fuel does vent to atmosphere. Little fuel smell, especially after filling up or uncovering if your cover goes over the vents, is not uncommon.

If it was me I would make sure to run the blower before starting and at idle speed which you should be doing anyway. Go run it and enjoy a day on the water, get the gas to 3/4 a tank and then if you are still having issues I would call in service. It doesn't take much spilled gas to make a pretty strong smell that sticks around for awhile.

Just me though, strokes for folks.

Thanks. I appreciate that the boat vents to atmosphere. Just wondering why it is venting to the storage compartments. As I wrote, it was filled to "F" just before delivery and there was no smell at first launch and any time after - just after the last fill. I'll guess we'll see what is causing it. If running it 3/4 tank or lower will solve the problem, I'm OK to do that for now, but ultimately I'd like to solve the problem as I'm interested in venturing farther from my beach community marina, so if I can't carry a full tank of gas, that will be a bit limiting.

[NautiGirl]

Cool keep us updated curious what the dealer finds.

[Big Block Power]

My ski locker smells all the time at any level. You don't have anything like this in one of your compartments by chance?

[NautiGirl]

That is a damn nice looking F150 in the background. I dunno who carries a gas can in a Mom Mini Van traverse though. Lame.

[Big Block Power]

That is a damn nice looking F150 in the background. I dunno who carries a gas can in a Mom Mini Van traverse though. Lame.

I bet you'll find that same gas can in a Colorado

This is a good example of a open system.

[thunder550]

My ski locker smells all the time at any level.

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[Big Block Power]

My ski locker smells all the time at any level.

11148353.jpeg

I'll try that thanks bud!