Gas smell after off-roading

Anyone experience a gas or ethanol smell coming from drivers side rear door area (right above gas tank) after off-roading?

Drove my 4runner about 4hrs in 90-100° heat, then got on some trails. I was bouncing all over the place with an almost full gas tank. Afterwards I pulled off to air up, it had a strong smell of gas wafting up around drivers side of 4runner.

 

Most likely the fuel sloshed around and leaked around the cap? Have never experienced that myswlf tho. Worst case scenario you damaged the gas tank? Check for damage/watch out for leaks just to be sure.

Cheers!

 

Expansion. Has to go somewhere.

 

Yeah, expansion, and maybe angles and dangles off road are sometimes enough for the fuel to get out of the vents. I’ve noticed a smell when I get out of the vehicle if it’s parked on very inclined surfaces.

I guess that makes for a good argument not to top off the tank before an off road trip that you know will include steep angles. It’s probably not good when you can smell it, because it probably means the charcoal canister is getting soaked.

Eta: I don’t like to run so hard that’t I’m bouncing all over the place, but I suppose that by itself could be enough to slosh fuel to the vents or cap. But, as mentioned, check your skidplate for any large dents. The fuel tank is plastic and a large hit on the skidplate may be hiding a dent in the plastic itself. That would have definitely forced fuel out if it gets dented while full.

 

This just happened to me as what the OP is describing. I went offroading with a full tank of gas in Moab and now the smell of gas right around the driver side is quite evident.

 

How long ago was the trip. I’ve gotten gas smell off road on inclines, but it pretty much went away immediately. Did you notice actual spillage?