Gas or exhaust smell since I started towing my trailer 2 weeks ago

**jicurtis** · 08-15-2009, 07:26 PM

I purchased a new travel trailer 2 weeks ago, pulled it about 1200 miles. On returning, I have a very strong gas smell inside the passenger compartment. It gets worse if I have my window down or the passenger window down. I have looked underneath, nothing dripping. I have smelled the exhaust pipe, doesnt seem to be that. I have looked under the hood, but I cant find anything that looks unusual. I found that if I put the outside air on high fan it doesnt seem to smell which leads me to believe it is coming in from the back window. Has anyone had a similar problem.

I have a 2008 1500 Suburban 4WD 5.3L 3.73 rearend, Equal-i-zer hitch, trailer weighs about 6000 wet with all of our stuff, pulls fine, but only 10mpg while pulling, 20 mpg without trailer.

Jim

**unplugged** · 08-15-2009, 09:14 PM

Any DTC codes? What is the color of the tailpipe? brown, black etc. Is the smell there only when you tow or all the time?

**jicurtis** · 08-16-2009, 12:40 AM

not sure howto get DTC codes? Originally I thought it was only pulling camper, but now it seems to be there most of the time, sometimes worse than others. it really has me baffled! The inside of the tailpipe is black with very small white specs??

**vncj96** · 08-16-2009, 02:08 AM

i would think you would be getting a code, but this sounds like the charcoal canister and its components. The system recyles gas vapor into a chacoal canister and then releases it into the engine to burn it off. Mine did it a while ago and it eventually just went away fter i played with the lines so one of them must have been loose

**tbplus10** · 08-16-2009, 11:48 AM

On a 2008 I wouldnt even lift the hood it should be covered under warranty and I'd have it back at the dealer right away.
Sounds a lot like the evap cannister has a loose line, your fuel system is a closed pressurized system and even a pinhole leak in a line will dump lots of fuel fast.

**moosetags** · 08-16-2009, 12:48 PM

I have pulled travel trailers for years, and you will get less mpg when towing, but going from 20 mpg down to 10 mpg is way too much of a differential. Something is amiss.

Brian

**jicurtis** · 09-12-2009, 11:54 PM

I finally got it fixed today. You are not going to believe it, but it was the lubricating fluid in my rear end ! They had to completely flush out all of the rear end lube, relocate the vent tube, add a filter, and replace the fluid with a different fluid. There is a tech bulletin on it. Now I can be proud of my burb once again.....

I know it is hard to believe, but trust me, this did fix it!

It appears to affect only 07 & 08 burbs, mine is an 08 LT2 with the G80 rearend...