So, I was driving around yesterday and started to smell gasoline vapors. I initially assumed it was the guy in front of me driving a beater Honda that I couldn't pass until he turned or we got to a 2 lane road. After 10 minutes of inhaling strong vapors, I was able to pass him. Unfortunately, the smell continued on. When I realized that it was me, I pulled over and popped the hood, looked under the car, etc. Didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary, and drove the rest of the way home. After ~30 minutes of inhaling the fumes, I had a headache. It was STRONG. Upon closer inspection, the only thing that seemed out of place was my air filter housing had become dislodged, and there was a small gap ~5mm, where air was bypassing the filter. I figured that the MAF sensor may have been dirty, but could not fathom that it could cause that much of an imbalance. Cleaned and replaced the MAF, disconnected and reconnected the battery to reset everything, and made sure the air filter was secured properly. Started up and ran for ~30 minutes without even a hint of smell.

Car is on stock map, and only mods are DC Catback, Cosworth Drop-In (dry filter), and GFB BOV.

My questions:
Could the problem really be that simple? Went from no smell to noxious fumes overnight. My MPG may have been dropping a bit over the last week or two, but it's hard to say for sure.
Is there anything else that I should check before assuming it is fixed?
Should I worry about any damage to other components?

Any and all comments are appreciated.

Hope I didn't make any noob mistakes. Drop in was secure (top and bottom clips) when installed, and has been checked at least monthly since. This is the first time I have seen it unhinged.

 

The air filter housing being dislodged is a common thing on our cars IMO. Once you make sure that it has been properly fitted, I'm sure you'd be in the clear. Other things to check out is your cabin filter and check your seals in your firewall.

When was the last time you toyed with the air filter housing?

 

Aside from visual inspection, I haven't had it open since I put it in back in October. No clue how it got the way it was...

 

No, that would not cause fumes in the cockpit. [puzzled]

If the gas fumes return:

The air inlet vent for the cabin is at the base of the windshield.

I would check injectors and the fuel rail first and then work backwards (through fuel vapor canister/lines, etc...)

 

Was a really nice day, so I was driving with the windows down, no AC or anything turned on... Couldn't smell any gas in the engine bay when I pulled over, and the car was left running.

Thanks for the advice. Checking the fuel system might be a little over my head, but I'll see if there is anything relevant in the how-to section.

Are there any other things that I can check? Really hoping that I don't have to go to the dealership for this, but I want to make sure that I actually fix whatever caused this.

 

Check engine light on? EVAP leaks will sometimes cause a gas smell.

 

This is Normal Evo X guys get this once and a while as well when its hot outside. I've got a wiff of gas a couple times in the last 3 years. I would not worry about it.

Google search "evo x gas smell" and you'll see quite a few threads on the subject if your determined to find a cause.

 

No CEL at all, which I found odd, but somewhat reassuring.