I have a problem on a 96 150 with 4.6 L six cyc, auto. Engine turns over fine, fuel pump running, can smell gas from exhaust, no fire! Checked all fuses, even under hood, all OK, got to be a MODULE or relay gone bad somewhere. Truck was running fine when I parked it overnight! Please Help STRANDED

If its Petrol engine, the fuel pump should prime for few seconds and cut out. then it should run continuously once the engine starts turning. Please check if your exhaust has heavy black sooth deposits. maybe the cause for your high fuel consumption may be something else.

Fuel pressure regulator bad. Vacuum operated , pull the vacuum line. Smells like fuel. It's bad .Electronic could a fuel pressure sensor on the fuel rail or the fuel pump control module.

Yeah, If the fuel pressure regulator vacuum line has gas in it, change the regulator. I'd also change the oil and filter as many times as necessary to get the gas out of the oil, after you fix the problem.
You could check proper fuel pressure. Sometimes you might smell gas with evap system leak. Any applicable trouble codes?

First, lets be clear with terms. To crank is to turn the engine over, you can do this manually with a wrench on many vehicles. It requires no spark or air. To turn over or to fire is when you achieve combustion. Example: You could pull the spark plugs on a vehicle and turn the key and it would crank, but it wouldn't fire or turn over.

Now it sounds to me like your vehicle is cranking but not firing unless you pour gas in it. My first thoughts are fuel system. I'm assuming it can't be fuel pump because it runs once it fires. Perhaps the fuel pump isn't priming itself, or perhaps somehow air is getting in the line between the injector and fuel pump? Test the fuel pump first by turning the car from off to on (not starting, just on). You will usually hear a short buzzing noise coming from the engine bay that stops shortly afterwards, that's your fuel pump pressurizing the line. (Pro Tip: If you ever try to take your key from off to straight to start and the vehicle doesn't start on the first try, but does the second time no problem, try delaying at on for a moment before trying to start. This gives your fuel pump time to pressurize the line.) Assuming your fuel pump is charging the line, the next place to look would be at the path the fuel takes to the throttle body. When you crank it over and it doesn't start, are you getting any fuel? If you can't see where the fuel enters the system try smelling the exhaust while cranking without it firing, if it smells of fuel you're good and need to look at air flow and spark, if not it's a fuel issue.

Past that, I'll leave it to someone more experienced than myself, but that would be how I troubleshot my own vehicle.

You are either not getting gas, or spark. My guess is that your fuel pump is gone. If your Passat is before 2001.5, then I believe it has an Ignition Module. You can get them at AutohausAz.com for about $120. But if it is dead, you should be getting a computer code and your engine light should be on. So check this before buying one. If you can smell the exhaust while someone is turning the engine over with the starter, if you smell gas, then the fuel pump is likely working. If not, then it likely failed.

You rubbed through the fuel tank or cracked it and it has a small leak. They make a fuel tank repair kit you can by a a auto parts store some times they work and sometimes they don't. If gas is spraying or leaking on the exhaust you could have a fire. I have drained a tank and put a screw with a fiber washer in the hole and then covered it with a 1/2 inch if silicone rubber it lasted for 5 years. Your fuel lines and filter are usually up on the side of the frame and should be ok

Several months could be a tank of bad gas. When turning the ignition to on position the pump runs for 3 to 5 seconds to pressurize the system, next find the valve on fuel rail and press it, Shield with a rag while doing this. You should get fuel. Check the way it smells, bad gas has an awful smell that can make you hurl! Attach a fuel pressure tester, it should be around 50lbs. If it's bad empty the tank by pressing the needle and relieving the pressure. Next disconnect fuel line before the filter get a container to catch the gas. IN the engine conpartment disconnect the fuel pump relay and put a jumper wire to run the pump until tank is drained. Instal new filter and pump if needed and add a can of "Seafoam" to the tank with fresh gas. Run pump until there's fuel at the fuel rail then put relay back in. now we should have ignition and constant running. Hope this helped.

I'd start with one of these and move on to the next.

Fuel
Spark.

Is it getting fuel? You should have an "in tank" electric fuel pump. When you turn the key halfway (just before turning the engine/starter over), you should hear the fuel pump prime. Easy way to check is to look in the throttle body while someone turns the key to the "on" position. You should see/smell the fuel. You can also listen to the gas tank while the key gets turned. You should hear the fuel pump run.

To check spark, pull a spark plug out, put it back on the plug wire and rest the electrode end of the plug up against the engine or exhaust manifold and have someone turn the engine over. You should see the spark plug firing. Don't hold the plug or wire while doing this. You'll get zapped if it's working ok.

If these both check out ok, then take a look at your firing order. If it's off by a significant amount, it may not fire. I've seen this happen when a cap/rotor/wires were changed and the wire/rotor was not positioned on the correct cylinder. (Most of the time they will at least fire or backfire, but either not stay running or run REALLY badly if the firing order is off.

Gas line filter may be dirty and clogged. Change it. There could be sediment or dirt in the tank that you drew up to the filter when you ran out of gas and it has built up and is blocking gas from getting into the engine.

Change your fuel filter. **** at the bottom of your gas tank probably clogged it.