Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To — Three TikTok screenshots of people at gas stations with captions saying gas no longer smells like it used to

Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To

2022viral video trenddead

Published October 15, 2026

"Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To" refers to a May 2022 TikTok trend where users filmed themselves at gas stations claiming the fumes had faded. The clips sparked debate about ethanol levels, COVID-related smell loss, and conspiracy theories about diluted fuel. By June 2022, the discussion reached Twitter and IFLScience published an article weighing the explanations.

conspiracy memes participatory video memes tiktok memes 2022 memes covid 19 memes

Overview

Each video follows a similar setup: a person stands at a gas pump, often holding the camera up to the nozzle, and says they can no longer detect the strong petroleum smell they remember. Reactions range from sincere confusion to accusations of a government scheme to dilute fuel and sell more of it3. Comments on these TikToks turned into a running debate between those backing the dilution theory and others suggesting long COVID had dulled their sense of smell2.

Variations include people sniffing gasoline directly from containers to test the claim, with @motocheez comparing the smell to rubbing alcohol6. The format borrows from a familiar genre of "something is off" TikTok monologues, where ordinary observations get presented as evidence of a hidden shift. News outlets picked up the discussion once an EPA ruling on ethanol levels gave the claim a plausible chemistry-based answer1.

Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok / Twitter (viral spread)
Date
2022

On May 26, 2022, TikToker @b_taylor92 posted a clip from a gas station captioned "Anybody else notice gas doesn't really have a smell anymore…" The video gained over 110,000 views within two weeks4. The same day, @blackfoxfreedom posted a similar video arguing the government had diluted the fuel and that it now burned faster, drawing roughly 600,000 views in the same period3.

Two days later, on May 28, @yungvec filmed a short clip at a gas station asking whether anyone else had noticed the missing smell, which reached over 9.5 million views in a week5. By early June, the claim had traveled far enough that journalists and other platforms began weighing in.

How It Spread

On June 2, 2022, @motocheez filmed himself sniffing gasoline and said it reminded him of rubbing alcohol, gaining over 1.2 million views within six days6. That same day, Twitter user @abbieasr posted screenshots of several of these TikToks with the caption "TikTok discourse of the week: everyone is convinced gasoline has lost its smell," drawing more than 8,700 likes7. On June 3, @AShihipar retweeted the post with the quip "oh I see a new COVID indicator just dropped," which earned about 18,000 likes and 1,900 retweets8.

Also on June 3, ABC News reported that the EPA had raised the required share of ethanol blended into American gasoline, giving the trend a possible scientific anchor1. On June 7, IFLScience published a piece examining both the ethanol explanation and the COVID smell-loss angle, citing researcher Kate Petrova's finding that scented candle reviews turned negative during COVID waves as suggestive evidence2. The site noted ethanol content in American gasoline sits around 10 percent and that the Biden administration had slightly raised the 2022 limit to help reduce fuel prices2.

Timeline

2022-05-26

TikToker @b_taylor92 posts the earliest known video asking if anyone else has noticed gas no longer has a smell.

2022-05-28

@yungvec posts a gas station clip that reaches over 9.5 million views in a week.

2022-06-02

@motocheez compares the smell to rubbing alcohol; @abbieasr posts screenshots on Twitter calling it the week's TikTok discourse.

2022-06-03

@AShihipar retweets with the "new COVID indicator" quip; ABC News reports the EPA raised ethanol blending levels.

2022-06-07

IFLScience publishes an investigation into the ethanol and COVID smell-loss theories behind the TikToks.

How to Use This Meme

Creators typically film themselves at a gas pump, sniff the nozzle or the air, and ask viewers if they have noticed the same thing, inviting comments to debate the cause3. Posts often include a direct huff of fuel to prove the point, as @motocheez did6.

Frequently Asked Questions