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Anyone ever had a problem with smelling exhaust inside the car? since my car has been done this has been a bit of a problem...ok pretty big problem lol.Not enough to make me feel ill (yet) but pretty annoying.This is definately exhaust smell,like breathing from the tailpipe distinct.I cant tell if its drafting in the windows or maybe leaking in through the trunk seals,seems to happen no matter how i have the windows unless they are all closed....any ideas??

Btw this is happening at most speeds.

That's a big deal because the effects of carbon monoxide are cumulative.

Check for exhaust leaks. Try running the engine and covering the tailpipe with a damp rag. If there are no leaks the engine will just stall out. But, if there are, the exhaust should start coming out of the leak or leaks.

Oh, also -- you can feed the running engine a little bit of water in through a vacuum hose to make the exhaust full of steam; that may make it easier to see.

Yeah, that's some bad stuff. I don't know how long it takes for your system to clear it, but like Vikash said, it builds up. You say it doesn't smell when the windows are closed? It wouldn't be your trunk seals, then. Strange to think you could pull air inside from underneath at speed. My guess is it will be towards the front.

My 3" TBE was leaking at the bottom of the downpipe at the joint. Thick gaskets didn't help. Had to put some high temp rv sealant on there to seal it up. Of course, the leak was on the TOP side so couldn't tell by looking, but a hand around there was a dead give away.

Make sure you check the firewall for any missing plugs. Especially if you took the AC out or if you don't have one. The seal for the Evaporator lines is right behind the downpipe. It can suck a lot of fumes in from there.

BSOD2600 wrote:My 3" TBE was leaking at the bottom of the downpipe at the joint. Thick gaskets didn't help. Had to put some high temp rv sealant on there to seal it up. Of course, the leak was on the TOP side so couldn't tell by looking, but a hand around there was a dead give away.

Same thing for me. when swapping out my header I had the downpipe off and noticed that the entire gasket was intact except for a 1/2 inch missing piece at the very top. I didn't hear a differenct or notice anything but my girlfriend was getting headaches in the car.

Check the manifold, up-pipe, turbo, & downpipe. The leak is most likely in the engine bay.

Well i found not only a leak at the down pipe flange,due to a crown in the flange itself but also an unplugged hole in the firewall also as suggested.Much better now lol,still have to seal another hole where all the additional wiring and crap goes through but no biggie.


so for anyone reading this thread wondering whats up with exhaust smell in their car - CHECK THE OBVIOUS SHIT BEFORE POSTING STUPID QUESTIONS ON-LINE!!!

Wow, what a perfect example of the BBS working together!

I'm glad you figured it out.