Exhaust entering the cabin?!?!

cvriv.charles · 08-28-2009, 12:50 AM

I have been talking to the PO of my car and he's been great. I found out that the O2 sensor is a couple of years old. He also replaced the coil pack, spark plug wires, and distributor cap and rotor in either 04' or 05'. I will go ahead and replace the plug wires, dis cap and rotor, and the O2 sensor if it's sluggish.

Anyways,... not only is the exhaust smell real strong, it seems that Im smelling it more and more while on the road. not just parked in a parking deck where it can seriously accumulate. I smell it real bad when coming to a stop and at a stop. exhaust comes pouring in. It's making me sick. I swear i can even smell it coming in while driving at like 65+mph.

The PO said the george from 944ecology.com said that exhaust can get into the cabin through a seal in the center of the hatch?!?! Ever hear of this before? I was thinking the exhaust was coming in through the window. When I have the window down I can still smell some exhaust though. Not that bad but I can still smell. When the window is down it's bad. Why would the exhaust blow forward in through the window other than the wind blowing it in that direction? I thought maybe I had an exhaust leak before the window,... maybe under the hood somewhere maybe but I dont hear any extra noise and see anything weird.

Maybe the smell is just so bad that the wind does move it around here and there that some of it makes it's way to the driver window. This is just crazy. I might have to stop driving my car because I cant keep breathing this stuff. I guess I will go and take a look at the rear of the car for openings i guess.

I am aware of the full tank spillage problem. that not it. its exhaust.

Icey1174 · 08-28-2009, 06:04 AM

Yep, the seal for the rear hatch can suck the exhaust in. The two end meet each other right in the center of the rear hatch on the bottom. Over the years it can open up. This happened to mine and mine was sucking in the exhaust there too. While driving, the aerodynamics creates a vacuum back there, just like driving real close behind a semi truck to save gas as it literally sucks you with it. And the gap in the seal sucks in the exhaust. I had about a 1 inch gap between the two ends. I just pulled the one side off and stretched it so the two ends were tight together again. No more exhaust smell!

Try that and see if it helps.

John_AZ · 07:11 AM

My repair. The hatch seal is hollow. Find a short fat piece of hose that fits between the gap and is about the same thickness. Then get a short piece (3"or 4") of 1/8"+- copper pipe/wire/thin rubber hose (whatever) and slide the pipe with the hose into the hatch seal between the gap.

Gl
John_AZ

cvriv.charles · 08-28-2009, 08:55 AM

Will try that. everytime i drive im killing brain cells. lol.

cvriv.charles · 08-29-2009, 12:46 AM

LOL. just checked and for sure,... the seal was seperated about an inch. Went I drive home I will see for sure if that was the reason I was smelling exhaust inside the car.

Hard to believe that little gap is able to suck in so much exhaust.