suggestions on exhaust smell in car

[440fish]

Getting tired of stinking to high heaven after taking a spin in the Bee. Where do you think i likely am getting exhaust fumes into the vehicle? Thought the trunk lid wasnt sealed but i inspected and it appears that it is in fact compressing the gasket.

The plug for the license plate wire (light) was not in place so i did get that plugged properly but that hole is pretty small. For some reason i feel there is a draft around the console. Is there a gasket for the shifter under there?



Any other suspect areas? The wife doesnt want to go for a spin anymore because her clothes stink after even a short ride.

gotta imagine it aint too good for your health either..

thanks

 

[440+6]

Yes there are two boots, one mounts to the hump and the other on the console top plate.

 

[Brandy]

Hee,heee...if yer a Muslim...BREATH DEEP.

 

[440fish]

Yes there are two boots, one mounts to the hump and the other on the console top plate.

Thanks, im going to look into that right away.

 

[Beekeeper]

Check your tail light gaskets. Best way to take a look see is pull the back seat
so you can see in the trunk and have someone shine around the trunk seal and all
rear lights. Also check all the body plugs in the rear of vehicle. Where do your exhausts dump at?

 

[texas69bee]

Check to see you don't have an exhaust leak at the head to exhaust manifold, exhaust manifold to pipe or any other parts of the pipe. Fix any of those leaks and the exhaust should be behind you.

 

[SlinktRR]

Check your tail light gaskets. Best way to take a look see is pull the back seat
so you can see in the trunk and have someone shine around the trunk seal and all
rear lights. Also check all the body plugs in the rear of vehicle. Where do your exhausts dump at?

I agree. Most days in the car my clothes would stink of exhaust every ride. Wife hated riding in the car. Just recently had the rear lower quarters repaired, body man sealed the edges of the trunk pan with a mopar petroleum based sealer as part of rust proofing the car. No more smell in the cabin. The underneath of the trunk pan catches exhaust.

 

[mosquito13]

http://www.summitracing.com/oh/sear...scending&keyword=fuel scent&retaillocation=oh

 

[HT413]

I dunno, fellas, leaky taillight gaskets cause his clothes to stink of fumes? This happened to my parents car when I was a kid - just about smoked us out of the car. Turned out it was an exhaust leak up front at the base of the manifold. It being up front caused it to get pulled in through the vent.

The other possibility - perhaps it's really a leaky valve cover dropping a little oil onto the headers/exhaust manifold? That will stink up a passenger cabin in a hurry.

 

[texas69bee]

HT413... couldn't agree more. How does a leaky tail light gasket get fumes in a car when the car is traveling down the road???

 

[GetX'd]

I dunno, fellas, leaky taillight gaskets cause his clothes to stink of fumes? This happened to my parents car when I was a kid - just about smoked us out of the car. Turned out it was an exhaust leak up front at the base of the manifold. It being up front caused it to get pulled in through the vent.

The other possibility - perhaps it's really a leaky valve cover dropping a little oil onto the headers/exhaust manifold? That will stink up a passenger cabin in a hurry.

Im with this theory. First thing I thought of when I read the post.

 

[Kern Dog]

I do not intend to be insulting here, but a well sealed, properly tuned car should not produce enough smell that would stink up either the car or your clothes.
My 70 Charger has a boot at the floor mounted A/T linkage rod but that is all. There are no valve cover leaks. I do have a couple of very small exhaust leaks due to my mediocre welds. My exhaust ends at the bumper like stock.
I've spent lots of time tuning the car using an Air/Fuel guage but I have more to do. Still, the car smells pretty clean from behind. Rolling down the road it does smell a bit like gasoline burning but not very much. It seems that every old, NON catalytic converter car I own has the same smell. Those Catalytic converters really do clean up the exhaust.

 

[440fish]

Really appreciate the replies and I need to look into the tail light gaskets. The exhaust system is not leaking at the headers and it is brand new from the collectors back. Based on the smell has not changed (since installing new system) i have to say the stink is coming from the rear of the car and entering smewhere back there. Sometimes I bring my car cover with me if i have her out overnight and man does it stink when i take it out of the trunk... Another clue is if i light up the tires the tire smoke enters the car almost instantly....yea i do that sometimes
Car is not running excessively rich and has been tuned with a A/F meter. No oil leaks in the valve covers etc. Stock type exhaust tips out the back.

No to those that think the exhaust is simply "behind the car" I have to respectfully disagree amd please hear me out. At some point the exhaust does whisp up the rear of the car underway. The smoking gun (no pun intended) is if i run race fuel, from the rear window down to the bumper the car has the tell tale grey haze all over it. That's exhaust fumes leaving the deposit. Maybe its on dercelleration or at a slow roll at a traffic light but it does get there. If theres enough to leave a haze theres sure as heck enough to wisp into the trunk.

I like the theory on the taillights because i can see a vacuum being formed when the windows are down (underway) and drawing fumes in through any open orifices and actually pulling them into the cab of the car.

Going to check them this morning when it warms up.

 

[Gone]

Don't worry about transmission hump and trunk lid gaskets, plugs, etc. Fix what is obviously an exhaust leak.

 

[dieseldazzle]

There is a post about the hood cowl seal stopping this for some. I cant find it but do a search.

If all else fails put some cats on it lol....just kiddin

 

[1969CoronetR/T]

Unless you car is tuned for higher octane 'race fuel' it will not burn completely and will be a waste of money. I would stick with pump gas 93 octane after you fix the exhaust leak.

 

[texas69bee]

If your convinced that it is coming from the rear, check all areas that should have seam sealer on it per the service manual as well.

 

[1967coronet]

Also after checking tail light gaskets go around the trunk seal with a dollar bill , close the lid on it every few inchs and see if there is some drag to get it pulled out.
Exhaust will come into the trunk at road speed if there are openings / access for it.
I hauled a small wood chair home from a car show { better half was shopping } anyhow padded the top were it met the trunk lid and used a cable tie to hold the lid near closed , prob 2 inchs from closeing, Got out on the road and holy crap it was fumes bad, rolling the windows down did make it worse, my exhaust is in good shape and exits the rear at the bumper.

If the car ever had qts put on check the inner wheel tubs to qt panel fit and seal up also.

 

[Cranky]

HT413... couldn't agree more. How does a leaky tail light gasket get fumes in a car when the car is traveling down the road???

I pulled my reverse lights out of my 66 Belvedere and you wouldn't believe how much the car filled up with fumes and it was worse with the driver's window down. Best with it up and the floor vent open. The car just had a stock /6 in it at the time. Have you ever driven a pickup with a rear slider and the door windows open? Talk about ventilation. The air coming in from the back window is quite inpressive.

 

[Richard Cranium]

HT413... couldn't agree more. How does a leaky tail light gasket get fumes in a car when the car is traveling down the road???

Turbulance at the rear of the car as it drives down the road swirls all around at the rear & enter into a car though bad seals. Anyone who has driven an old station wagon down the road with the tailgate window down knows this.