Crunch

Any idea why the inside of my car smells like exhaust? When I turn on the vents it gets worse like it comes through the vents too. My clothes smell like exhaust, and I can even taste exhaust when I get out of the car. It's horrible, I have to keep the windows rolled down and freeze my *** off. This has been a problem for a long time, but it's time to do something about it. Any suggestions? Any idea where the smell is coming from? How is it getting in the vents?
Thanks.

TheLS1Kid

iTrader: (12)

Do you have cats?

Crunch

Nope. Headers go directly to y-pipe.

z28voodoo

iTrader: (2)

Could be a header leak... thats coming through your vents from under the hood. try tightening the bolts (careful not to break them) and check to see if it leaks in the engine bay.. if not check the headers to Y connection to see if theyre tight. put your hand over the connection to try and feel air coming out.

00Formula00

iTrader: (6)

Also are you dumped or out the back?

MarylandSpeed

iTrader: (11)

Without cats your car will always smell like gas...they do after all do something This is the most compelling reason in my mind to always run cats...and why all our cars have them.

Crunch

We'll have to check that out. I can tell you I had the same problem with SLP headers without cats and the stock engine, SLP headers without cats and a rebuilt stock engine, and now an iron block engine and Jet-Hot headers. The problem follows me no matter what headers or engine I have in the car.

Crunch

It doesn't smell like gasoline, it smells like car exhaust. Like the tailpipe routes to back to the heating/ac vents.

Crunch

Cut-out in the back. No dumps. However I did have the same problem when I had dumps years ago.

MarylandSpeed

iTrader: (11)

Same thing in my mind. I have never been in a catless car that did not have an exhaust smell inside.

Crunch

So I take it your advice is to order a shorter y-pipe and throw high-flow cats in?

WS SIKZ

iTrader: (3)

i know exactly how u feel lmao

MarylandSpeed

iTrader: (11)

Yeah...not sure what headers you have..but you could likely take an off road Y and have some magnaflow cats welded on it.

Crunch

OK. Wow, I never knew that cats somehow keep the exhaust-like smell from creeping up into the chassis and air vents. Learn something every day. I guess I'll have to chuck up more $$$ for a new y-pipe, cats, and welding labor. Oh joy.

99mongooSS

iTrader: (4)

Cats cost horsepower. nuff said. And I never smelled the exhaustin my car...try driving faster it will air out the smell, and if you keep going fast then it wont come back. lol.

MarylandSpeed

iTrader: (11)

Keep in mind..on a stock set up..your cats are much closer to the engine...so they have done their cleaning thing before the exhaust goes past the passenger compartment. On my GTO...I had a definate exhaust smell in the car with off road mids. As soon as I put catted mid pipes on it went away.

Crunch

If you only knew how disgusting it is to eat a cheeseburger, but taste exhaust.

z28voodoo

iTrader: (2)

mmm exhaustburgers.... lol. i still think its a leak.. ive got pacesetters (race) no egr/air Offroad y and i dont smell anything inside my car or really outside for that matter.. and i havent got it tuned yet sot that should help a bit. id double check all connections for leaks before i throw more money into it.. have a buddy rev it up while you check for exhaust coming out anywhere its not supposed to.

White_Hawk

iTrader: (3)

You definitely have an exhaust leak. I would try to find and fix the leak before spending money on cats. Adding cats is just going to give your exhaust more places to leak. Sometimes you can see the leaks because they will leave a little soot on the pipe where they come out. A LOT of headers leak where the collectors are welded on.

-Geoff

24KTA

iTrader: (7)

Leave the cats off, mine is catless 3 dual with X and dumped at rear, I smell gas too it is not a big deal to me. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for performance.