The smell of exhaust gases in the car: what to check and how to fix

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

During the trip, the smell of exhaust gases began to be felt in the car? It is worth paying attention to this alarm signal, taking a number of important actions. Almost every driver faces this problem, you need to figure out how to deal with it quickly and efficiently.

Finding out the reasons

One of the culprits of such an unpleasant incident as the smell of exhaust gases in the car is a dirty cabin filter. It is located behind the glove compartment, by dismantling which you can make sure that it is clean or needs to be replaced. What if the filter is clean?

1. The broken tightness of the exhaust system results in unpleasant "aromas". It's all about the laying of the exhaust pipe: during the movement it can be damaged.
2. Also, the passage of gases into the machine occurs due to defects in the exhaust manifold.
3. Burn-through corrugation allows exhaust to enter the cabin with the windows closed. Diagnosesuch moments can be heard by hearing the increased noise of the motor.

The way out of the situation is a repair to restore the tightness of the system.

Secrets of rubber bands

Worn rubber seals are most often to blame for the smell of exhaust gases in the car. During the trip, the pressure in the cabin is reduced compared to atmospheric values. This is due to the fact that air enters due to the operation of the heater, exits through the valves. When pressure indicators decrease, air flows are directed to the passenger compartment.

The rubber bands on the doors and rear lights dry out, crack and allow exhaust gases to freely enter the car. Replacing rubber bands is the only right decision.

A couple of tips for repairing the muffler clamp

The exhaust system is of great importance for comfortable driving: it reduces engine noise, removes smoky formations. The muffler clamp is often damaged in the design, a malfunction of which can cause, in addition to damage to the air in the cabin, an increase in the temperature of the escaping gases from the cylinders. Failure of this part leads to depressurization of the entire system. The most difficult thing is when this trouble happened directly on the way. It is far from the car service, and it is impossible to drive with a damaged clamp.

The best advice if there is a smell of exhaust gases in the car is to have cold welding in the glove compartment. The adhesive composition easily glues metal parts, transferring hightemperatures and high loads. The damaged area is cleaned of rust and soot, glue is applied. It is important to do this with gloves. After the procedure, you need to wait 1 hour and move on.

You can use ceramic tape soaked in water. The tape is repeatedly wrapped around the defective area. Some use sealant. You need to wait about half an hour for it to dry.

Diagnostic measures

How can a driver understand the causes of problems with the car's exhaust system device on their own?

• It is necessary to check the tightness of the pipes, rocker boot. It is not advised to touch the pipes with your hands - during the operation of the power unit, they have a high temperature. You can check for leaks by running your hand through the air.
• Sometimes it doesn't hurt to look in the trunk. Seals in station wagons, hatchbacks suffer from wear more often compared to other car brands. Checking ventilation with non-return valves will give a positive result.
• In older cars, it is recommended to remove the plastic luggage "pocket". The vehicle rusts, the holes obtained during operation are another reason for the smell of exhaust gases to appear in the cabin and eliminate this trouble.

You can patch the seals on the rear windows using Liquid Nails glue. Sometimes the car smells like rotten eggs. What is this?

Removing the special "aroma"

Exhaust fumes can smell differently and the above odor indicates a hydrogen sulfide leak. So the time has comedo the catalytic converter. The designers came up with a unit to reduce the accumulation of harmful substances during the operation of the internal combustion engine. Low-quality fuel provokes a breakdown of the device. Driving with a damaged device will significantly increase fuel consumption. Flushing and installing blende will help eliminate the problem. Flushing measures are justified in the case when the resistance to exhaust gases is increased. It won't work in a broken situation.

In a snag, a metal device, a lambda probe is placed that deceives the electronics, but this gives a chance to get to the nearest car service to repair the catalyst. Replacement will not be cheap, so it is important to control all the components and mechanisms of the “swallow”, visit the service station on time for diagnostics and maintenance.

It often smells of gasoline due to a gas tank leak, you should not be lazy and often look into this device. Sweet "aroma" will tell about the leakage of antifreeze. It is recommended to inspect the radiator and cooling system hoses. The "engine" eventually overheats, fuel consumption is tangible for the driver's wallet. Careful attitude to the vehicle will help not to "miss" serious malfunctions and save you from high material costs for repairs.