exhaust smell

[dfbdavid38]

i have a 93 accord thats not been running to good now i have noticed that i can smell exhaust in my car i dont have any leeks or crakes in the system i also dont have the converter on it either so where is the smell coming from so if any one can give the right path to go down please let me know

Topic

[dreamer2355]

What happened to the converter?

If you know for sure its an exhaust smell, it has to be leaking somewhere for you to smell it inside the vehicle. Does it sound louder than usual?
Do you have an oil leaks or anything going on inside the engine bay that could be burning off causing another type of odor?

[brian.hawes]

+1 to dreamers reply
Get a cheap stethoscope, pull out the rod, and run the hose around the whole exhaust system, this will amplify any leaks that you can’t see. If you have exhaust gas in the cabin there has to be a leak somewhere.

[EricTheCarGuy]

To find exhaust leaks I usually plug the tail pipe with a shop rag while the engine is running and listen for leaks. If it stalls then you probably don’t have any leaks. It’s not a good idea and is illegal in some states to run your car without a cat.

[pcmdjason]

If you’re sure there’s no exhaust leaks, then like was said above, look for oil burning off the engine.

[mckrishes]

My 99 civic had an exhaust smell on the inside. At first I couldn’t find any visible leaks. Then I removed the number one oxygen sensor and was able to find a big crack in it that was covered by that sensor.

[Trcustoms719]

Quoted From EricTheCarGuy:

To find exhaust leaks I usually plug the tail pipe with a shop rag while the engine is running and listen for leaks. If it stalls then you probably don’t have any leaks. It’s not a good idea and is illegal in some states to run your car without a cat.

I do the same thing with the palm of my hand.. haha

[Shaun_300]

Yup, blocking the tailpipe is a great way to find an exhaust leak. Could be a very small leak at the manifold gasket or exhaust donut in the engine area. Running it without a cat makes the exhaust smell 10 times worse than it usually is, so it could even just be that.

[Author]

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