# Exhaust Fumes in Cabin



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

*2013 Cruze oil smell from heater*

*Bad a/c smell*

*Cruze Cabin Odors, Sources, and Resolution Summary*


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Finding an exhaust leak is as easy as finding a coolant leak. Provided you can visually examine the entire exhaust system. 

An exhaust leak will have traces of soot. Leaving a black trail. 

YOu can hear an exhaust leak. By sticking a rag at the end of the exhaust pipe and holding for a couple of seconds. Blocking off the exhaust. You might have a pin hole in the muffler and maybe in the convertor. Those are drain holes for moisture to leak out so moisture doesn't rust out the components from the inside. If you hear leaks at the pin holes those are normal. It's anywhere else that you might need to be concerned about. 

Course, examining the top of the exhaust is pretty difficult. Thus, none of the shops can see anything. 

A good confirmation of no exhaust leaks. Would be to take it to a shop with a emissions machine and have them do a manual emissions test on the entire exhaust system. If there's a leak. There will be emissions and the machine will pick it up. Before the convertor. If it's after. The machine probably won't find any HC or CO but SHOULD see changes in CO2.

I would also have the emission machine examine the entire fuel system and injectors. You might have a very small gas leak you're smelling and not the exhaust. Raw unburned gas will max the scales on the machine. 9,999 HC and 9.99 CO. 

HC being raw unburned fuel. HYDROCARBONS. CO being partial burned fuel. CARBON MONOXIDE. 

I'd also look for any possibility of an oil leak on to the exhaust. YOu might be smelling burning oil.


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## CrimzonBlur (Oct 13, 2011)

snowwy66 said:


> Finding an exhaust leak is as easy as finding a coolant leak. Provided you can visually examine the entire exhaust system.
> 
> An exhaust leak will have traces of soot. Leaving a black trail.
> 
> ...


I see. I don't know of any shops around me that may have the equipment to do that. I'll take a look at what I can and see if I see any oil leaking, or I'll take it to a different dealership and see what they can find out.

Just yesterday I had to replace the coolant outlet housing as the bottom hose connection snapped off completely and ended up leaving my wife, kids and myself stranded in the middle of nowhere.


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## Jshwaa (Jan 29, 2021)

CrimzonBlur said:


> 2011 Chevy Cruze LT with RS Package. For over a year now my car randomly let's exhaust fumes in to the cabin. I've noticed it happening mainly while the car is not in motion, and at any kind of an incline/decline. It also gets noticeably more potent when running my air conditioning. I took it to the dealership when I first noticed it early late 2016/ early 2017 and they told me it was a bad exhaust manifold gasket so I paid the obscene amount of money to have that replaced. Problem was still there but not as bad for a while. Now, last winter it got significantly worse, but still intermittent. I've since taken it to the dealership 5 times, and a 3rd party mechanic 6 times and every time they tell me they are unable to locate the source of the problem. Any chance someone knows more about what could be causing it? My wife and children are beginning to get sick when riding in my car, and I spend at least a few hours driving it every day so I need to remedy this asap.


It is the flex pipe in your exhaust, just past your exhaust manifold. The constant vibration it undergoes causes it to fail and leak exhaust near the air intake for your cabin’s heat and A/C. Unfortunately to repair it will require you to replace that section of exhaust, which has your oxygen sensor and catalytic converter. I found a muffler shop that cut out the flex pipe and welded a solid piece of pipe, so I saved money, but the vibration may cause the mounts to come loose sooner than they would with the flex pipe. No worries. When that happens, I’ll then replace the section with the flex. Hopefully by then they will have improved the quality of that section of exhaust.


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## Ambercrws (Aug 10, 2021)

CrimzonBlur said:


> 2011 Chevy Cruze LT with RS Package. For over a year now my car randomly let's exhaust fumes in to the cabin. I've noticed it happening mainly while the car is not in motion, and at any kind of an incline/decline. It also gets noticeably more potent when running my air conditioning. I took it to the dealership when I first noticed it early late 2016/ early 2017 and they told me it was a bad exhaust manifold gasket so I paid the obscene amount of money to have that replaced. Problem was still there but not as bad for a while. Now, last winter it got significantly worse, but still intermittent. I've since taken it to the dealership 5 times, and a 3rd party mechanic 6 times and every time they tell me they are unable to locate the source of the problem. Any chance someone knows more about what could be causing it? My wife and children are beginning to get sick when riding in my car, and I spend at least a few hours driving it every day so I need to remedy this asap.


Was this solved?


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