# Diesel Exhaust Smell in Cabin



## NYCruze2012 (Jan 16, 2012)

........and so it begins! Lol!

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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Was there another diesel vehicle near you at the time? In 12 months I haven't had any smell at all from my car. Maybe your particulate filter was self cleaning at the time?


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## nebojsa (Jan 3, 2011)

When i used to have a VW diesel, mine would smell also when sitting at a light. Could be from a another diesel next to you. At times i know it was me because i was the only one there and sometimes depends which way the wind blows.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I've noticed it three times now. It's ever so slight and I'm sometimes better at catching smells than my wife. 

Certainly the last time it as at a long light and I was the only car there.

I thought I read of someone else raising a similar observation in the past two weeks or so but I can't find her post.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

See what the fuel consumption is like and if worse than expected car may be running rich and need workshop attention.


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## Gator (Jul 14, 2013)

It may of been in regin mode at the time. You will get a heavy concentration of diesel to burn of the particles. I drive a semi and when it goes in regin mode it smells. Haven't had that yet in my cruze, but I'm 90% interstate driving in mine.


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## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

take the cover an foam pad off the top of the motor an have a look around for dampness in around fuel rail etc. just pops off.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I've only driven it about 300 miles now so I think it's too soon for regen. 

After driving it about an hour I stopped and lifted the hood with the engine at idle. I smelled fairly extensively around the running engine. There's a slight smell from the front of the engine but now I would describe it as a kind of new furnace smell. I'm guessing that it's some kind of assembly or shipping oils that are burning off. 

If the odour is still noticeable after 1,000 miles I'll investigate further.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Tomko said:


> I've only driven it about 300 miles now so I think it's too soon for regen.
> 
> After driving it about an hour I stopped and lifted the hood with the engine at idle. I smelled fairly extensively around the running engine. There's a slight smell from the front of the engine but now I would describe it as a kind of new furnace smell. I'm guessing that it's some kind of assembly or shipping oils that are burning off.
> 
> If the odour is still noticeable after 1,000 miles I'll investigate further.


I have not noticed this with mine. You might be right on about the assembly/shipping oils. New cars can really stink for the first few hundred miles.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I got stuck idling at the border today for a solid ten minutes. 

With the air conditioning on I did not notice any odour. The ventilation was set for outside air.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I just want to bring this one to a full circle conclusion in case a fellow member comes across this, or someone googling around for info happens across this thread. 

I now have 1,300 miles on my diesel. I've driven it with the A/C on, the heat on, as well as just the normal outside ambient air from the flow-through ventilation; rolling on the highway, stoped in construction, stuck in traffic, etc. 

I have not had a recurrence of the odours or smells that I first reported. I presume that they were some kind of assembly or shipping oils that have since burned off the engine. Whatever they were, they've not come back.


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## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

The only strange smell I've noticed is when someone farts ( pisses the wife off but I find it funny )


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## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

Slight, occasional exhaust smell is normal. The same thing happens in all cars. Wind shifts, HVAC picks up some vapors, etc.


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Its normal to get a whiff of what you are smelling is the CCV vapor common in the Diesel


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## titanman2789 (Oct 27, 2013)

I get this smell in my car. I like it. Diesel is awesome


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## Flapjack (Nov 20, 2013)

My first post here!

I actually found this forum searching for "oil burning smell" on Google.

I have not noticed even a whiff of diesel smell in the 300 miles I've driven mine (picked it up on Saturday), but I am getting an oil-burning smell.

It smells exactly like if you change your oil and spill some on the headers. For the first few miles, you get the burnt oil smell, but it goes away quick. This is not going away, though. I'm worried there is a steady drip of oil getting on something hot. It's not a full burnt oil smell... more of a fresh, warm oil smell.

Is the turbo in our cars oil-cooled/lubricated? I have twin 61mm Garrets in my Mustang, but never smell anything like this. It's thet persistence of the smell that concerns me...


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## VtTD (Nov 5, 2013)

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I was concerned about the same thing. The oil'ish smell would be pretty strong sometimes when I got out of the car if the wind blew in from the right direction. I would occasionally smell is mildly in the cabin. At around 1000 miles, or a few more, it went away. I'm up to 1700 or so and have not smelled it since. I did contact my dealer to be safe at around 700-800 miles. They suggested I could wait it out another day or two and that's when I started to notice it dwindling. Enjoy the car!



Flapjack said:


> My first post here!
> 
> I actually found this forum searching for "oil burning smell" on Google.
> 
> ...


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Flapjack said:


> My first post here!
> 
> I actually found this forum searching for "oil burning smell" on Google.
> 
> ...


I have 5,000 miles on mine now and haven't had a recurrence of the smell since sometime after 1,000 miles. 

I suggest that you give it a little more time and mileage. Given the cold weather it may take you a little longer than it took me to burn off the assembly and shipping oils. 

It is interesting to note that after driving my Cruze Diesel exclusively for a month or two, I started up my DTS and immediately noted gasoline exhaust smells that I had never noticed before. It seems my nose got accustomed to the clean diesel and was shocked by the the still clean, but different, gasoline exhaust odours.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Flapjack said:


> My first post here!
> 
> I actually found this forum searching for "oil burning smell" on Google.
> 
> ...


Welcome and enjoy your car! As others have said, this smell should go away after the assembly/shipping oils burn off.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Tomko said:


> ...It is interesting to note that after driving my Cruze Diesel exclusively for a month or two, I started up my DTS and immediately noted gasoline exhaust smells that I had never noticed before. It seems my nose got accustomed to the clean diesel and was shocked by the the still clean, but different, gasoline exhaust odours.


In cold weather, even the most modern gasoline engines put off a putrid smell until the cat "lights off." To me, it is far worse than any diesel smell.


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## titanman2789 (Oct 27, 2013)

Tomko said:


> I just want to bring this one to a full circle conclusion in case a fellow member comes across this, or someone googling around for info happens across this thread.
> 
> I now have 1,300 miles on my diesel. I've driven it with the A/C on, the heat on, as well as just the normal outside ambient air from the flow-through ventilation; rolling on the highway, stoped in construction, stuck in traffic, etc.
> 
> I have not had a recurrence of the odours or smells that I first reported. I presume that they were some kind of assembly or shipping oils that have since burned off the engine. Whatever they were, they've not come back.


Same here. I never get any diesel smell now like I did the first few weeks I owned the car

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## Flapjack (Nov 20, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. That is good to know. It's just something I've never experienced with other cars. I'm glad others have experienced it and that it has eventually gone away.


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## Tomahawkcmf (Jan 16, 2014)

*STRONG Diesel exhaust smell in cabin*



Tomko said:


> Anyone else experience this?
> 
> I get a very slight odour of diesel exhaust through the HVAC vents when stopped at a traffic light. It is like an untreated diesel smell from the old city buses.
> 
> ...



Hi all,
I just bought a 2014 Cruze diesel a few week ago and have very strong exhaust smell in the cabin of the vehicle. 
It has been worsening over the past few weeks since I bought it new.
It had 200 miles when I bought it (dealer test drives) and it has 1400 miles now.
I took my kid to a birthday party and we arrived I parked he car as I normally do.
After turning off the car I noticed the coolant fan was going full blast and white puffy some was coming out of the crack between the hood and driver side fender.(parking lot was not level, the driver side of the car was higher)
I thought the engine bay had caught on fire.
The smoke stopped after a few seconds but the fans stayed on for a minute longer. (Actie REGEN cycle had started?)
While the car is stopped or parked, with the A/C heater fan on inside the car, the smell of exhaust is very noticeable and irritates my eyes.
I need to open some windows and/or turn off the climate fan. 
While car is in motion there I no issue.
There are no lights or indications of any problems from the vehicle.
My mileage is an average of 43.2mpg combined over the 1200 miles I've owned it.
Could this be a crack in the particulate filter or maybe a bad gasket somewhere?
Has anyone ever heard f anything this with the Cruze?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Tomahawkcmf said:


> Hi all,
> I just bought a 2014 Cruze diesel a few week ago and have very strong exhaust smell in the cabin of the vehicle.
> It has been worsening over the past few weeks since I bought it new.
> It had 200 miles when I bought it (dealer test drives) and it has 1400 miles now.
> ...


This is something that I would see my dealer about in the next day or two.


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

What you are Smelling is the EGR/CCV Fumes . When the system is left intact from Factory , youl will smell this and it will get worse as time goes on hence I have said this MANY TIMES that the CCV must be addressed for reason like this . 1 Keeps water and muck out of your inner cooler 2 Ask any one that has a Diesel what the CCV/EGR does to a Diesel hence why people do EGR deletes or mods to resolve this issue . 
The day I got my my Diesel , this was the first thing I did so I would not have any issues .. never has any smells other then my air freshener in the car. EGR/CCV is run a muck to a Diesel . Google TDI clogged intake and see what a mess this does to a diesel even with ULSD . If you at least address the CCV and do a by pass ,your diesel will thank you down the line . Keep the muck out of the system so that you wont have to ahem (Embrace The Suck).


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

GotDiesel? said:


> What you are Smelling is the EGR/CCV Fumes . When the system is left intact from Factory , youl will smell this and it will get worse as time goes on hence I have said this MANY TIMES that the CCV must be addressed for reason like this . 1 Keeps water and muck out of your inner cooler 2 Ask any one that has a Diesel what the CCV/EGR does to a Diesel hence why people do EGR deletes or mods to resolve this issue .
> The day I got my my Diesel , this was the first thing I did so I would not have any issues .. never has any smells other then my air freshener in the car. EGR/CCV is run a muck to a Diesel . Google TDI clogged intake and see what a mess this does to a diesel even with ULSD . If you at least address the CCV and do a by pass ,your diesel will thank you down the line . Keep the muck out of the system so that you wont have to ahem (Embrace The Suck).


You're dead nuts right Manny about issues from EGR/CCV but what this guy is experiencing has nothing to do with the muck that builds up from that over the course of 100,000 miles or more...he's got 1,500 miles on his car. 

Call your dealer asap poster...


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

The smell does come from this and if you do a at least CCV bypass , the only smell you will get is from Diesel fumes . Now on my car I do smell Diesel fumes and yes its stinks.


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## Tomahawkcmf (Jan 16, 2014)

Thanks for all your inputs.
I found the problem! 
The alignment of the exhaust manifold pipe to the turbo was off by several degrees.
This is surely a factory fitment problem.

The band clamps had to be loosened, parts realigned and then tighten the clamps back down.
Problem solved, for now...
I wonder if my mileage will go up or down now... place your bets!


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## Tomahawkcmf (Jan 16, 2014)

How do I do the EGR/CCV bypass? Any photos you can send or post?
I did it on my 2 Mercedes Sprinters by creating a block off plate from an old steel shelf.
Both of them have 300k miles on original engines.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Tomahawkcmf said:


> Thanks for all your inputs.
> I found the problem!
> The alignment of the exhaust manifold pipe to the turbo was off by several degrees.
> This is surely a factory fitment problem.
> ...


Wow, that's interesting. I wonder how that one gut by QC. Someone was sleeping at the factory that day. Did you happen to get a pic?


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## Tomahawkcmf (Jan 16, 2014)

diesel said:


> Wow, that's interesting. I wonder how that one gut by QC. Someone was sleeping at the factory that day. Did you happen to get a pic?


Sorry, no pictures but imagine a lot of diesel exhaust soot around the band clamp that holds the exhaust manifold pipe to the exhaust inlet of the turbo.
I took to the dealer and they took lots of pictures and sent it to Chevy/GM headquarters. Apparently, this was the first time this particular issue has been found on the Cruze diesel.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Tomahawkcmf said:


> Sorry, no pictures but imagine a lot of diesel exhaust soot around the band clamp that holds the exhaust manifold pipe to the exhaust inlet of the turbo.
> I took to the dealer and they took lots of pictures and sent it to Chevy/GM headquarters. Apparently, this was the first time this particular issue has been found on the Cruze diesel.



Someone at the factory is gonna get into trouble


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

Mine has started doing this when I remote start it. 

By the time I lock the front door of the house and walk the driveway and get in the car, there is a smell of diesel exhaust in the car. Driving around and even stopped around town, it doesn't smell in the cab.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Check the bolts connecting the exhaust pipe to the SCR catalyst. They are underneath the passenger compartment. A number of CTDs have been found with a broken bolt at this connection and it may be the cause of the odours you are detecting.


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## CruzeDan (May 17, 2015)

I sometimes get a huge whiff of diesel exhaust smell in the morning when I remote start my Cruze, then I look over to my neighbors and see his Jetta TDI running.......


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

diesel said:


> Someone at the factory is gonna get into trouble


No they're not. They're UAW - which means that there are no consequences. Being an engineer working for an auto manufacturer, we deal with that _all the time_. Yet, if we were to mess up just a tiny bit, it's as if you unleashed **** personally.

More than likely, it'll come back on engineering because the plant worker was too lazy to do their job right and able to screw it up. Seen that plenty of times.


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## LulzT1 (Aug 24, 2015)

mp81 said:


> diesel said:
> 
> 
> > someone at the factory is gonna get into trouble
> ...


preach !! Lol


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

The engine will spray fuel into the exhaust periodically (like a regen, to keep the cat and dpf nice and hot).

A leak before the dpf and cat is thus really nasty. What you are smelling is completely unburnt diesel fuel on top of the standard diesel exhuast. The same white smoke that greets your nostrils when you are following a poorly maintained school bus.


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## justin13703 (May 2, 2016)

MP81 said:


> No they're not. They're UAW - which means that there are no consequences. Being an engineer working for an auto manufacturer, we deal with that _all the time_. Yet, if we were to mess up just a tiny bit, it's as if you unleashed **** personally.
> 
> More than likely, it'll come back on engineering because the plant worker was too lazy to do their job right and able to screw it up. Seen that plenty of times.


I wasn't gonna reply because he posted that comment years ago, but you did it for me lol. Thats exactly what I was gonna say. Whoever messed that part up will absolutely not get into trouble. In factories, production ALWAYS beats quality these days. It's sad but true.


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

Pulled the heat shield off the turbo, there is zero soot there. 

But the stench in the A.M. after remote starting is getting worse. Today the wife and I left together, she got in the car and 1st words were what's that stink. I've noticed it before obviously, but now she is noticing it.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Does it smell out the back?

Not saying you should be breathing diesel fumes, but trying to narrow it down... If it smells out the back you have major problems. Likely need a new dpf or maybe even new injectors.

If not, then it's just a leak. Likely before dpf, maybe even before the turbo if it's really strong.... At that point you may as well take it to the dealer.


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

No smell out the back and the tailpipe is clean. 

The car is out of warranty at this point and the dealers here in Vegas are about as qualified as a pepboys lube tech with this car.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Hmm well....If you cheked the V band. Could also try tightening the sensors on the dpf. There will be four of them, but don't bother with the big one (third one in) unless you can loosen it by hand.

If that's not it then it has to be pre turbo. The manifold or EGR. Of course I don't have your nose... If it's a smell that makes your breath stop short then its usually before the dpf. Mainly cause the engine will do a partial regen until the engine is warm, and regens are smelly if there isn't a dpf to burn the fuel.

Also... Lemme get a picture...


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

http://i.imgur.com/dBhnXyJ.jpg

So had the dpf not been there, this is what you would see. On the right is another sensor, that is basically another EGT for the EGR I believe (could be wrong). Whatever it is, might be leaking. The entire manifold could be leaking where it meets the engine, or it could be leaking at the turbo. Hope this helps.


edit: yes that is the pre egr cooler temp sensor.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Maybe time for a smoke test?


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## Cruzator (Dec 31, 2014)

Seems like I read on here a while ago that somebody had a cracked exhaust manifold (not sure if it was a diesel or not).


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

Gonna throw it up on ramps and get under it. Yesterday afternoon and today, each time using the remote start, I could swear I saw a puff/wisp of smoke from under the car behind the right front tire. 

Today paying closer attention to the smell, it has a different stench than my 04 Ram cummins...more chemical in nature. Gonna check under for anything lose or broken bolts etc.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Does it smell like piss? If so, that's about what DEF smells like.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

smkn600ctd said:


> Gonna throw it up on ramps and get under it. Yesterday afternoon and today, each time using the remote start, I could swear I saw a puff/wisp of smoke from under the car behind the right front tire.
> 
> Today paying closer attention to the smell, it has a different stench than my 04 Ram cummins...more chemical in nature. Gonna check under for anything lose or broken bolts etc.


Try to get a video of it making that puff of smoke.


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

Jacked it up, looked around...not signs of soot. The bolts under there at the front of the car and the Urea injector were solid. The flex joint was clean. One would think if there was leak, you would see soot or hear a ticking, but I guess with all of the emissions crap on the car it would muffle a ticking exhaust noise. 

It smells like ol' school diesel exhaust with a touch of "something".


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