Horrible exhaust smell in the car, usual fixes already done

[Guest bastaad525]

72zcar - that sounds like a good idea. Tim240z suggested checking this buy putting some lithium grease around the seal as another way of testing where it's not sealing right. Adding some foam on the hatch side itself sounds like a good idea.

 

You know what's funny... before I spent the $150 for the replacement seal, I was using foam tubing back there. I went to the hardware store and found foam pipe insulation... it's the black tubing that goes over hot water pipes so people dont get burned. I just kinda 'clipped' that on over the edge of the same area you 'fold' the little flap of the factory hatch seal, and I had no exhaust smell after that. I'm thinking of ripping the seal off (bye bye $150) and going back to that method. The pipe insulation is very thick and rounded and really seals well along the whole edge... it didn't even look that bad, and it's cheap, $10 for enough to seal the whole hatch. if it wasn't for the money spent on the real seal I'd have done this already....

[Metallicar]

As a cheap, fast, and temporary fix for those leaky seals on the fire wall get a small tube of silicone caulk, The squeeze size, not a caulking gun size. Down the road, in the future you can peel it away to replace the seals.

 

So far a fogging the car, to find the leak, here is an good alternative. Go to a Plumbing and Heating supplier and ask for a small smoke candle. They use them to check for leaks in hot air heating units. The small candle will smoke for about 1 minute. They do not leave a long term smell in the car. Set the candle in a small pot before you light it and put it on the floor of the car. The candle should cost less than $5.00

[72zcar]

dont rip it off yet.. do what I said first with the flashlight. Use the real thin foam, (not 100% rubber, its to stiff) Put it on the underside of the hatch. This way you keep your 150$ seal and it looks stock.

[72zcar]

better yey put a slut in the back to watch for the light... "crawl in back and watch for the llight slut" ....hahahaha

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

That's tacky, go find something better to do.

[72zcar]

maybe but the idea is good and works.

Sorry i offended you Nic-Rebel450CA. Anyone else feel offended?

[EvilRufusKay]

I drove my Z today for the first time with the windows up. The exaust smell was pretty much gone!!! I opened the window and immediatly got blasted with that old familar stench!!! Like I said before my rear hatch sill has a good size hole on the drivers side and my seal is pretty much non existant. I now lean in the direction of just wind turbulance blowing it back in the windows. I work at a lab and sometimes do testing at a local wind tunnel. I think I will try to bribe the guy that runs it next time I go and blow fog over it at a wind velocity of 30-60 mph. If I can I will take some dig. pics and post them. That is if it's not snowing by then!!!!!!

 

I by the way was not offended

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

I've determined that my exhaust problem seems to be strictly turbulence related. I had my windows down and checked various RPM ranges and anything below about 3200 just gets horrible at any speed. This indicates to me that the exhaust at the lower RPMs just does not have enough velocity. I am going to try inserting a reducer inside of my exhaust tip as I think the tip that I have is too large in diameter (about 2 1/4" I.D.).

 

Does anyone know how small I can go before being restrictive on the exhaust system?

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

... I think I will try to bribe the guy that runs it next time I go and blow fog over it at a wind velocity of 30-60 mph.

 

If you get the opportunity to try this, take a look at the flow under the car, if possible. I am curious if the problem is more from the turbulent airflow under the car rather than over the car. It seems that this wasnt an issue when the cars debuted, but has become a problem since. I wonder if the removal of the chin (whatever) causes the airflow under the car to become much more turbulent and no longer flows well enough under the car to help the exhaust gases exit the rear of the car.

[Guest bastaad525]

I'd be very curious to see exactly what's going on also. My problem seems to happen most when I drive hard and then slow down. Or any time I decelerate really with the car in gear, the smell will usually be pretty bad. At a constant speed though, whether 30-40mph street cruising or up on the freeway, I never really smell it... only when I slow down or really get on it.

[72zcar]

bastaad525,

 

did u do what I suggested with the flashlight and foam strip?

[EvilRufusKay]

Does anyone who has this problem have a front air dam? Rear spoiler? rear valance?

[Guest bastaad525]

72zcar - no I haven't as I haven't been driving the car lately. Was waiting to find out about another problem I was having... turns out the rings on the #5 cylinder are bad... gonna have the block rebuild this friday. I have a feeling getting this done, and hence, eliminating the super stinky smoke of burning oil, will pretty much eliminate my exhaust problem. All I know is that it used to be bad, and then when I replaced the rear hatch and tail light seals, it had all but completely gone away. Then my motor started smoking, and the smell was so bad it's nearly undrivable.

 

EvilRufusKay - I have a front air dam

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

Does anyone who has this problem have a front air dam? Rear spoiler? rear valance?

 

Front spoiler, no valance, no spoiler.

 

I also asked BlueOvalZ about his Z and he has the same trouble but he indicated that he also has a lot of known holes. I think it is going to be important for those who are having problems with seals, etc to recognize that as the problem as opposed to those like myself who are only having trouble due to the airflow/turbulence.

 

Does anyone know exactly what the Z came with stock? I know that they had the chin pad that everyone removes, did they have anything like a valance near the rear? Anyone know anyone with a perfectly stock Z? Do they have any problems?

[Guest bastaad525]

oh dont get me wrong, I know there are holes... the rear is 95% taken care of, but I know all my seals on the firewall are bad or not there at all. Though I wonder, where would fumes come from up there? I also know that my door weatherstipping and the window seals too are pretty much gone, hence how it gets in the car sometimes even with the windows up.