Exhaust Leak? Any tips/tricks

For the past couple of months I have a faint odor of exhaust coming through the fresh air vents (I have an aftermarket hood with an open cowl by the windshield) - particularly if the HVAC is set for outside air upper vent). It is really only noticable when I stop and have the windows up - cant smell it at all in motion. I do get a particularly bad blast immediately after a morning startup. I have smelled around under the hood and I seem to detect a faint oder from the pass side bank - but with the alternator creating air turbulance its tough to tell.

I can't imagine it's too far down the line cause the morning smell is immediate - NOT like its creeping in from somewhere. Anyone have any tricks for finding a leak?

They make a machine that puts a white smoke in your tailpipe, and it will leak out where you have a hole. The machine is really expensive but you can use a fog machine if you have one or if you know if anyone else has one, it works just as good!

Hope that helps.


M

you could spray the exhaust down with a solution of soapy water and then start it and look for bubles. but dont forget the egr, egr tube and the air tubes

^ I like that idea.. :thumb:

I've allways used the method of having a friend w/ a fist full of rags cover the tips for short periods and you can roam around underneath and listen/look for leaks. Watch for black suit or black marks around the connections.

I'm getting it underhood. I have looked over the connections underneath and they seem good. I'm guessing exhaust manifold? I was able to get about 1/8 turn on the pass rear bolt - but the others are all but inaccessible without disassembly.
I don't know about the soapy water on the manifold - it's stock and I can't see low enough for that to do any good.
I do like that smoke in the tailpipe - that sounds cool - if I could make it work.

you could spray the exhaust down with a solution of soapy water and then start it and look for bubles. but dont forget the egr, egr tube and the air tubes
Seems to me that the heat would evaporate all of your soapy water long before enough pressure built up to show the leak.

Watch for black suit

:think:

http://www.legalmoviesdownloads.com/movie_screenshots/Men_in_Black/Men_in_Black_1.jpg

Seems to me that the heat would evaporate all of your soapy water long before enough pressure built up to show the leak.


usually it will work, but if not a combination of that and this will show it for sure



I've allways used the method of having a friend w/ a fist full of rags cover the tips for short periods.

usually i just listen real close and i can locate and then feel where it is leaking though

better yet, pour some seafoam through the TB, you will deffinatly see where its coming from, and also do some cleaning at the same time