Exhaust/oil smell in cabin when engine gets up to temperature

[scbenoit]

My '04 Renegade has a puff of exhaust or oil smell when I turn the heat on and the engine gets to operating temperature.

I seem to have a few minutes of an oil or exhaust smell in the jeep when it gets up to temperature, then it disputes and is gone

jeep runs fine, doesn't over heat, temperature on gauge stays stable

its just the one shot of the odour

happens pretty much every time from a cold start in cooler months and winter

no such smell in the summer as the heat isn't on

AC runs fine in the summer with no odours

Any thoughts ? IS this a common problem, or an indicator of a bigger problem to come ? I've searched here but didn't see any similar topics.

thanks

Steve

 

[M38 Bob]

Somewhere, there's a tiny little oil leak onto a hot exhaust component. Usually involves valve covers and exhaust manifold.

Bob

 

[scbenoit]

Thanks Bob

I've been tracking a small leak so that may well be it

but why only in the winter ? the AC in the summer does't have the smell

Steve

 

[M38 Bob]

FIIK.

Bob

 

[scbenoit]

 

[tommudd]

Passenger side valve cover at the very rear corner , thats where most leak

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Passenger side valve cover at the very rear corner , thats where most leak

X2

Common leak - oil drips from the head back against the firewall and falls right on the catalytic converter. Smoke rises and is sucked into the cabin intake. I would surmise that you only smell it in the winter because the A/C kicks the electric fan on behind the radiator - which blows the smoke under the Jeep instead of allowing it to be sucked into the cabin intake.

Passenger side valve cover is the more difficult of the two to pull but there are How-To's here on the process. Maybe do the driver side first to see how it goes.

Bob

 

[nullptr]

Passenger side valve cover at the very rear corner , thats where most leak

^^^ This

The air inlet for the cab is on the passenger side at the top of the engine bay, so when the back-side passenger side of the valve cover starts leaking, you get oil smells.

 

[scbenoit]

Thank you guys

Thanks guys, that makes sense

And I believe it is leaking there ever so slightly - now to confirm it

 

[WestlakeOH]

I replaced my driver side cat on my 03 Liberty sport and when i'm at a stop I start getting an exhaust smell that I believe is leaking out of the clamp connection between the exhaust manifold and the top of the cat. This connection has that special u-shaped clamp that mates the flared lipped ends of the manifold and cat ends. Apparently there is no gasket that goes between these connections.

Recently I had to remove the starter which requires that the driver-side cat be removed to get the starter out. Before I re-install the cat, is there anything I could put on the two flange surfaces to eliminate the exhaust that is leaking out?

 

[JasonJ]

I replaced my driver side cat on my 03 Liberty sport and when i'm at a stop I start getting an exhaust smell that I believe is leaking out of the clamp connection between the exhaust manifold and the top of the cat. This connection has that special u-shaped clamp that mates the flared lipped ends of the manifold and cat ends. Apparently there is no gasket that goes between these connections.

Recently I had to remove the starter which requires that the driver-side cat be removed to get the starter out. Before I re-install the cat, is there anything I could put on the two flange surfaces to eliminate the exhaust that is leaking out?

You should copy and paste your post and create a new thread topic. It's kinda related, but not really to the one you pulled up from 2 years ago.

You'll get more views and responses that way.

As to your problem, if it is designed with no gasket, and all parts are in good shape, then it should work with no gasket and no leaks. I would check your mating surfaces, clean them, sand them if they are rusty, etc... then make sure your clamps are tightened enough.

My guess is that they aren't. Sometimes with exhaust clamps, you think it's damn tight.. but it needs a half turn more (but in your head you're thinking, any more and it'll snap!).. but it doesn't.