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Stopping a leaking exhaust manifold from entering the cabin air


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I have an '11 Vic that's leaking exhaust right where the exhaust manifold connects and the problem is it's getting into the cabin by way of the air heat / vent system. When the cars moving I get no exhaust in the vents at all. It only happens when I'm sitting still. For the time being (cold weather), instead of fixing the exhaust I'd just like to block the outside cabin air intake. Here's a pic taken through the outside air vents on the pass side right above the blower motor..


Is the wire mesh opening seen under the vent fins the only intake for the cabin air? My best idea is to cut some kind of hard plastic to match the shape and attach it with plastic epoxy resin. Exhaust smell in the cabin is fairly strong. Are there any other openings into the vent system I should be concerned about?

 

I have an '11 Vic that's leaking exhaust right where the exhaust manifold connects and the problem is it's getting into the cabin by way of the air heat / vent system. When the cars moving I get no exhaust in the vents at all. It only happens when I'm sitting still. For the time being (cold weather), instead of fixing the exhaust I'd just like to block the outside cabin air intake. Here's a pic taken through the outside air vents on the pass side right above the blower motor..
 
 
 
 
Is the wire mesh opening seen under the vent fins the only intake for the cabin air? My best idea is to cut some kind of hard plastic to match the shape and attach it with plastic epoxy resin. Exhaust smell in the cabin is fairly strong. Are there any other openings into the vent system I should be concerned about?
 

vic vent.JPG

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Thanks for the advice but I'm not sure I follow.  Far as I know the re-circulation intake vent only adds air to the vent system that's already in the vehicle.  I'm not sure how this would stop air from coming in from the exterior intake vent.

 

On another note...I've been told elsewhere I shouldn't do this because that exterior intake is the only way air gets into the car from the heater and AC coils.  Is this true?  I was thinking if I shut off the EXterior intake and wired the INterior intake open this would set things straight.

Edited by bradleyheathhays
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That picture under the cowl of the wire mesh is the intake air for the ac system. Chances are the fumes are being pulled in by the fan. Shutting that door will block that air flow and the fan will just use the air in the cabin. 

 

The trunk has flaps that allow air to enter and exit the vehicle also. Ideally you should fix the exhaust leak. But I would recommend to crack a window open to make sure enough fresh air gets in. However, making the recirculation door stay closed is no different than driving the car around on max ac all the time .

Edited by fordtech1
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Got into it and it seems like my internal intake door wasn't opening at all so I disconnected and wired it open and the heat got much better.  For the external I just opened the top cowl and put a zip lock bag over the vent and covered with a big sponge.  The top cowl squeezes it down and it'll be easy to remove.  Since my internal door had been stuck closed I guess all the air coming through the vents was outside air.  Wiring that door open definitely seemed to improve overall airflow. 

There's probably some other door issues in the dash because when it's set to floor it only comes out the vents.  Setting it to defrost only gets air coming out the vents as well.

Unfortunately the exhaust wasn't leaking so I'm not sure if this is gonna fix it or not.  There's some duct work in the engine bay going from the fan to the center of the firewall.  I wonder if a break somewhere in there could be the problem.

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