I am getting exhaust fumes inside the cabin of my S2. I have visually and audibly checked the exhaust and exhaust manifold and both appear OK. I have also checked the rubber on the rear door/window and the rubber on the bonnet where it meets the firewall. Both seem fine. The fumes get worse if I have the sunroof open. The fumes are still there even with the sunroof closed and having travelled some distance at speed. Any ideas?

 

If you're really sure about your hatch gasket, I can only think of two other things to check...

Pull the rear carpet & be sure all the plastic plugs are in place in the spare & "luggage" wells.

Go under the dash & in the engine bay and inspect the firewall really closely; look for missing plugs or grommets. You may need to pull the front seats to be able to get far enough up under the dash... use a flashlight, and inspect every bit of the surface.

One other remote possibility... the rubber seal under the shifter boot??? I really don't recall the layout under the leather, but am fairly sure there's a seal of some sort.

You might also consider trying it for a while with the A/C system set on "recirculate." If this kills the odor, you may have a leak in the engine end of the exhaust syetem, being picked up by the fresh air inlet.

Jim, probably grasping at straws here...

 

I had the same problem, worse with the sunroof open, etc....

Replacing the rear hatch seal took care of the problem.

I would get a roll of cheap 3/4" gray foam on a roll and try that before buying the the seal (~75-80 bucks)