deltawedge

When I first got my car, the valve cover gaskets were leaking on the heat exchangers and the smell of oil in the car would make my clothes smell like oil. To remedy this, I blocked the heater tubes after the vents (the ones that blow piping hot air from underneath the motor). The classic smell inside the car remains, but no smell of freshly burned oil (I later fixed the leaking covers). The only downside is no heat, but in So Cal, not much of an issue.

Robin 993DX

Ken's post lite up another light bulb on my head. During the oil change process the right side hearter (rubber section) tube is removed in order to get to the 2nd oil filter, when removing the 2nd oil filter there is a possibility some of the oil may fall to the metal heater tube and remain on the kink bend on the bottom of the tube and that will cause a lot of oil smell into the inside of the car. You will have to lift the car up at least on one side, remove the rubber hose and then slide a shop rag into the metal tube see if you can soak up any oil to see if that was the culpit.

You are welcome to come over to my place so we can take a look at it.

B2

Robin - Thanks for your generous offer. I may take you up on it.

It's not as strong a smell as some of those described here.

But I still catch a whif now and then. It just maybe normal. My son never notices it when he's with me. Yesterday, I took out a new gal (who owns an '04 Boxster!) and she didn't notice it. Of course, I wasn't paying attention to anything but her; a beautiful blond that drives a Porsche! Go figure!

I'm going to have Bill Brewster take a look at it this week.

If this doesn't pan out, I'm coming straight to you! Always fun seeing you, plus I'm still bummed I missed the Big Party!

FotoVeloce

My 964 has 'the smell', my 993 seems to be trying to kill me. After I installed the aftermarket exhaust I at first just smelled some of the sealer that I used on the gasketes and the doughnuts (did the smame thing on the 964) but the smell never really quit and I'm wondering if I have a cracked pipe in the heat exchangers letting exhaust into the car?

I do not notice it all with the windows up, but when down, some one yesterday said I smelled of fuel! :0

I've been searching threads and this looks promising but.. no suggestions on where to look or how to test for exhaust infiltration. Is there some sort of sniffer I can use inside the car, or should I just go to the FBO and buy a CO card and hang in on the dash and hope the color never changes?

I'd but I can't find anything really related to this potentional problem.

I did work on the suspension and dropped down the heater vents but I'm sure (I guess I should double/tripple check) I put it all back together again properly.

I also have an exhaust crackle on some decell and the occastional upshift, which makes me wonder if one of the flanges is leaking... I'll see if I can determine if that is the case, again not sure what the proper diagnostic proceedure for that is, the only thing I'm thinking to do is look for soot around the flanges. *shrug*

Suggestions?

FotoVeloce

Anyone have any suggestions?

So far I can't find a leak, and I don't seem to smell it with the windows up and the heater on. I did notice the window seal around the rear was indented in two spots near the top of the window.. is it possible it could be drawing fumes in there? I did notice that the rear window's interior was really REALLY nasty with what looked like it could be exhaust byproduct!