Diesel Exhaust Smell Inside Car or Fuel Smell in Car??

Diesel smell in car. If you are experiencing a strong exhaust smell or are smelling exhaust fumes in the cabin of your car, or maybe you have noticed exhaust smell or fumes coming through the heater vents especially when you pull up to a stop sign or traffic lights?
All of the above points to the possibility of Diesel leaking from the engine.
You see, when you have a Diesel leak on the engine, which could by a leaking fuel injector or a leaking fuel injector pump or leaking fuel filter, the fuel often falls onto the warm engine and evaporates quickly. Your car’s heater fan then pushes these fumes into the car through the heater vents and it is particularly strong when the car isn’t moving, as the fumes build up under the bonnet due to the lack of air movement.
These fuel vapors can smell like exhaust fumes in car or just a general Diesel smell inside car, depending on how sensitive you nose is!
In this video, I will show you how to inspect the 3 most likely areas for there to be a leak, which are:
👉 Leaking fuel filter and / or fuel lines
👉 Leaking fuel injector connections
👉 Leaking high pressure fuel pump.
AND Spoiler alert - The leak on my car was on the fuel filter, so I will show you how I fixed my leaking fuel filter.
The car / engine that features in this “Diesel smell in car” video is a Mercedes Diesel, which has the OM642 engine as fitted to the W203 C class and the C209 CLK Mercedes CDI cars.
BUT the contents of this video should be applicable to other vehicles because I will explain the 3 high probably Diesel leak areas mentioned above in general terms and tell you what to look for on your car.
So, if your cars smells like exhaust, do these checks first and you may well be able to DIY solve your problems quickly with very little cost, just like I did!
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Diesel Exhaust Smell inside Car or Fuel Smell in Car?
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DISCLAIMER Please note that this video and its content is intended for information purposes only. Although every effort is made to ensure that all the information is correct, there is no guarantee that this is the case. This video should not be considered a substitute for seeking independent advice or the services of a professional. Any work that you carry out on your vehicle or vehicles in your care is at your own risk.

[@ReviveMyRide]

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[@geoffnoyes520]

Yes, l had a problem with a leaking injector, so l thought I should have it checked out, but the urologist said it was nothing to worry about 😊.

[@TheGuy030770]

Another thing that may also cause a fuel smell in the cab is a bad injector crush washer. This can be found by inspecting around the injectors for what is known as ‘The Black Death’, a gooey when warm, hard as a rock when cool substance that looks like black lava around the injectors.

[@ReviveMyRide]

@TheGuy030770 Thanks for reminding me of this! As it happens, I have fixed Black Death before and made a DIY video on here to show how to do it. Completely forgot that it can also cause a diesel smell inside the car! 😖

[@wonkylommiter6364]

Many Thanks for this! I just got a 1.6D Volvo V50, seems great apart from a bit of an exhaust type smell occasionally, so will check for anything obvious like a fuel leak as flagged up in your vid.

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hi, the heater vent test is quite a good one because if you smell it come through the vents, it narrows the problem down to under the bonnet. In addition to the “common fuel leak areas” another area that I see mentioned quite a lot is the DPF valve. My car is pre DPF, so I wasn’t able to show it. Hope that helps! Thanks, Phil

[@ReviveMyRide]

@@danlandmand yep, mine was leaking from one of the fuel hoses where it goes onto the fuel filter. I removed the hose from the filter, snipped off about 10-15mm of the hose, pushed them back onto the filter and put the clamps back on - fixed the issue! 👍

[@ReviveMyRide]

@@danlandmand sorry! Was replying on my phone and missed that! Hope you are able to help each other out with the info! 👍

[@wonkylommiter6364]

@@danlandmand In my case, a diesel injector was a bit loose, I tightened the two hold down nuts a bit and the exhaust smell in the car has gone, but ideally it will need a new copper seal washer on that injector. another 2 injector's clamp nuts could be tightened a bit too.

[@ryanh3285]

Likely injector seal leak on that engine

[@haroldm2441]

Great job on the video, very informative. Thank you.

[@ReviveMyRide]

Thanks so much! ☺️

[@ersingokay2670]

excellent information. Thank you for creating and sharing the video. We greatly appreciate that. God bless you and your family

[@ReviveMyRide]

Thanks very much for the kind comment. Glad you liked the video and best wishes to you and yours as well! 🙏

[@user-ho9ku3hj7p]

Hi. Had the same issue with the left hose, also fixed like you. Works fine more than one year after that. Good job!

[@ReviveMyRide]

Ah ha! Thanks for sharing, it must be a common issue! Thanks, Phil

[@ognick466]

Was it a diesel smell or exhaust smell you were having?

[@mymusic3354]

I had an old truck way back in the day, exhaust fumes came into the cab through the vents.... checking around the engine it was an exhaust pipe that connected to the EGR valve that was messed up and the fumes weren't all getting sent into the EGR valve but leaking out under the hood and then getting sent into the cab through the vents. it was easy to find the problem but a real pain to fix it.

[@ReviveMyRide]

I can imagine, anytime you start messing with the exhaust system, usually up behind the engine, it becomes really difficult to get to and to work on! I can understand why EGR was introduced but it does seem to lead to a lot of various different problems. Thanks, Phil

[@neilzappa2480]

A good vid to tackle the fuel smell 👃. Was hoping for exhaust smell too 😢

[@ReviveMyRide]

ok, sorry about that. Wasn't trying to mislead anyone, a lot of people think they have an exhaust smell / leak when it is actually fuel! Depends on how good your nose is! Thanks, Phil

[@hassiri]

Open the trunk of your car remove the carpet you’ll see vent holes on both sides of. Cover the holes with tape or anything and the smell won’t get inside anymore.

[@loadingmikke7451]

Im just found this video because I'm sitting in my car outside a gas station. smelling that exaust smell, kinda pleasant, getting sleepy.😂

[@ReviveMyRide]

😵‍💫 You're making me feel scared! 😳 Hope you survived...

[@loadingmikke7451]

@Revive My Ride im alright. x) just a joke, but not really. I'm gonna have to check it though. It's not like that every time i sit in my car, just sometimes. Perhaps more when foggy/wet air outside for some reason.

[@ReviveMyRide]

@@loadingmikke7451 Glad you're still alive and kicking lol! Just an idea, maybe the fog etc is actually smog? Do you live in a big city? Could be it's the air outside and not your car? Diesel leak smell would pretty much be every time you used your car... Cheers, Phil

[@britishmick]

HI buddy, great video, I have discovered my issue is a leaky injector that's pooling fuel in the little well that surrounds the injector and the burning off and the fumes are coming in to the cabin!. I'm currently using recirculating air flow as opposed to drawing the air from the engine which helps greatly until I can afford the fix 👍

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hi @britishmick Thanks for sharing, good information for anyone reading through the comments who has similar issues. BTW, regarding the fuel injector leak, most fuel injectors have a high pressure connection for the fuel feed, right in the middle at the top, sometimes a little extra turn on the securing nut is enough to stop the leak. Make sure you do this with engine off and don't go too crazy with the turning torque to avoid damaging anything. Another possibility (and the more likely one) is a worn "O" ring on the return line connection. This connection is also at the top of the injector but usually comes off at a right angle. It has a little "collet" which you compress and then you can remove it and replace the "O" ring inside the fitting. So, if you are lucky, you may find that the repair isn't too time consuming or expensive... Thanks, Phil

[@chamindamunasinghe]

Thanks

[@Shwen777]

Thank you for this vid

[@ReviveMyRide]

you're welcome! Cheers for the comment 🙂

[@Herbertti3]

I got diesel car in the summer and I really like it but now in winter the exhaust smells pungent and makes se squint my eyes and cough. Its not black or anything, invisible or white but really pungent. Its not coming from blower but if I open window to smoke its immediately horrid. I know smoker complaining about exhaust smell but I'm just wondering if car is alright. It passed emissions but just barely.

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hi, I'm really not sure about this one. If it was a diesel leak or fumes in the engine compartment, you would definitely smell it very strongly when you use the air blower. Therefore, it sounds like the smell is coming from the exhaust (middle of car) but I suspect you would be able to hear a leaking exhaust. Maybe a fuel line leak? Sorry I can't be more help!

[@Professor-Scientist]

Great video and presentation! I have a strong diesel smell in my 2010 Jag XF 3.0d. Without inspection I'm assuming it could be an EGR leak as engine management was consistently showing EGR codes and then stopped, then I started to smell diesel in the cabin. My local garage told me it takes 8 hours of labour to remove and replace the EGR valve plus £550 for a new valve. I would love your advise on this or even better a vid on how to remove and inspect/clean/replace gaskets. I'm told The EGR on the Jag is particularly hard to access and remove, hence the high amount of labour involved. Thanks in advance

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hi and thanks for your comment! I haven't had any exposure to the DPF problems yet. My old CLK is a 2007 (no DPF) and I now have a newer Merc (2018) and so I haven't had the issue yet! Did some reading and WOW, I'm not sure where to start! To your question: The valve is just part of the system and if it turns out not to be the problem, that is a big outlay of cash if the problem isn't resolved. There are a lot of companies about now that will clean and service your DPF (still not cheap though) and Terraclean has been mentioned a lot. I'm afraid all you can do is, read up on it a lot and then make the best informed choice you can on your next course of action. I found this to be a good thread on the topic: www.jaguarownersclub.com/forums/topic/15055-dpf-how-bad-does-it-get/ Really sorry I can't be of more help, I don't have a Jag and I haven't had to deal with this issue yet. Hope this reply helps a little bit, best of luck with it! Phil

[@MotorScotti]

I have the same diesel smell issue on my 2010 XF 3.O Diesel. Have you found the cause? I'll investigate shortly.

[@erikgarcia6537]

2010 Audi Q7 TDI also have a exhaust smell when heat on.

[@ReviveMyRide]

Sure sign of a problem under the bonnet! The fuel filter is the best place to start (if your car has one under the bonnet) because you change it by sliding the hoses off of the old one and then back onto the new one again. After doing it a few times, the hose can start to get worn. The other place to look is the DPF valve, if you do a lot of short journeys, it could be due a clean. I’ve heard the DPF can cause this smell too but don’t have any direct experience (yet!) thanks, Phil

[@verdej2057]

My 2011 Q7 has this problem, very smelly when the heating is on. The smell is strongest under the drivers side. Makes me think a DPF issue, seems to be getting worse and I do mostly short journeys

[@DanPeal1]

nice and clear!

[@ReviveMyRide]

Thanks!

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

I only get exhaust smells when I do a really cold start. When the engine warms up, the smell goes away.

[@CB19087]

Very helpful. Thank you. My van is stinking!

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hope you get it sorted! Yeah diesel fumes do really stink! 😷

[@easternmovementprinciples4799]

Thank you !

[@ReviveMyRide]

No probs, hope the vid helped you! 👍

[@BrusselsSouth]

My problem of a w210 was the injectors ring down the engine. I replaced all four of them.

[@ReviveMyRide]

Yep, good point. Sometimes the issue, can be leaking fuel injector seals. If this is the problem, usually you will see carbon build up around one or more of the fuel injectors. You did the right thing to replace all of them 👍

[@GreenAlexPower]

hello sir, my Suzuki Swift 2014 diesel smells like diesel exhaust insinde car.... i will take it to a mechanic because i know little about cars... What are the most common problems causing that smell ?

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hi! Well, one of the potential causes can be a diesel leak somewhere under the bonnet and I covered what I felt were the 3 most likely areas for this to occur during the video. However, another area that I have "heard" can be a common cause is a blocked DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter). These collect particles from the exhaust (to be better for the environment) and rely on long runs for the exhaust to get hot enough to burn them off and self clean. If you are doing a lot of short journeys in your car, then the DPF can become blocked and cause Diesel smell and this may be your problem. Sometimes taking the car out for a good long motorway journey can help it. More information here (but I have never used this company, I just thought it was a good Blog Post). www.sinspeed.co.uk/blog/dpf-cleaning-service/ Hope that helps some! Phil

[@rickharrison6325]

Blocked air filtter

[@rbrood267]

Ah yes. Same engine. Hope ill find the same issue. I get nausious after a while and gets me crazy... My passengers dont seem to have it so they think im crazy. Ill let you know (injector washers are replaced)

[@ReviveMyRide]

Good luck with it! Hopefully it is just one of the hoses onto the fuel filter... Thanks, Phil

[@rickharrison6325]

Hi..iv got a kia sportage 2010 crdi..when i accelerate down the motorway i get smoke from exhaust then when i stop at lights i get fumes smell in the car?? Any ideas please

[@ReviveMyRide]

Based on your description, it's unlikely that you have a leak under the bonnet but I would look anyway and check the key areas I mentioned in the video. Remember to check straight away after you have stopped the car, as the diesel does evaporate off quickly (although it often leaves a oily residue behind). Apart from that, I'm afraid there are a lot of things that can cause smoke out of the back on a diesel. Two of the main ones are a blocked DPF and fuel injectors that need a clean. Sorry, I haven't done videos on this topic but should should be able to find some on KZbin and maybe even ones specifically showing your Kia. Hope that helps! Thanks, Phil

[@rickharrison6325]

@@ReviveMyRide thanks phil...when i stopped at lights i could smell the fumes in the car..but when you get out and lift the bonnett its gone..it splutters a little bit as well you you accelerate so it could be the injectors???

[@ReviveMyRide]

@@rickharrison6325 Hi Rick, I'm wary about leading you astray as I haven't worked on one of these before. I'm a hobby mechanic, so I only work on the problems that crop up on my own car! However, there are a couple of things that you can check that will cost you very little, so worth doing first. The first one is: Spluttering when you accelerate is often lack of fuel supply. Not sure what the service history and mileage on your car is but if you don't have 100% confirmation that the fuel filter has been changed, then I would do it, they don't cost very much. The second one (and less likely but worth checking) Is there any chance you have a diesel leak under the car? You could spot where the fuel lines are ahead of time, give it a run and then quickly check underneath. Also, not saying this exact thread is what you need but Kia forums are a great place for searching for other owners who have had the exact same problem as you and maybe found a solution. www.kia-forums.com/threads/slight-hesitation-accelerating.59975/ Hope some of the above helps! Thanks, Phil

[@rickharrison6325]

@@ReviveMyRide thanks phil

[@rickharrison6325]

Hi Phil just a reply to my last post..iv changed my air filtter and put a few injector cleaners through the car,the fume smell has gone,evry now and then i get a fume smell but not as bad as it was..the air filtter wasnt to dirty though

[@Senasisromenas1]

dude ,hi, if i drop u image of my seat ibiza 2011, could u tell me name of specific part of engine and its purpose?

[@ReviveMyRide]

I'm not very familiar with those engines but happy to have a look! You can pop a photo to me at [e-mail] Thanks, Phil

[@cleetorres1351]

Hello . I am having the same issue . Its very very strong when stagnant. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago and wow its got a lot worse . It's the same mercedes engine . I was very worried but in the day light I can atlest now have a look and go from there . I have had the car for 4 years with no issues so far. Would you reccomend checking the filter first . I will let you know thank you . Do you have a support patriot thing to say thanks. Cheers

[@ReviveMyRide]

Hi, from the comments from people who have been fixing leaks on their cars, I would say diesel filter is the no.1 culprit. The fuel lines get pulled off when replacing it during servicing and after a while, they can get loose or worn. I would check that first. After that, no.2 seems to be the high pressure fuel pump, which may need repair / new gaskets if it is leaking. Hope that helps and good luck with it! Thanks, Phil

[@cleetorres1351]

@@ReviveMyRide thank you. I will defo update and I appreciate you taking the time to help