Ford Explorer with a DEADLY Smell! 3 Shops Couldn't Find It!

PDS Debt is offering a free debt analysis. It only takes thirty seconds. Get yours at PDSDebt.com/carwizard ➡️ Three shops couldn't find the potentially DEADLY problem on this 2016 Ford Explorer. Let me show you how easy it was to find. Also, don't forget to check out @MrsWizardsWays and hear the Crazy Stories she's had from my shop: • My Best Stories From W...
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#carrepair #carwizard #carmechanic #autorepairshop #automobile #cars #car #ford #fordexplorer #suv #exhaust #hardtofind

[@CarWizard]

PDS Debt is offering a free debt analysis. It only takes thirty seconds. Get yours at PDSDebt.com/carwizard.

[@cactneir]

Ya I can't smell it from hear. Probably the notorious exploding coolant line. And of course if you can't design a lugnut I expect stupid dog shit like this to happen.

[@mikezerker6925]

Car Wizard ... I love your videos, but you really need some acting lessons when it comes to your advertising segments! You remind me of Tom Brady in those Hertz commercials! Pure cringe!! 😆

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Well Mr.Car. Wizard it can be 1-mold 2-dead animal 3-chemicals from glues adhesives

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I am shocked nobody noticed the tailgate doesn't closed properly that would the first thing I would check . My science teacher told me that when station wagons first had tailgate windows that open up the exhaust would work its way in to the point people would pass out and crash . The solution was to have a spoiler on top of tailgate forcing air down and away

[@jimsteinway695]

The best way to avoid debt is to not incur it. I married a banker and she will not allow us to take on debt unless it’s a car loan preferably 0%. My credit rating is 849. That’s the watt to go about it

[@TheodoreGelber]

When the truck was on the lift, there was red paint on the spare tire well underneath the rear bumper. The Ford was in an accident where the rear end was damaged and repainted - they were sloppy repairing the hatch.

[@christopherhendricks4369]

good observation wow. didn't even notice that

[@dougfisher1813]

Someone with carfax should reference the plate number and get the vin. The owner may be unaware of the damage unless they bought it new.

[@dddevildogg]

Time to ask the customer when she bought it and where,if she had not just left the body shop too.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I noticed the same thing immediately the car had been in an accident. You can see the overspray.

[@uprailman]

I had to go back and look. Right on the money.

[@chancewilliamson7571]

The different color of the rear bumper and tailgate compared to the body panels hint at a rear end collision that wasn't fixed correctly.

[@billdurham8477]

Musta went to Earl Scheib

[@zerkfiter]

​@@billdurham8477..any car any color $29.95. 😅

[@rhill109]

I'm a recently retired Ford employee. I spent my last 17 years there being an air leakage technician in a plant. My first thought was the rear exhaust. I would have found this issue in 2 minutes. That liftgate may be able to be refit. Other causes would be missing plugs or baffles in the rear.

[@CihttiBabbuu-dt9qw]

But Humpty Dumpty makes minimum wage so wasting peoples time in KZbin….helps him make more ☠️

[@alfamontydog]

In our shop we had a nifty tool for tracing wind noise around door seals etc. It consisted of a small unit that generated a high frequency sound and it was placed inside the vehicle, the other part of this equipment consisted of a tracing unit with a probe and a set of head phones. Put the headphones on, close all the doors and go along all the door seals with the probe , any door seal leaking and the high pitched sound would get through the crack and get picked up by the probe and be heard in the head phones, VOILA, leak found. Same tool was also helpful in finding noisy bearings in idler pulleys, just like an amplified stethoscope.

[@aliasfred]

I was a body and frame repair man for 46 years 1966 - 2012. I was the leak finder in any shop I worked at because I bought a similar gadget, Mine didn't use headphones. It had an aluminum pipe(?) on the hollow coil tube which could be fitted with various attachments, one attachment was a rubber tube that that you would look for leaks around door seals, trunk seals, etc. the other was a rubber cork with a fine brass tube in it for looking for vacuum leaks around anything in the engine compartment all this was monitored with the attached analog meter, just watch fluctuations of the needle. For an extra fee you could purchase a little black box with a small red light on it, to tell you when it was on, it transmitted a frequency that would drive the guard dogs nuts. Turn it on and close all doors and windows to find your seal leaks.

[@Doncan0823]

Im a retired cop. I remember when we received brand new units. They smelled horrible. There was a bulletin about it.

[@catchaser52]

I remember some years ago, (70s) a "friend" of mine was upset with a cop. My "friend" put liquid skunk hunting odor in the intake vent below the windshield. But the thing not funny about cops was early radar guns actually gave the cops Cancer. Not Funny.

[@lesjones471]

What you say means a factory fault,probably the manufacture has the settings wrong for the robots.Your comment proves I'm wrong and is not related to anyone but the factory.But the owner has to pay the price.Was there a recall on those vehicles? I'm an ex serviceman joined in 1966 to be trained as mechanic and became class1 at it,I could not go any higher,did 18+ yrs in the forces.I'm not from the US but the UK,I liked problem solving all my life in anything.

[@ib516]

Ditto. They added downturns on the tailpipes as a fix.

[@lesjones471]

MMM bad mechanics really,V poor inspection and not on my level of inspection which was high ,A smoke gun in use at the rear inside while driving would come up with a draft at some location with the location found then reinvestigate that location by introducing blowing air,so if the draft in the car is felt then something is wrong letting a draft into the car,a simple fix would to tape off the rear door surround then road test for and drafts,no drafts then you have something not sealing,so you can use say a paste that will not react to the rubber door seal shut the tailgate then open it and you will find no contact in one are,so repair it or inform a garage to submit a fault..@@ib516

[@spyhunt3r007]

Yeah, they actually had carbon monoxide sensors in the cop cars due to this... But as far as I knew, you could not smell the exhaust. My brother also works on Fords and did some of the fixes, the dealer really needs to fix it for FREE! Blows my mind that this model was in production for many years and somehow an exhaust leak seems to stump everyone at Ford!!

[@kevinsilverfox9694]

If you look at the rubber stop bumpers on the bottom of the hatch. they are adjustable. they unscrew all the way out. You didn't show the left one in the video so I didn't see it, but the right one os all the way in. unscrew it to align the right side. and I believe you will find the left side is screwed too far out. 1 minute fix. no tools needed. go check it before you send it to the body shop.

[@juliuskwak1263]

You really should have watched the entire video. He does not want to do ANYTHING to the customer's vehicle because it is a body work related issue. He already mentioned he doesn't want to try some fixes or other remedies because it could unnecessarily create expenditures that did not need to happen. And worse of all, it could implicate his business as a target for recompense. If the solutions he tries doesn't fix the problem, or even worse it worsens the problem, he falls into the realm of "we messed up, this is what we can or will do to make it right for you." Imagine fidgeting with something only to later end up fronting the cost for an entire job such as sending it off to a body shop. And the customer pays nothing because the problem can be traced back to Wizard's shop.

[@kevinsilverfox9694]

@@juliuskwak1263 Well he could atleast tell the customer and let them decide if they want to screw the stopper in or not. its no different than the hood stoppers on you front hood to adjust the level of your hood to align it. except these on the back dont require any tools to move.. I pull mine out to drain water out after huge rains. I say tell the customer.

[@stevemorris270]

Yes, exactly the first thing a body shop would check. They have expertise in this area!

[@fastinradfordable]

@@juliuskwak1263bro You’re not a lawyer. We’re just trying to fix cars. If you lawyer yourself out of trying just stay in bed all day

[@t44e6]

@@kevinsilverfox9694I say that based on my and probably his experience that when it is that tweaked, turning stops isn't going to fix it. Let me guess, you don't run a large successful auto repair business. I used to.

[@jdrs4214]

When your title said “Explorer has a “deadly” smell,” I was at first thinking that a squirrel might have ended up getting shredded up in the HVAC blower box.

[@immersion7110]

Same hahaha.

[@kramsdrawde8159]

Same hear, rat, cat, dog, possum and a range of possibuilities a car driver will not remember until the offense is found...

[@meagain2898]

While hatch is up. Push up on right side while you pull down on left side. And adjust the bump stops that hatch sits on. Quick fix. The hatch was most likely closed while something was sticking out the left side. This is the initial adjustment at the car factory

[@georgegonzalez2476]

I fear for our future when nobody seems to think of maybe just tweaking the back hatch with a little twisting muscle.

[@mr.mr.3301]

I think that’s a known issue from many years ago. I remember seeing cops pass out, driving the vehicle and videos.

[@GarbageTrucksofCalifornia]

Yes, I also remember this

[@waterzap99]

Read about that too when these came out.

[@fastinradfordable]

Cops believe they can idle forever and not breath any carbon monoxide. Big brain

[@markredf150]

And I bet all the idling they do didn't help

[@Stone177]

The exhaust is coming from the rear hatch.

[@kevinsilverfox9694]

i have the same vehicle. in the winter you can see the exhaust does not flow away from the vehicle. It actually rolls up behind the back hatch in the air turbulance created back there. that is why you have to have a good seal there.

[@digitalrailroader]

It’s because that area directly behind the lift gate is an area of low pressure so the exhaust fumes are immediately getting pulled into it and as the Car Wizard demonstrated, if the lift gate isn’t sealing properly (or at all in some cases) those exhaust fumes go straight into the cabin.

[@stevem2757]

yes I complained they applied silver tape in the rear. Because the problem lies with exhaust manifold is inferior.

[@richardwatts9665]

well looks like it was hit back there and the exhaust tip on passenger side look like it was behind the bumper, I was thinking it may be sucked up under car, under hatch more, than just rolling up back of hatch ! may be that simple adjusting that tip more out towards front of bumper, It look best top flush with Bumper face !

[@sw7366]

You and Mrs. Wizard are such excellent teachers! I really enjoyed how you set up the issue, the discovery, and the solution. Well thought out and well executed. That's why I watch. Kudos!

[@RobinRhyne]

Thank you Car Wizard, not only for the usual insightful content but also for the serendipitous ad! I'm grateful for your showing the ad and am following through.

[@MrChevyman962000]

There is red overspray on the spare tire well, too...

[@digitalrailroader]

As automotive collision repair KZbinr Vehcor always likes to say: “Somebody’s Been here before!”

[@Kelly-oq9nh]

That is an excellent point! I saw that and didn’t put it together and initially thought it was factory. Well done.

[@john_nip_nop]

@@digitalrailroader Good catch - a question to ask the customer when checking exhaust leaks (and many other probs.) "Been in any wrecks - any Body Shop work?" The Body Shop did some work on the liftgate, not done yet.

[@steelwheels327]

Good eye Chevyman!!

[@allan8490]

looks like rear accident damage done badly In the Wizards walkaround saw that straight off, would say the tailgate is or has been warped from the rear damage

[@pwneytube]

I work at a Ford dealer and the recall we had for these years ago involved replacing some drain plugs in the bottom of the hatchback with a new design and updating the PCM. Make sure it has had that done, and done correctly because as I remember it was a PITA job. The newer model explorers also have dummy exhaust tips and the exhaust actually comes out the bottom further away from the hatch. Updating the exhaust with the newer tips could also help with this issue assuming the fitment is the same.

[@repro7780]

My 2014 Explorer Sport was recalled for this issue.....well, my Explorer seems to get recalled every year for something or the other. In fact, I just got my yearly recall notice in the mail last week. Yay Ford!

[@juliogonzo2718]

I noticed the dummy pipes on the new ones. So silly lol just put turndowns on it. I was behind something the other day that also had completely fake tailpipes, think it was an Acura. I used to drive a Kenworth T880 and it had a dummy stack. Stupid thing is it was piped under the cab to a Y pipe out of the DPF on the passenger side of the truck that was blocked off on the drivers side outlet. I don't know why they did all that. The newer ones the dummy stack just 90'ed and terminated under the cab

[@sl0907]

​​Ford is definitely leading in the amount of recalls. I'm guessing u got the recall notice for the A pillar trim detaching. No one wins in this situation. Customers have to come back for issues that should have been resolved in R&D of the vehicle and us techs get paid stupid low labor times to fix it. ​@@repro7780

[@jaspal666]

The dummy tips are hilarious! But also as crazy… the other shops didn’t know of this issue?

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The original exhaust tip design of the 1968 Jaguar XJ6 were straight...like this Explorer. But the exhaust fumes rolled back up the channels between the boot lid and the rear wings... and joined up at the cabin air exhaust at the middle base of the rear windscreen...that normally exhausted into this boot/body/wing channel. When any window in the cabin was cracked open it created a negative air pressure inside the cabin and sucked the exhaust fumes in. Rather than have to redesign the rear of the car all subsequent models of the XJ6 and XJ12 had bent exhaust pipe tips to take the exhaust gases into a turbulent air flow that sucked the fumes away from the car and the channels.... That might work while the Explorer is being driven to the body shop. Or close all windows and turn the a/c fan speed to blast to create a positive air pressure inside the cabin to push air out through the gap around the rear hatch? @@jaspal666

[@LilYeshua]

I remember watching a NASCAR race where one race car driver's fuel leak and subsequent fire behind the car was showing just how air spins horizontally up against the back of the car. That memory and what you just discovered on your customer's car explains how exhaust gas can enter into the car.

[@jameslester3861]

Back in the 60s and 70s when station wagons were popular people that lived on unpaved roads kept the dust and dirt off the rear window and tailgate by installing a curved spoiler(available from dealer)on the top of the car over the rear window. It would use that horizontal turbulence to blow the dust away from the rear of the vehicle. Later station wagons came from factory with them.

[@prjndigo]

Used to have a 1986 Ford LTD. It was a pre-production cast 3.8v6 (5.0 missing cyls, so bad they'd install 5.0 pumps and stuff on it in repairs) and a C5 (kid you not) transmission and the injector throttle body for a 3.2v6 (which forever played with the emissions) but one day it starts giving off a hot exhaust smell... resistor pack for the cabin fan later caught the paperwork in the glove box on fire... brilliant work putting something that gets hotter up under the dash...

[@labourlawact7826]

I immediately thought about the tailgate when you found nothing on the exhaust. That's because kids here in South Africa unfortunately died in the back of a pickup truck fitted with a canopy that didn't close properly. One should always crack a side window near the front of a canopy slightly open if you have people in the bed. That causes positive airflow into the space, instead of the negative pressure behind a vehicle that'll suck air/exhaust in. This is a known issue😮

[@SeersantLoom]

I was thinking about rear vent flaps. If those don't close properly, same thing could happen. But bent tailgate... I know that driving with rear window(s) open can let exhaust in (depending on wind), happen to own such a car.

[@glennfields8121]

Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for being so thorough in your inspections to truly help your customers.

[@anomamos9095]

Adjusting a door seal is not exactly a body shop only deal especially when there’s no obvious damage to repair. Just put a block of wood or a rubber mallet on the opposite corner and push the door closed against the obstruction to bend / twist it back into proper position. This is such a small thing anyone can do it. All it takes is a little care not to go overboard and bend the door too much or cause additional damage . You don’t need a smoke machine either, you can use strips of paper that you pull through the seal to check resistance or you can paint the seal area with Vaseline or body wax so that when the door is close the places that are not sealing will be dry.

[@marcchaffee7751]

Proves that wasnt a good shop , I can do that in my garage .

[@AJGreen-cn8kk]

Learned this problem when I got a custom exhaust on an '88 Bronco. Loved the sound so driving home I just had to roll the back window down to listen to it. That lasted about a mile before my eyes started watering.

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

I'm not sure anyone ever said it on here, But Thank-you Wizard for your Service 🇺🇲🙏🏻

[@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13]

That was a smooth ad read Wizard... You're getting really good at the media thang now and I bet that didn't come naturally either. Gotta respect the rise to a challenge. Look out Hoovie, Dave's spreading his wings and learning to fly 👀

[@mikep490]

Yes, I recall that issue. That twist in the hatch isn't damage. Ford shipped them that way from the factory at no extra charge. One thing advised was to never put the climate control in automatic or recirculate mode. One guy claims much of the problem is that the expansion joint gets tiny pin holes and he corrected the smell by replacing it.

[@brandondarnes3699]

Thank you for your service sir! And I never would have thought the exhaust fumes can come inside the hatch like that while driving. But it make sense the way the air churns around in the back when going down the highway. Glad you caught it, well done!

[@danking2062]

My first experience with this issue was at a ford dealership in the late 80's on a full size bronco. We had a customer that lived on a farm with a long dirt drive to the homestead. The interior was getting absolutely covered in dust. The fix then as per a ford bulletin, was to pierce the rear seal and pass vacuum hose through the entire length of the hatch seal to stiffen up the factory seal. It actually worked quite well, and i have used that method in a couple of different scenarios over the years. Oddly enough, in our small town, that was the only bronco i ever had to fix that way. But since then, understanding the vacuum effect created by a flat rear hatch, such as on an suv and a van, ive discovered many exhaust smells intruding in that are. Fortunately in modern cars, the hatch bump stops are adjustable just like the hood.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The original exhaust tip design of the 1968 Jaguar XJ6 were straight...like this Explorer. But the exhaust fumes rolled back up the channels between the boot lid and the rear wings... and joined up at the cabin air exhaust at the middle base of the rear windscreen...that normally exhausted into this boot/body/wing channel. When any window in the cabin was cracked open it created a negative air pressure inside the cabin and sucked the exhaust fumes in. Rather than have to redesign the rear of the car all subsequent models of the XJ6 and XJ12 had bent exhaust pipe tips to take the exhaust gases into a turbulent air flow that sucked the fumes away from the car and the channels....

[@Ghauster]

Vacuum can cause so many odd things to happen. Been on many roof leaks that come back to vacuum causing water to behave in ways it shouldn't.

[@V8-friendly]

Amazing to see, that there are still a few people out there who know what they are doing. 👍👍👍 Most disappointing are many so called “factory trained mechanics” at the dealership where you drop extra money. Unfortunately, I live in Columbus, Ohio and cannot bring my car each time to you guys. I absolutely, positively, definitely would! 🚙

[@gnomiefirst9201]

The Wizard, SD, Dave's Auto, and Scotty Kilmer don't have ASE Certified patches on or posted. But are experienced and have aptitude. Things you can't buy.

[@davidclemdis4796]

I am a former Marine, i’ve never heard in my life that the armed forces , Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard would not let you leave after fulfilling your contractual duty, if you were in debt. I know Veterans that never heard of this before.

[@anthony-ju6qo]

This is a very long story but will help everyone, so tell your family and friends! I just sold my 2003 ford windstar, that bought used years ago investing over 8k in the purchase and repairs. I always kept it spotless and took care of it. Last month I noticed a smell like Hazelnut coffee or pungent bad peanut butter. There wasn't any food or any other visible trash. Then one day I noticed a small insect I never seen before crawling around, then another one. Being in Florida, one can suspect anything. "So what the hell is this?" They were two small roaches! I decided to vacuum the van out and lifted up the passenger side floor mat. All of a sudden At least 100 of them took off in 8 different directions!. I freaked out immediately and creeped out driving to the nearest Home Depot. I bought glue boards, bait traps, bombs and raid. I drove home and parked it away from my house. (Thank God I have another car to use) Then I spread out the boards, traps and activated two bombs, closed the door and left it overnight. The next few days 40 was caught, then 30, then 20 and etc. Over two weeks I killed over 120 plus . This includes bombing it 5x and using 3 dozen glue boards! I decided to sell it to a person that didn't care about the bugs for 1k. I feared that there must be hundreds of eggs inside the ductwork, vents and any cevice. I have talked to several people about it and they had the same problem. They, like many of us go to big box stores like Costco, BJ's or Aldi's. They come from the cardboard boxes that we use to hold the groceries in! These boxes are stored in warehouses and get delivered to various stores. So PLEASE DO NOT USE THEM. Use the plastic or canvas bags they sell there. Avoid this nightmare at all costs! Thanks for your patience.

[@pelotas56]

That's was a well known issue for years. Can't believe three shops are that naive. It was even on national news because cops will pass out driving or clocking people 😂

[@justarandomguy3969]

yeah i agree, 1 specific issue for 1 specific car that is only from 2016/2017 how could they not know that, its not like there are 10's of thousands of manufacturers/models/engines

[@TheOzthewiz]

There was at least one crash involving a Cop that passed out, don't remember if the Cop was injured or not.

[@pelotas56]

@@justarandomguy3969 by looking it up tsb's . Its on every diagnostic aid website. Hell even a quick Google search will bring up results. 🥴 As the wizard showed how easy it was to find information on it

[@t436]

My 19 even had a recall for it but it was already done for the manifolds. My latest recall is the a pillars 🤣

[@pelotas56]

@@t436 if look closely you'll see those A pillars all over the freeway shoulder. Cheap plastic

[@vanpenguin22]

Aaaaaand once again, A valid argument for the utility to side pipes is made. Owing to the knowledge that they deliver the exhaust gasses to the slip stream, where they are immediately diluted.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The original exhaust tip design of the 1968 Jaguar XJ6 were straight...like this Explorer. But the exhaust fumes rolled back up the channels between the boot lid and the rear wings... and joined up at the cabin air exhaust at the middle base of the rear windscreen...that normally exhausted into this boot/body/wing channel. When any window in the cabin was cracked open it created a negative air pressure inside the cabin and sucked the exhaust fumes in. Rather than have to redesign the rear of the car all subsequent models of the XJ6 and XJ12 had bent exhaust pipe tips to take the exhaust gases into a turbulent air flow that sucked the fumes away from the car and the channels.... That might work while the Explorer is being driven to the body shop. Or close all windows and turn the a/c fan speed to blast to create a positive air pressure inside the cabin to push air out through the gap around the rear hatch?

[@Digital-Dan]

Yeah, I'm starting to worry about my Model Y. It doesn't have side pipes.

[@vanpenguin22]

@@Digital-Dan Tesla? 😆 🤣 😂 😹

[@jmanke6057]

Smoke machine a great device for those annoying troubles. Like error codes caused by leaky or failing part in the evaporative fuel system issue. Neat seeing you use it for the test you did I have thought of that before. Good job…

[@TekuTaurus]

There's also a recall for the earlier 5th gen Explorers ('11-'12 or '13) where the plastic plugs in the bottom the the hatch would fall out and allow fumes through the hatch itself. Ford has dealers use super glue to permanently affix a new style of plug into the holes.

[@moth450]

Ford says quality is job 1. A state trooper was murked by his explorer patrol car by inhaling fumes.

[@victorbarajas1395]

Ford sais many things but never the truth.

[@weegeemike]

Ford hasn't built quality vehicles in decades

[@moth450]

@@weegeemike I agree. That eco boost engine doesn't last long at all. Those ford edges have disappeared from the roads. Those 2013 models were everywhere. Not anymore.

[@GlycerinZ]

Ford sucks

[@theoneandonly8567]

​@@moth450because it Name Eco-Boost and no more Duratec. 😅

[@oveidasinclair982]

I noticed that back hatch was out of whacked as soon as your camera panned around to it

[@uta667563]

I did too, and was amazed David didn't say anything about it on the first walk around. The body lines are the first thing I notice when I look at a car. I used to work at a Dodge dealership. If your work has anything to do with the service department you will find that with any brand vehicle there are a lot of problems with the vehicles that may not affect every vehicle of a particular model, but you still have enough vehicles come in that you can diagnosis the problem just by the symptoms, and you say "I know what that is". Many of these problems are covered by tsb's. When you look at tsb's you will see many that you're familiar with and a lot you are not familiar with. On the other hand there are the problems, where you say, "Beats the hell out of me" and it looks like you will have to diagnose it on your own. In those situations you always check tsb's. Often times tsb's will save your butt. For example: One of our techs got a vehicle with a unusual rattle. He spent a whole week tracing the rattle and fixing it. At lunch he saw the body shop manager and told him about the problem in case he ran into it. The body shop manager told him he hadn't seen it but he had heard about it and he believed there was a tsb that addressed the problem. They both looked it up and there was a tsb and it paid 2 hours. This was a warrenty claim so the tech got paid 2 hours for a weeks work. Tsb's are available for free on some websites so home mechanics can check them out too. I just did am lot of research on some used cars I was thinking of buying and I think I saw them listed on carcomplaints.com.

[@michaelawesome6106]

Whenever I watch your videos you relax me!! Thanks for the info on cars and the therapy!!!

[@johneverett3947]

I’ve worked in the industry for 42 years, 32 of them as a shop owner with employees and ASE certification. If you are dealing with a good loyal customer just tell them what you found , that you can try to adjust it and retest it. If it doesn’t work they need a body shop. Bailing right away is not a good image. It’s so sad that so many people are afraid to try and fix something. If the customer is fully informed let them decide. That way you don’t appear scared of your customers.

[@ToddKing]

I'd have no problem trying to tweak it back into position either as long as the custom was ok with it. 30+ years ASE Master tech.

[@waltertaffs1737]

Thank you for your service Mr. Wizard

[@frankb.269]

It's like when a doctor sees a patient, it's always recommended to do an overall exam first, before diving into any specific problem

[@DavesTurningShop]

As I watched you go under the vehicle my thought we to the tailgate seal. That is an area of negative pressure and it was sucking in the exhaust from the outlets. I am glad you took the time to diag this for this owner.

[@axios76]

It takes a real talent and skills to talk 17 minutes for something which could have been said in 3. Good job!

[@noobster965]

The entire hatch is adjustable at hinges and stops ect. Tsb also reprograms hvac to help force air out.

[@silverfoxfinance]

There was a recall years ago on those Explorers. I remember having a similar year Explorer for work and the company bought carbon monoxide air tester that would change colors if the leak was in the car. I believe there wasnt a fix at the time from Ford. I drove with my windows down most days till I got a Tahoe upgrade.

[@gudfarfar]

We had the same problem with an Opel caravan, and the seal on the rear door was very thin and did'nt close shut properly. I used to get headaches if I drove that car, so I investigated an exhaust leak, but the whole system had just been changed and all was brand new, from the flex to the back tip. My dad suggested I should get a thicker gasket for the door. I got a universal rubber seal, like a snow stopper for a garage door, and put that in. Never had a headache again.

[@JuniorFan08]

I have a friend who ordered a new F-150 XLT in 2019. It was a $50K truck at the time. After 1 year of ownership, it developed a very strong, strange odor. He couldn't figure out where it was coming from and neither could the dealership. Nothing they tried made any difference. Finally, the dealer took the truck in and just started tearing the interior of the truck apart. When they took out the headliner, they found a leak in the roof at the A pillar which was not visibly leaking into the interior. However, the dampness left behind, mixing with the insulation and whatever else was theree ,was causing the odor. When the leak was fixed and the roof dried out, the odor went away.

[@johng.4959]

Fixed or Repaired Defect....FORD. c'mon

[@carolhattersley9322]

When I worked for an Audi/Saab dealer in the Seattle area, we had two funny incidents with rats. In the first one, a Saab 9-5 quit running and was towed in. The rat got into the air intake tube, and slid down to the air filter housing, which was behind the front bumper, and ate about half of the filter, which blocked the intake air from passing. The tech had "crappy time" cleaning it up. The 2nd case was a near-new Audi A-6 with a horrible rotten burning smell under the car. A rat had crawled up a "frame" member and stopped for a nap next to the nice, warm catalytic converter, and was cooked medium-well. There was no ready access to the location, and the customer was distressed to learn that this was a non-warranty issue since the rat was not installed at the factory.

[@leonfranklin1554]

An honest and an elegant diagnosis, it's a treat to see you at work saving your customers from terrible dealerships Wizard ;oD

[@Sulimankhayyat]

Thank you for posting this. This is very helpful. I've had the same issue, but my car had cracks along the rear window where it meets with the soft top, and it took me a long time to diagnose.

[@jimsteinway695]

You’re not the only one who does this but we subscribers don’t need the professionally produced introduction spot. It’s a waste of 1 minute of our time we could have been watching other videos. Try to do a 5-10 second intro spot or less

[@MrGavinspoppop]

Another fix by a reputable mechanic and business owner. I have a shop near me in Florida that treats me right also. Great show today... from great people. U guys rock !!!❤

[@uptownsamcv]

good thing they were able to smell it. I use to work for a tow company that had diesel trucks and one day i drove one and i remember feeling really sleepy. a few days later I drove that same truck and all of a sudden it had no power. turns out it had a small exhaust manifold leak that got so big that the turbo stopped spooling.

[@JerryDLTN]

9:30 I remember going on a >2 week long road trip from Chicago to Yellowstone in a 1977 Ford LTD station wagon as a kid. I had to sit in the very back the whole way. I was constantly getting car sick. My theory was that exhaust fumes were coming in from around the back hatch

[@RJARRRPCGP]

I regularly got "car sick" in 1980s and 1970s vans! I can't tell when one would come in advance before a long trip! But had an incident like that with a trip from Rutland, Vermont to Waterbury, Vermont, or closer to there back in the 1990s, IIRC.

[@kapenamax5713]

Yep. Same thing happened to my 2017 Ford Fiesta from the factory. Rear hatch wasn't closing tight enough. Had to readjust the striker and all was solved.

[@SoDakTwisties]

I had an old '87 Ford Escort (hatchback) in high school. The hatchback seal didn't do it's job very well, and I got that smell in my car often. That explains a lot, lol.

[@kens97sto171]

I knew it was going to be something with the rear hatch.. In an SUV there is a low pressure area there at the back hatch.. and things will get sucked into the car. Running the car HVAC in FRESH and on a higher fan setting can sometimes help.. pressurizes the cabin a bit. But that seal defiantly is the issue. I have seen those exit flat things in the wheel wells cause issues too.. torn flap or missing... and smells can get into the car that way too.

[@TheDark7070]

The tailgate is bent because they cheeped out on installing a motor on both sides. If you notice the side bent outside is where the motor is and all the forces focused on that side caused it to bent. I’m no mechanic but to prevent this from happening I would suggest installing a motor to lift the tailgate on both sides or they should rotate the motor left and right every 20k mile or so as part of the maintenance items.

[@hugostiglitz8465]

If possible, I would just take the motor out and close/open manually.

[@clipper99]

I had this correctly diagnosed as soon as you stated ‘no exhaust leaks”. I can’t believe 2 other shops couldn’t get this right the first time.

[@PolynesianMusic]

I remember this being an issue for this model years up until 2018, when it got fixed. Sad because I was looking at a great 2017 Explorer, but didn’t want to deal with it. So I took my chances with a 2012 Expedition. glad i did, it’s been great.

[@kingjames8283]

For the old style station wagons, vans, Blazers, and Bronco's back in the day, this is why the exhaust tips were turned to the sides behind the tires so that engine exhaust didn't get caught up in the air vortices behind the rear of the vehicle and then enter the open rear windows which many before mentioned vehicles had back in the day. Thinking of a 21 window VW Microbus. Obvious today's vehicles with hatchbacks don't have windows that open nor can they be driven with the hatchbacks in the open position so it's okay to exhaust the vehicle straight out the back. The twisted hatchback on this vehicle is definitely a body shop issue and it would be wise to perform a Carfax report to see if this vehicle was involved in any previous accidents or if any body work had previously been done on this vehicle. Rear hatchbacks don't just fall this much out of alignment from normal use as was shown of the excessive body lines and gaps.

[@Network126]

Lol my 2016 Ford Focus doesn't care if I drive with the rear hatch open 😂

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The original exhaust tip design of the 1968 Jaguar XJ6 were straight...like this Explorer. But the exhaust fumes rolled back up the channels between the boot lid and the rear wings... and joined up at the cabin air exhaust at the middle base of the rear windscreen...that normally exhausted into this boot/body/wing channel. When any window in the cabin was cracked open it created a negative air pressure inside the cabin and sucked the exhaust fumes in. Rather than have to redesign the rear of the car all subsequent models of the XJ6 and XJ12 had bent exhaust pipe tips to take the exhaust gases into a turbulent air flow that sucked the fumes away from the car and the channels.... That might work while the Explorer is being driven to the body shop. Or close all windows and turn the a/c fan speed to blast to create a positive air pressure inside the cabin to push air out through the gap around the rear hatch?

[@ferrochinabisleri1587]

That woody Chrysler Town and Country on the back ground is gorgeous!

[@adamwest4212]

Hello, it's fun to see motorcycle videos in my area. It's fun to see a fellow senior motorcycle enthusiast. Can't keep me off my motorcycles. I've considered a KTM . Please keep us informed on the after purchase service. Also, I would appreciate your future testimony on the reliability of your KTM. Happy and safe adventures to you

[@frankw7266]

As soon as you said no exhaust leaks, I knew exactly what it was. I had a '79 Cherokee Wagoneer with an electric rear drop window, and if you opened that without opening front windows to get flow, you would choke in minutes.

[@LittleBozo]

Just found ya. A good, honest, mechanic is worth their weight in gold. New subscriber 😊

[@curtgomes]

I have this very issue with my car! Five shops later, including the dealership, and still no fix! I will certainly check the trunk seal. Thank you for this video. It at least gives me another avenue of approach.

[@suttoncoldfield9318]

Put a one/two inch wide strip of newspaper across the seal and close the tailgate. You can pull on the newspaper to see if the seal is gripped or not.

[@curtgomes]

@@suttoncoldfield9318Sutton, thank you for that suggestion. I took the car to a body shop today. The owner told me the same thing as you did here. He then went into the trunk of the vehicle and checked the plastic duct trunk vent in the side panels. They were old and the rubber one way flaps completely rotted away!!! Problem found! Why, after going to five shops, including the Lexus dealership, not ONE person even mentioned these vents? They knew the symptoms! It took me months to find someone who took the two minutes to look at these vents. I can't believe this isn't a fairly common issue in an older vehicle or one that has been damaged. $70 for two OEM vents from Lexus to solve the issue. This is also a serious situation with carbon monoxide leaking into the car interior.

[@garfixit]

I noticed it was on the side of the door with the auto closer if people forced the door closed over many times without using the auto closer it looks like it could warp the door or if the closer is not retracting maybe pushing to hard on the door causing it to warp. Great video guys

[@robertscarpelli5452]

During your initial exam of the under carriage I noticed red paint overspray by the spare tire and under the hatch. Definite tailgate damage and repaint. Great show.

[@briansimon4363]

Hi. The ‘station wagon effect’ is caused by eddies in the turbulent air at the rear of the car. You get the same when rivers flow past rocks. The water curls around the rock at flows upstream. It’s how kayakers and canoeists can paddles upstream. They zigzag from eddy to eddy and the eddy current Carrie’s them upstream. Fluid dynamics 101.

[@dhansel4835]

If you don't have a smoke machine you could lightly tape some strips of paper along the gasket, close the hitch back and pull the papers out. That should tell you which papers have resistance in pulling out and the ones that come out easily.

[@wambsganz8]

Sort of like a feeler gage

[@kylew9138]

I wish I would have noticed the exhaust stench issue on the internet before I purchased my 2014 3.5T. The dealer "fixed" mine multiple times, but it never fully resolved the problem so I got rid of the car. Another quality Ford product . . .

[@billbeckert4600]

The airflow over the vehicle creates an area of negative pressure at the rear of the vehicle. Since there is an opening between the lift gate and the seal, this allows the exhaust gasses to enter the SUV just as your smoke did. Love your videos.

[@mysticstarhf9265]

At my agency with the police version of these Explorers a few years ago we had exhaust intrusion. I believe there is a TSB for cabin air flow through venting by the rear hatch which was working in reverse sitting at idle for long periods of time.

[@alext8828]

That problem used to occur with the old station wagons of the '50s and '60s that had rear windows that opened. It sucked the exhaust into the car as the car was moving. It's back. One thing you can do is check the placement of the hinges. They might be adjustable. You may not wanna touch them but they might show you an answer.

[@marshajohnson9182]

Thank you for your service. I'm looking for a vehicle something reliable and to get the the snow, I live in a snowy state and watching your videos to help narrow down my options. So I would like to say thank you for the videos you do as well.😊

[@billyhaddock5540]

Great Job Wizard on finding the area that smoke gets-inside the ford. hatch seal not touching the hatch/smoke from exhaust.

[@sambrown8224]

I've owned a 2014 and there was a huge recall due to that exact issue. I installed a household CO2 detector and would routinely get high levels while driving. I had the recall done and they sealed all the penetrations in the back of the truck. I always noted that driving at low speeds sometimes i'd see things out of the corner of my eye. Come to find out it was exhaust smoke being drawn along with the car and I'd see it in the side mirrors. i think the shape of the Explorer adds to this issue.

[@georgegonzalez2476]

Years ago we drove our brand-new Honda CR-V down to Missouri to pick up a pair of black cats. I only took my foot off the gas pedal to take the highway exit and BANG, a huge semi wasn't watching and pushed in the whole rear end. The body shop had to order a whole bunch of parts, including the liftgate. They seemed to have done an excellent job but I should check the tailgate for your kind of leakage. We still have the cats, I call them our $4,000 cats.

[@labourlawact7826]

It's really not the poor kitties fault you "brake checked" a semi on the interstate. Slow down after exiting the highway, on the off ramp. That's what they're there for. Send my ❤ to the two kitties, I really love black cats😊

[@edwardgoodridge714]

The difference between yourself and other shops is , that you think outside the box. You have given the body a thorough inspection. Bet you the other guys did not think in that direction 😮😮. Good job.❤

[@daveheiskala7007]

Awesome diagnosis, thank you.

[@n300zx931]

This is an extremely well known issue. I’ve never owned one of these and am just a back yard mechanic. Heard about this issue years ago. Crazy that many mechanics could look at this and not know the common issue. Thought they did a recall for it.

[@MikeHarris1984]

Before I got my new '22 Explorer ST, purchased new with 8 miles on the OD (god i love that vehicle... 400+hp 415ftlbs factory HP automatic all wheel drive, fully loaded tech with co pilot 360+ and such, god damn that thing gets up and goes!!! Same HP then my '05 GTO with an LS2... Upgraded with tons of goodies and my custom tune (HPTuners), and shes at 512 wheel HP and 497Ftlbs... from a V6... ) Had a 2014 Explorer XLT loaded with all options..... except the ecoboost, she had the 3.5 N/A too. But I kept her in perfect shape and did all the maintenance and that thing still ran brand new after 7 years... Only thing that pissed me off, is both exaughst manifolds, cracked at the cat... well SPLIT OPEN. OEM cats, and replacements I used OEM, and happened twice... It was such a pain to do them..... and then the water pump went out JUST BEFORE I WAS SELLING IT, like the day i went to sell it.... the damn water pump is inside timing cover and I was yelling and cussing at this damn truck the entire time... but otherwise, I loved that Explorer... she was solid. never a single leak of anything either. purchased with 12k miles and sold at 180k miles. that gen exaughst had a RECALL on the fumes in the car... take it to the DEALER. It was due to the preasure flaps in the body rear, when at a stop, the fumes went in the rear through that.

[@williamramos3350]

Going to look into the site you mentioned. I have a 2004 Honda CRV and am trying to locate the exhaust issue I am having. You are correct, most of the shops I went to do not have a smoke machine or do not bother to invest. It's embarrassing in my opinion. If you are a shop. You should be able to perform these types of tests. They are just wasting your time and money by trying to do other things. I became a victim of this. Shops say there is no issue, but I am spitting foam because there is one. Found out it's the exhaust system because I did a simple test. Unfortunately...still have not resolved the problem entirely. Thanks for the info.

[@paulkuras18]

Thank you for your service to your country I’m saying hi from Canada a fellow veteran. I was also a mechanic in the army

[@donhebel1011]

Had the same issue on a few wagon type suv's including jeeps and my daughter's Nissan Cube... in that case I found open gaps in the weatherstrip itself from years of wear. Seems those big rear hatches or vertical rear "doors" can all have problems over time. Sucks the exhaust or dust right in no matter the speed driven. Great warning video - It will save lives. Thank you!!

[@origionalwinja]

the second i heard exhaust smell in car no exhaust leak i knew what this was. my mustang GT when it had factory exhaust on it did the exact same thing, but my trunk closed correctly. put dumps in before the rear suspension and have had zero problems since, and with no mufflers it sounds much better!

[@fisalger]

Good news for all 2011-2017 Ford Explorers owners. Ford has a fix for the CO problem. I am taking my 2016 in on Nov. 27. Ford said there is no charge for this repair. The repair requires reprogramming the AC system, removing the bumper and sealing areas were exhaust is getting into the cabin. Just call dealer and set up an appointment there is no charge.

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

I had a '17 Platinum and I remember at least a TSB if not a recall for this - there were reports of similar for exhaust entering the cabin. During an oil change my dealer said they checked a couple times and I never had an issue....

[@whoisharo4689]

I love this guy's shop with all the bays. I Google mapped the outside. It's so desolate in the middle of nowhere which is creepy, but the insides awesome.

[@georgemcfly1205]

He's not in the middle of nowhere. He's just on the edge of a kansas town. Have you never been into a rural area?

[@alsenior4809]

Thank you for your service!!!

[@kramsdrawde8159]

Awesome job, I had worked at shops that punted things like this all day, and I worked at dealerships, the thing is if you read your TSBs weekly or 2x weekly good chance you will remember them, this could be sent to a body shop and opposite side have a 2x4 but in door jam and do some light pressure to make closure even(hopefully)...

[@KutWrite]

The highlight of the video was the pix of you in your Army days! It even got me to watch the ad!

[@ckgmurder]

You’re a good knowledgeable man car wizard and I appreciate your videos

[@DavidWatson-xb2vh]

While you wait for a body shop to fix it, run the cabin air on high to create positive pressure inside the vehicle to push the exhaust out of the hatch leak. This is just a temporary band aid and NOT a solution, but could reduce the amount of exhaust fumes getting inside the cabin while you wait for the vehicle to be fixed. Hope this helps!

[@eeengineer8851]

This reminds me of riding with a friend in his totally rusted out '78 Chevy K5 Blazer 30yrs ago. The body was falling apart such that stuff was falling out of the holes in the floor near the edges. Exhaust pipe was essentially gone too. The remaining floor in the passenger front seat foot area was hot from exhaust blowing on it. It stank so bad in the cab. Engine was probably running extra rich as well to make it even worse. We went on a road trip and I kept the door window open to try get some air in there. Had a headache by the time we returned.

[@fnk30]

I used to have 2017 ford explorer and we had the same issue and I still remember that ford issued a recall to fix it

[@Pauley_in_GP]

I'm not a mechanic or a cop, but just looking at the title of the video before clicking it, I remembered this issue with the police Explorers. I'm a bit surprised that the mechanics involved in trying to resolve this problem didn't start there.

[@MrPursuitElectronics]

This is a MAJOR known issue with Explorers. Explorer PPV's had these issues and found the gasket around the rear door frame as well as the internal vent flaps between the rear wall trim and the outside of the vehicle. There is a grid on both sides of the vehicle that allows for the vehicle to breath, but they get caught or brittle and cause fumes to get in.

[@kennethhendrie2091]

I worked for a major ambulance company and San Diego and has a mechanic one of the things I was asked to figure out was why were we getting diesel fumes in the back of the ambulance which would affect the patient and the crew and I found that the ambulance package The rear of the vehicle and an odor for it to be an ambulance. The top was cut off and a fiberglass top put on. I discovered that the ambulance would flex side to side, and the door gaskets would not seal proper on top of the exhaust, not being extended For the length of the ambulance package which created that Ventura effect or station wagon effect we modified two vehicles with no more problems, but because Ford did not authorize it, it had to be undone and they looked into another area. It’s pretty bad when you find a fix for a problem as a mechanicand your shot down by big business

[@coreymorrow1315]

I had a new 2015 with same engine, it was so bad with exhaust smell even after all the attempts of my ford dealer doing Ford approved fixes that I fought for a full refund $ wich I eventually did get (don't give in), after a few years I tried another one ( new 2019) , it was much improved but still would get smell under hard throttle with HVAC recirculation on. Have a new 2023 model now with no problems. Good video, should send to all Ford dealerships, they are experts at denying the problems exists.