Smell through windows
 

Hi there

It was more an issue in summer when driving with open windows, but still buging me now so i'm seeking advices.

When i drive windows open, and put a bit of load on the engine (climbing a hill fo example) i can smell fumes or some kind of "metal heat smell" inside the car. The last one is more noticeable when flooring it.

My first guess would have been the exhaust manifold as they often crack on this car (it's a 2005 3.0d btw). But that issue includes fumes under the hood, and smell inside the car by the ventilation. And i absolutely don't have those 2 symptoms. Windows closed it never smells even a little.

Did not checked for cracks because of the poor access there, even with a snake camera, but i'm pretty sure it's not that.
What else could be causing this annoyance?

As other symptom i have a turbo whistle on low rpm range (until 2.5 3k rpm).

Check for a leaking transfer case (rear shaft o-ring) as it can sling a fine mist of oil onto the exhaust.

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Pretty sure it doesn't smell burned oil (had an old civic before to experience the real burned oil smell..!)
Also i went under recently to inspect and i haven't seen any stain on the exhaust pipe.

If you still have the original stainless steel exhaust manifold it's 98% certain it has failed.

I used a snake camera and an inspection mirror to see the cracks on mine.

https://i.ibb.co/C7MHm5r/2018-07-14-10-34-57.jpg

and once out of the car...
https://i.ibb.co/ZSwychT/20180921-122000.jpg

But the bigger tell-tale is the soot that gets on surfaces around the manifold - like the underside of the air filter housing and on the turbo components. The soot is easier to spot - you can even just run your hand under the air filter housing then check your fingers... ;)

The car is almost 300k and the manifold is brown, so i guess it's the original stainless.


However if i had a crack in it, wouldn't it smoke / smell under the hood and go thru the vents?
Haven't seen any noticeable soot stain neither.



I just want to stay in denial if it's the manifold, looks a very much pita job :(