[E91 Hoarder]

Hey folks,

The car has the downpipes. Is it normal to have the exhaust smell in the cabin when not moving? Or, do I need to start checking for the leaks? Every time I start the car, I have to immediately switch to the internal air circulation until I start moving.

Any feedback?

Cheers!

[BSM n54iS]

Normal

[E91 Hoarder]

Originally Posted by BdSM n54iS

Normal

Why is this happening? Any way to fix it?

[Gohan335i7]

Exhaust smell in the cabin normal?! I don't know about that...

[BSM n54iS]

you have c@tless downpipes right? I'm guessing with your windows down...standing still at idle you'll get the exhaust smell and so will the folks behind you.

[Bmw doubles]

I had a DP properly seated and it reduced the amount of fumes. Also running e85 makes the fumes less obnoxious. Then again I don't have an e90 so maybe the seating problem doesn't apply here, but the e85 is a sweeter smell.

[MysticRob]

Originally Posted by BMWTF?

Hey folks,

The car has the downpipes. Is it normal to have the exhaust smell in the cabin when not moving? Or, do I need to start checking for the leaks? Every time I start the car, I have to immediately switch to the internal air circulation until I start moving.

Any feedback?

Cheers!

There's this stuff called wind. I've read that it can cause exhaust gases and stuff like pollen to blow around with it. If, for instance, the wind happens to be blowing from the direction of where your exhaust pipes end (usually at back of your car), it could conceivably carry your car's exhaust gases forward toward the front of your car, and into any opening like a window, or HVAC intake.

Exhaust gases are a lot like killer bees. That's why I roll the windows up and use the recirc function. Don't want to allow any killer bees into the cabin right?

Or maybe you DO have an exhaust leak. Or not. Get out of the car, use your nose, and figure it out. Or don't. Exhaust leaks could conceivably kill any nearby killer bees, so it may be best not to even fix any leaks if you find them.

EDIT: My son also recommended checking to ensure the downpipes aren't mounted backward. If so, it could cause the entire engine to reverse "polarity", causing the exhaust gases to be blown out the intake, and the intake air to be sucked in thru the tailpipes. Follow this advice at your own peril.

We really need a sarcasm font...

Originally Posted by Bmw doubles

but the e85 is a sweeter smell.

This.

If I wasn't running E60 and was only stuck with 93 pump gas, I would have put the stock downpipes back on a long time ago....the smell is pretty bad when not running E.

[BSM n54iS]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

This.

If I wasn't running E60 and was only stuck with 93 pump gas, I would have put the stock downpipes back on a long time ago....the smell is pretty bad when not running E.

I've got Cobb catted for half this reason, other half being sound quality

[shadow191]

Some smell is normal, but if you're having to switch to recirculate immediately, you may have a leak at the V-Band. When I first installed DPs, it smelled strongly in the cabin. I thought it was because I had cowl filters and was normal so I just switched to recirculate. But then I threw a code for an exhaust leak and after tightening the V-Bands, the smell got much better. After swapping from BMS cowl filters to OEM cowl, the smell is basically gone unless the wind is blowing forward.

[Tiago@VRSF]

It's not normal unless your idling in an enclosed garage, or idle with the windows down. if the smell is excessively while moving forward please check your gaskets at the turbo and the mid pipes.

[Mezzy113]

Originally Posted by BMWTF?

Hey folks,

The car has the downpipes. Is it normal to have the exhaust smell in the cabin when not moving? Or, do I need to start checking for the leaks? Every time I start the car, I have to immediately switch to the internal air circulation until I start moving.

Any feedback?

Cheers!

This one may be an obvious one but I haven't seen anyone mention it; if you're running with no cabin filter cowl or something like just the BMS cabin filters in place of your cowl then you'll be getting a more apparent smell from anything outside and in your engine bay.

[joeinsd]

Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF

It's not normal unless your idling in an enclosed garage, or idle with the windows down. if the smell is excessively while moving forward please check your gaskets at the turbo and the mid pipes.

Please don't do this. Suicide is NOT the answer!

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Depends on the severity of the smell at idle. I'd check that the downpipes are seated fully with no exhaust leaks.

By no accident, removal of emissions devices such as catalyst will cause more smell and noxious fumes - in general.

You may want to consider a high flow catted option or go back to stock completely should the fumes be too much for you.

It's probably worth mentioning that it's not healthy or good to breathe in fumes - I knows this may seem obvious to most of us but if you've seen the emails I get everyday, you sometimes have to wonder how people even get through their days LOL

[mike@x-ph.com]

If your windows are closed and you are still smelling it inside the cabin, you probably have a leak. i would double check install

[Bmw doubles]

Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com

If your windows are closed and you are still smelling it inside the cabin, you probably have a leak. i would double check install

Concur

[bravehart38]

I replaced the downpipe to turbo gasket and it made a huge difference in reducing the smell (#3)