Exhaust smell in my cab

[Dave Fabry]

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I have a 2009 1500 Big Horn with just under 100,000 miles on it. My problem is that I smell exhaust in the cab when I accelerate during an incline as in passing someone. I've had the manifold gaskets changed under warranty and don't hear the tell take clicking when I start the engine. I've had the exhaust looked over and no issues have been found. My wife said she has noticed this on an older Ram we had too. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[crackerjack1957]

If it was not for your mileage I would say cats but still a possibility.
Have cats been removed?

 

[Burla]

I'd be using a carbon monoxide detector in your truck for a while. Just because you only smell it under acceleration doesn't mean it isn't there under regular driving. I'd check my pcv as well. If it isn't coming from the pipes or manifold, it is coming through your valve cover, well maybe

 

[Burla]

If you run a can of sea foam though the vac lines and get under the truck, you can see if any smoke comes out anywhere except end of pipes. Plus you will clean the combustion chamber as a bonus, winner winner chicken dinner.

 

[Dave Fabry]

What exactly do you mean by "cats" assuming you aren't referring to the animal?

Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk

 

[Dave Fabry]

Thank you Burla. I'm not very familiar with this. Can you elaborate? I thought Sea Foam was just used as a fuel addative/cleaner?

Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk

 

[grizzstang]

"Cats" are catalytic convertors. They are located up close to your exhaust manifolds and look like small mufflers, sort of.

 

[hotrod45]

There is a fairly steep hill at the edge of a small city near here and I have noticed that I can smell exhaust when I'm passing someone on the hill. But I can also smell the stink of the city when I'm not passing or following someone. Try putting your heat/cooling system on "recycle" and see whether you're just picking up exhaust from the vehicle you're passing.

 

[Burla]

Thank you Burla. I'm not very familiar with this. Can you elaborate? I thought Sea Foam was just used as a fuel addative/cleaner?

So engines run on fuel and air, if you add something with the air it will create smoke as your engine is tuned for your fuel air ratio so you are running it rich. Sea Foam is designed to be added to your incoming air, solvent right into the combustion chamber. It breaks up carbon in the combustion chamber as a side benefit to what you are using it for. If you have an exhaust leak some smoke should be coming through where it is leaking.

Chris Fix sea foam vid.

 

[Dave Fabry]

Thanks hotrod45. Nice to know someone else notices this. I have tried the recycle setting and I still smell the exhaust. That actually puzzles me more.

There is a fairly steep hill at the edge of a small city near here and I have noticed that I can smell exhaust when I'm passing someone on the hill. But I can also smell the stink of the city when I'm not passing or following someone. Try putting your heat/cooling system on "recycle" and see whether you're just picking up exhaust from the vehicle you're passing.

Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk

 

[hotrod45]

It's still very likely to be the "other" vehicle. The worst offenders, I find, are small cars. The hill here is steep enough for them to be close to full throttle, just trying to maintain 50mph in a 55mph zone. Their exhaust is almost always visibly black. Sometimes I can smell exhaust of vehicles that are almost a couple tenths of a mile ahead of me if the conditions are just right. If you really think it's your truck, I'd recommend trying to replicate the situation when there is no traffic at all on the hill.

 

[NCRaineman]

It's still very likely to be the "other" vehicle. The worst offenders, I find, are small cars. The hill here is steep enough for them to be close to full throttle, just trying to maintain 50mph in a 55mph zone. Their exhaust is almost always visibly black.

That's caused by drivers not running the engine at high RPMs regularly. Builds up all kinds of soot in the engine and in the exhaust that the airflow at low RPMs isn't sufficient to clear out. Floorboarding a vehicle on occasion to "blow the carbon out" isn't just something your father reminisces over, it's still good to do today. Can always tell when someone ahead of me in traffic really has to get on it, you'll see that puff of black smoke from the tailpipe and smell exhaust.

 

[hotrod45]

That's caused by drivers not running the engine at high RPMs regularly. Builds up all kinds of soot in the engine and in the exhaust that the airflow at low RPMs isn't sufficient to clear out. Floorboarding a vehicle on occasion to "blow the carbon out" isn't just something your father reminisces over, it's still good to do today. Can always tell when someone ahead of me in traffic really has to get on it, you'll see that puff of black smoke from the tailpipe and smell exhaust.

In most cases here, it's more the case that the car is in lousy condition. It has an old, rusty, exhaust system held up with baling wire (or just waving around), the back seat is full of trash, the inside of the windows has a haze of crud that could probably be scraped off with a razor blade, one tail light lens is red cellophane, and it will have three brands of worn out tires on it (estimate).