Why am I smelling exhaust in my car?

1. Exhaust Leak (Smoke Smell) If you begin to smell exhaust in the cabin, but it just smells vaguely musty and smoky like regular exhaust fumes, you may simply have an exhaust leak somewhere behind the catalytic converter. This could be a damaged muffler or a cracked exhaust pipe.

What does an exhaust manifold leak smell like?

Burning smell coming from the engine bay Another symptom of a potential problem with the exhaust manifold gasket is a burning smell from the engine bay. If the gasket fails and leaks near any plastic components, or engine wiring, the heat from the exhaust gases may cause the components to burn up.

How do I fix a smelly catalytic converter?

The smell is usually caused from gasoline brand. It can take five fill ups to clean out the smell from a catalytic converter. I would run the gas tank down to just under 1/4, switch the brand and gasoline grade to a higher octane. The higher the octane the hotter and cleaner the gas burns.

How do you know if you have an exhaust leak?

Signs of An Exhaust Leak

1. Engine Noise. Increased engine noise is a common sign of an exhaust leak.
2. Loss of Acceleration and Power. An exhaust leak can affect the performance of your engine.
3. Reduced Fuel Economy. If you’re making more trips to the gas station, an exhaust leak could be the culprit.
4. Gas Smell.

How do I know if my catalytic converter is going bad?

Among the symptoms of a bad catalytic converter are: Sluggish engine performance. Reduced acceleration. Dark exhaust smoke.

What does a clogged catalytic converter smell like?

A properly working catalytic converter will convert hydrogen sulfide into odorless sulfur dioxide. When failing, you may notice a sulfuric, rotten egg-like smell coming from the exhaust. Unburnt fuel left in the exhaust by the bad catalytic converter produces the odor, and may even cause dark exhaust smoke.