I've a 2021 model year 2.0 diesel Combi with 30,000km/18,000 miles on the clock.  It had it's second service just before Christmas.

 

Since the service, I think that I'm getting a faint smell of exhaust fumes in the car.  None of my passengers notice it.  To me, its present when the ventilation system is working as normal and not there using the bypass function.

 

As none of my passengers notice it, I don't fancy my chances of persuading the dealership that there's an issue.  Like a lot of dealerships, an issue would need to have a fault code to be believed. I've searched the forum and not found anything similar.  Is there anything that I can check on the car or any suggestions for ways to prove the issue one way or the other?

Get this

https://catalog.mann-filter.com/EU/eng/catalog/MANN-FILTER Katalog Europa/Vehicles/CARS %2B TRANSPORTERS/SKODA/Superb III (3V)/2.0 TDI DDAA, DFCA (T00000000332484)/Cabin Air Filter/FP 26 009

 

Also if you have a decent code reader use it and you might find a faulty sensor (air quality?), I’ve seen on here a few people’s air quality sensor has failed.

 

What it’s meant to do is when it detects fumes it puts recirc on automatically or something like that.

 

Cheapest way is changing your pollen filter to that one, but double check it’s the correct one for your car, it is for mine so should be.

 

Or this might sound crazy but you could even be getting covid symptoms, my smell went haywire before I fully came down to it and fumes/smoke was exactly what I could smell the most when no one else could

Edited 5 January, 20233 yr by Danoid

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/508628-tdi-20-scr-190-smell-of-exhaust-fumes

 

 

The car was due a new Pollen / Cabin filter at the 2nd service.   Was it replaced, did you pay for one?

 

First find out if there is fumes getting in the car.   Fault codes are not always required and all Dealership techs are not Deaf Dumb and Blind with no sense of smell or care for customers health, 

so look in past the dealership and discus your concerns. 

Edited 5 January, 20233 yr by toot

Thanks @Danoid - I'd ordered that exact filter and fitted it today - no improvement unfortunately.  My original filter was a Denso filter and was quite dirty.  I'm currently testing negative for covid and have noticed the slight smell of fumes mostly since the car was serviced in the middle of December.  I can't be absolutely certain that it wasn't there before but I think that I've only noticed it since then.

 

I've got an OBD11 dongle.  The car is showing a few faults but none relating to the air quality sensor:

 

Central electronics, remote key 2 - voltage too low (B147A18)

Dashboard, function restriction due to communication interruption (U111000)

Gateway, static current too high, intermittent (U140600)

Brake boost, low voltage, intermittent (P056200)

Multimedia, function restriction due to communication interruption (U111000)

 

The car currently has an issue with a fluctuating oil temperature reading and my dealer's attempt to fix it with a software update has broken the Traffic Sign Recognition.

 

@toot the car should have got a pollen/cabin filter at the last service but it wasn't done so I replaced it myself yesterday with the Mann activated carbon filter linked to above.  The air seems fresher with recirculation on and was that way before the filter replacement too.  Car dealerships here are currently flat out as January is peak sales month due to our year based registration system so it's difficult to get a service appointment during January.  I'm also waiting for them to hear back from Skoda re the oil temperature issue so they probably won't see the car again for another month.  The smell issue is subtle, as none of my passengers have noticed it on short trips or longer journeys.  For me, its something that I become aware of after driving for enough time for the car to fully warm up but its nothing overt, just a feeling that the air in the car is fresher when recirculated or when I open the door to get out.  I live in a rural area so the outside air tends to be fume free (mostly).  I'd like to figure out likely sources for the smell in advance of my next dealership visit but am not overly optimistic if I'm the only one who notices it.

 

For what its worth, I've popped a carbon monoxide monitor under the drivers seat, just in case but I've had no sensation of tiredness/headache etc when driving.

 

@LegacyIs there some reason the tech / fitter doing the service never changed the pollen filter when they should have or did you ask them not to. 

(There is a crazy price charged in the UK.)

 

What oil temperature issue? 

 

EDIT.

OK. i see. 

So what are Skoda supposed to be helping them with.  Is there some highly skilled tech around going to tell them which parts to try replacing?

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/508747-fluctuation-oil-temperature-20-tdi

 

Edited 6 January, 20233 yr by toot

It should have been replaced as part of the service plan but conveniently wasn't - I didn't notice until I got home as I was in a rush to get back to work.

 

I don't have much confidence in their ability to diagnose/sort the oil temp issue, especially given that their first reaction was to 'update the software' and that seems to have broken my TSR.  To me, the oil temp problem looks like a sensor issue but there is no associated issue with the oil level warning (I think that they share the same sensor).  I had a look on erwin and there's no diagnostic advice around the issue so either they can't diagnose without guidance/fault code or they are unwilling to put any effort into figuring it out unless they're sure that Skoda will pay for it.  I had a sense that they were uninterested.  I'll chase them up on the issue in February and if there's no progress, I'll try another dealership.

Edited 6 January, 20233 yr by Legacy

They must be missing a Master Technician at that dealership.   

Ah that’s a shame the pollen filter hasn’t made a difference.

 

If you let your car idling on your drive do you smell fumes then? If you do that would suggest a breather hose but on such a new car I’d like to think that’s unlikely.

 

You can always get an AC bomb cleaner and let it do it’s things.

 

Theres still the potential of there is no smell and you’re imagining it, especially as no one else can smell it 😬

 

 

9 hours ago, toot said:

They must be missing a Master Technician at that dealership.   

 

It seems that someone was working quietly in the background as I was told this afternoon that they've got a new oil temp sensor for me and will look into the other issues while it's being fitted. 

 

9 hours ago, Danoid said:

Ah that’s a shame the pollen filter hasn’t made a difference.

 

If you let your car idling on your drive do you smell fumes then? If you do that would suggest a breather hose but on such a new car I’d like to think that’s unlikely.

 

You can always get an AC bomb cleaner and let it do it’s things.

 

Theres still the potential of there is no smell and you’re imagining it, especially as no one else can smell it 😬

 

 

 

The fumes are there regardless of whether the car is idling or moving.  I'll observe for a week or two and see if anything changes.  The dealership can check it out while they're changing the oil temp sensor

It would be interesting if they were there starting and reversing, because the intakes should be closed then. 

13 minutes ago, toot said:

It would be interesting if they were there starting and reversing, because the intakes should be closed then. 

 

I'll give that a go and see if there's any difference.  Presumably it's a case of listening for the intakes moving? - the recirculation button doesn't light up unless the button is pressed manually

The flaps should close automatically as you reverse.

10 hours ago, Danoid said:

If you do that would suggest a breather hose but on such a new car I’d like to think that’s unlikely.

 

These hoses can still fail, though. Many moons ago, we had it on a Fiat that wasn't even a year old at the time.