Hi, for a while now I have exhaust fumes coming into the vehicle cabin. 

My fabia had a leaking head gasket so I figured it was somehow leaking exhaust fumes into the engine bay witch got picked up by the heater intake. The head gasket has been replaced in 2023, but the exhaust fumes still enter the cabin. The head to exhaust manifold gaskets were replaced. And the intake ones too. 

The smell is there when the vehicle is started, stationary and the heater fan is turned on, doesn't matter if the the heat control knob is turned to cold or hot. 

The smell stops when I turn on air recirculation or get above 20 km/h or when the fan is turned off. 

 

My fabia is from 2001, 1.4mpi AME, hatchback, no ac

Can you post a photo of your engine bay?

There is a rubber seal that goes along the top of the 'water box' (the section below the windscreen wipers), and all the way around the engine bay, to seal against the underside of the bonnet.

This should keep any leaked exhaust gases from entering the ventilation system inlet (which is inside the water box).

This is quite a dangerous situation. If the leak is upstream of the catalytic converter (like at the head/manifold junction) you could be breathing carbon monoxide (CO) which can make you fall asleep and die.

 

Edited 2 May, 20242 yr by Breezy_Pete

You should have this:

 

@Breezy_PeteI might have an old photo. I will have to find it in my phone. But I think my seal is detached from the water box. I am planing on cleaning out the water box and replacing the plastic things that hold it in. How should I fix the seal? 

Didn't find the foto. 

23 minutes ago, Adinko said:

How should I fix the seal? 

If it is not there, get one from a scrapyard.

One version appears to be available new from Skoda still - 6Y0 823 723 A

Not sure if that is the correct one for your car or not, if you tell me the VIN I can check.

I will send it in a private message

Your VIN calls for 6Y0 823 737B, which was available until recently, so some places may still have stock.

Dropped from sale at Skoda in August last year.

 

Thanks for the help. I will try to find it

Also find and fix the exhaust leak!

 

Yes, need to find someone with a smoke leak finder. 

4 hours ago, Adinko said:

Yes, need to find someone with a smoke leak finder. 

In which context, does your exhaust have a flexible section? They can go porous and let exhaust gases into the engine bay.

2 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

In which context, does your exhaust have a flexible section? They can go porous and let exhaust gases into the engine bay.

I think it was replaced by a mechanic while he was replacing the head gasket. 

You might need to replace the EGR Cooler pipe.   I had the same issue (fumes entering the cabin).   Mechanic seen a split in the flexible part of the EGR cooler pipe - replaced and jobs a goodin 👍

@steveo1Thanks for the tip. But my AME engine doesn't have exhaust gas recirculation.