I have a fumes smell in my 1986 trans am. it is a v8 automatic and i tihnk it may be transmission related but not sure at all.

I figured this is the place to figure out what other people think.

If the transmission has old or little fluid would it burn up? the connections to the radiator seem fine.

I installed a new radiator right after i purchase it from the previous owner.

I took out the transmisson plugs so i can screw in the coolent lines for the transmission fluid. It was a deep dirt red color.

I'm going to get the transmission fluid drained and refilled soon but i also have a slight oil leak on teh valve gaskets but i'm just unsure of what i smell.

I have to drive with the windows down to get any fresh air. its not smoking just the odor of fumes.

can it be exhaust fumes if there was a rust hole possibly in the y-pipe?

can it be transmission fluid burn smell coming up from the shifter assembly or up from the ac vents?

or can it just be the old oil burning off the engine coming in through the AC vents?

or soemthing i havent thought of?

The transmission fluid will be flussed and changed soon since it is dark red.

the y-pipes and cat converter r being replaced from the cat being broken and y-pipe being rusted.

hopefully that will rule out my current ideas

if it is the oil leak i dont smell it with the hood open and working on the engine after driving it.

this is just weird.


Any help or ideas would be great thanks guys

 

Is your PCV functioning correctly? If the valve is stuck or not connected you can experience blow-by gasses under the bonnet which make their way into the cockpit.

 

You still have the rubber gasket attached to the underside of the hood, by the cowl? If not your heater assembly will suck in fumes while driving. I have had that before. Instant headache. -Nick.

 

the pcv has a vacuum. but i definately woulldn't have thought of that.

I think the y-pipe or oil on engine is my best bet at the moment i no longer thinkits the transmission fluid.

but any other ideas of what it could be keep them coming. just incase its not either of the two
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really? i'll check. I believe its still there. are you talking about regular oil fumes or exhaust?

 

by rubber gasket you mean the weatherstrippeing on the hood right before the windshield wipers correct?

 

Could be a rust hole in the spare tire area or under the back seat sucking fumes.

opening a window wont help forver, it may seem like it but your still breathing that stuff.

Put your slider on max AC, that will close your fresh air vents.
[works on all GM cars]
AC wont run if temp slider is set on warm.

That will stop fumes from coming into the car like you want until you find what is making the smell. With window open your getting fresh air but still sucking fumes. CO fumes can build up in your system, very bad after some time.

 

Yes, still got yours?

 

Yep check your hatch seal. It will suck fumes through it also. Why trucks with a cap or station wagons has the exhaust exit on the sides. As if they dump straight out. When the back is open it will pull fumes right from the exhaust into the truck/wagon......

Same thing, if you hatch seal leaks, it will suck fumes right from your exhaust into the car.


Temp fix for leaking seal if your low on funds.

Buy some of that peel n stick weather stripping they sell this time of year. Get 1/4in thick for doors, and 1/2in thick for hatch.

I did just that to my car about 3 years ago. Wasn't from fumes but I was tired of cold air blowing right through the car in the winter. It was a cheap temp fix that has lasted. Just peel n stick over top of the stock seals.

 

is the smell constant or is it good sometimes then it gets bad again?

 

The car jsut passed emmisions with excellent results. But The smell isn't as bad after i had a new y-pipe and cat installed. It only happened when i had the heat on. I believe there might have been a small leak in the yipie under ther heater core or blower. But i also suspect the heater core is dirty and is fuming the burnt dirt or oil or whatever got stuck on it sometime in the past 20 yrs. If nto teh nits jsut old oil smell which some degreaser should cure after i change my valve gaskets.

 

Where does the car pull air in for the vents?

 

Just outside your windshield. Through the black plastic grille under the wipers.

 

wow i havent seen this forum question since i posted it back in 2006. just for an update it might have been a leak at the manifolds attached to the y-pipe.

i had a lot of work done including filling in a hole in my floor pan.

if others are using this to fix their car smell problem then feel free to keep helping eachother out, but my car is cured. thanks

 

I can't figure mine out. PO accessed fuel pump through hatch. Temporarily I duct taped over the hole. I added the pull down motor. Only thing that seemed to work was moving selector over to max ac. But the exhaust smell is a PIA.

 

remove the carpet, make sure theres no rust holes in the firewall and floor.

also double check all the grommets and seal around the heater core pipes and fan in the engine bay.

 

Good point, hoses to heater core are cut, and most of ac components have been removed - except for drier. This car was a tpi to carb swap done pretty well. Just have to tighten up a few things.

Could smell come through open hoses or around where hoses pass through firewall?