I also have exhaust coming thru the vents when i have vent open- either with or without AC on. when i hit recirculate it goes away. My mechanic went thru the complete exhaust and said there was no leaks…?
Does this occur when driving & moving? Or only when stopped w/engine running, like parked, or waiting at a stoplight? Recirculate mode limits the amount of outside air brought inside the car, so entry point for the exhaust odor appears to be the hvac inlet vents near the bottom of the windshield.
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Thanks George. Happens whenever fan is on and on fresh air, not recirculate. AC or not. This is whats puzzling to me.I guess I have to find a shop with a sniffer for exhaust leaks
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Since you notice the odor both when the vehicle is being driven and stopped/idling, pretty good chance it is coming from the engine compartment. It might not be exhaust, could be an oil leak is dripping on the hot exhaust manifold. That produces a definite acrid odor, & could easily be confused with exhaust. The most common engine oil-leak source is the valve cover gaskets. Ask your shop to be sure to check there.
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Have you investigated the recall posted by @weekend-warrior ?
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According to the nhtsa report above, the affected part (that leaks) appears to be a flexible segment of the exhaust system. That’s needed if the engine needs to be lowered or raised to provide access to something. The part is likely very near the engine compartment. I have to raise the engine in my Corolla to replace the water pump for example, and doing that visibly stresses that flexible segment. Prior to noticing this odor, did any work like that occur on your Outback? I mention this b/c that flexible segment might be more difficult to leak-check than the other parts.
The engine is mounted on rubber, the engine moves as the vehicle is driven.
No dispute, the flexible exhaust segment is needed for that too. On my Corolla, the normal amount of engine movement is considerably less than what is needed to lower or raise the engine.
I doubt it has anything to do with raising or lowering the engine for service. It’s to absorb the day to day movement between the engine and the exhaust system.
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All, Thanks very much for the input. Its very sporadic and I cant figure this out- over the weekend we went on a trip and i tested vent, A/C both with recirculate on and off. No exhaust smell this time?! I checked the below windshield input and made sure that was clear. Nothing really was there… I’m at a loss.
Now, speaking of 2015 Outback- the brake light blinks all the time now. The indicator light on the parking brake does not work so I assume thats the error… the parking brake does activate on and off. I hate those electronic parking brakes
Feel each of the wheels after a drive that didn’t involve much braking. Do any feel particularly hot? Beyond that, best to take your Outback to a shop having a pro-level scan tool for a diagnosis for the cause of blinking brake light. I expect it isn’t the parking brake, instead the computer has detected a problem with the ABS system.
The brake fluid level might be low, the brake pads may be worn to their limit.
Thanks George
I did feel the tires after an hour drive. No discernible difference in temps. I am going to unplug the battery and see if that helps reset anything. The fluid is fine and very clean…
Thanks. I checked the fluid -clean and full. I had the brakes done i think last year after 75k so we dont wear those very often
Thank you Weekend Warrior!!! I have set up an appt. FYI- the recall is valid until 2034 in case anyone else has this issue.
Have a great one
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Thanks for the help
George, not sure if my reply applied- it was a sensor on the back wheel…the connector came off! the wanted to replace both rear calipers but the mechanic at Subaru was nice enough to zip tie the connector together! Nice and done
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