exhaust entering cabin . . . .HELP
 

OK

My 8 was a demo car at a local mazda dealer and i got an amazing price with 7500 miles on it and it included a borla exhaust system.

But ever since i got my 8, everytime i am at a stop with my airflow open, i smell exhaust inside my car, windows closed. its a definite smell of exhaust and its not quite healthy for me.

I kinda blew it off for a while until my friend, who was in the passenger seat, couldnt handle the smell and constantly stuck his head out of the window.

i have a SR intake but the smell existed before i installed it.

Ive always had the borla system installed so maybe it has something to do with that
i have no freakin clue how i get the fumes and im wondering what could cause it and if any other borla users notic the fumes either.

thanks

has it gotten a lot louder...flange between the cat, and the exaust pipe may be leaking...it's right below the brake lever area??

no, everything seems fine with a glance under - - but i could be wrong . . . anyway if there was a leak, why would it enter the cabin? dosnt it take the air from the front of the car

exaust is hot...and it tends to rise into the center tunnel...from there it seems to leak to be able to leak into most cars. air flow under a car is funny...can't really predict what it will do ( with out big computer modelling :D)

Check the connections between the midpipe and the exaust...or look for leaks elsewhere

can you hear any leaks in the interior...quarter windows, along the bottom of the doors???

Or is it coming in through the heating system....??

I would take it to the dealer and let them have a look....CO is nothing to play with!!

i dont hear any leaks anywhere . . . and it yea it comes through the ventilation system, its freakin ruining my 100m and 200m times in trackmeets, my lungs are ROTTING =(

Unfortunately, the RX-8 is so aerodynamic that exhaust gas seems to seep around every body panel from the tail pipes and will enter the cabin when you are standing still.
I notice the slight smell of exhaust in my car as soon as I start it, but it goes away as soon as I start moving. This was, for me, the condition when the car was new and totally stock, so this may not be an actual leak anywhere.
This will be even more noxious in a car with no CAT, as is mine.

Just keep the car HVAC in recirc when you start it and give it a few miles to warm up. the smell should be less noticible after the motor is warm.

Maybe an aldehyde cabin filter will help or keep it at recirc? But that smell must be extreme if passengers and yourself are really complaining about it.

I have the same problem. I have a B&B midpipe. From behind the car you can smell pure fuel. When im at a stop the smell comes into the cabin.I put the heat on the option to recycle the air instead of getting outside air and it goes away.It does stink though.

yea, maybe this is just a mazda problem

No it is not a Mazda problem, it is an aftermarket pipe problem.

Sounds like a bad install problem. I don't smell anything in the cabin with my Racing Beat catback - even when I let the car warm up for 5 minutes.

How many of you that have changed the midpipe replaced the crush gasket between the manifold and front flange of the mid pipe?
THe crush gasket should be replaced each time the pipe unbolted from the manifold. .
Yes I know thats a pain. The gasket is a $10 part and I bought spares:D.

To get rid of the smell use recirc or replace the gasket and properly torque the nuts down. I don't know what the tq spec is off the top of my hed !

I know the smell well enough... not as bad as a pig farm.

CHeck your cat to exhaust connection. I recently installed my Greddy, and I could smell the exhaust within the cabin, especially at a standstill. I am not sure if you need to torque the bolts at the cat, I didnt, I just tightened them a bit more, and now no more fumes, smells, or anythig out of the ordinary.

Maybe you can take it to a state inspections/sticker place and have them take a looksee.


Let us know if you do and what they say.

did you buy your car in Thousand Oaks/Westlake ?

If so, I've driven that car - wanted to hear the Borla

Are you sure it's actual engine exhaust? When my 8 was a month old, it developed an exhaust like smell. Whenever I came to a stop light or at a drive-thru I would have to smell it - come through the vents. It was a leaky rear transmission seal that dripped oil onto the exhaust system. Dealer fixed it on the second try.