Ask the Car People.SM


Subaru Forester exhaust/fuel smell in cab

52 messages,  Last post on Jan 28, 2013 at 12:27 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Fuel System, Fuel System, SUV

Messages Page 2 of 6

#11 of 52 Re: odor in Subaru Forester 2007 [thebird3] by smittynyc

Apr 30, 2007 (4:46 pm)

Replying to: thebird3 (Apr 30, 2007 4:03 pm)
You could be smelling undercoating burning off the exhaust. If so, it'll go away in 500-1000 miles of normal driving. But that smell is a considerably less offensive than what you're describing -- it really doesn't smell anything like vomit. It's more of a sweet, smoky smell.
 
I hate to suggest this, but if the smell is really that sharp and awful and "organic", you may be looking at a rat/mouse that died somewhere in the engine compartment or even in the ducts of the ventilation system. While not common, this isn't unheard of in a new car that's stored outside at a dealer and driven infrequently.
 
I'd have the dealer check it out -- if I'm right, they will have dealt with this before and will know how to get the beast out. The good news is that the smell will go away totally and permanently as soon as the corpse is removed.

#12 of 52 Re: odor in Subaru Forester 2007 [thebird3] by ateixeira

May 01, 2007 (9:40 am)

Replying to: thebird3 (Apr 30, 2007 4:03 pm)
My Miata started smelling "stale", so I opened up the fresh air vents and sprayed in some Lysol. It is 14 years old, though.

#14 of 52 Smell From The Engine When Hot...6 Months, 7000 miles by aladwag

Oct 04, 2007 (7:22 pm)

I got a 2007 Forester Sports X in March 2007 because I was so happy with my 2004 Forester X. Just one problem with a brake switch causing the car not to shift out of park one day...but that was fixed. Love the car in theory and in general...BUT....
  
I have a BIGGER problem...a terrible smell coming from the engine whenever the car gets hot. The dealer tech smelled it right away when I stood with him in front of the car, acknowledged it was bad, and he later told me he thought it was undercoating accidentally sprayed on the engine during the manufacturing process, and it could NOT be fixed.
  
Sadly on a prior checkup they claimed to smell nothing (you only smell it with the windows open) and the Subaru regional field tech also claimed (after the local tech had explained the cause of the problem) that no smell existed. This created a stink of a different kind. And nothing in writing except they checked for a smell they couldn't find.
  
Subaru has offered to trade the car in, and pick up some but not all of the cost of the trade...but I'm wondering if I should take a chance and pay even more money for a brand new car when the brand new car I just purchased and was otherwise very happy with turned out to have a toxic smell from the engine.
  
On the other hand, what are the odds I could have the car declared a lemon in NY when the car still drives, albeit with a bad smell? I feel stuck...
  
I also wish there was a way to turn off the "three unlocks to open" requirement for the hatch and passenger doors. I know it's there to protect old ladies in parking lots, but in the rain when I want to open the hatch or simply let a trusted passenger in the car with me, it's a real pain.
  
Wish I could have just written a rave, because aside from the issues I'm having with this car I still love it, Geosquealers notwithstanding. Traded in a 2001 Acura CL Sports-Type for my 2004, a move comedian Tom Papa made fun of, and I was happier with the Forester since it handled better!
  
What was worse was getting poor customer service from Subaru of America, from a shrill customer service SUPERVISOR who yelled when I said something she disagreed with...she told me the smell could have been caused by something "after-market" like the remote start or the alarm even though she know I'd had it installed at purchase by my dealer. Of course, when you buy an accessory from the dealer to install in your new car before you pick it up, you assume you are purchasing it from Subaru and Subaru won't suddenly disavow any responsibility for it.
  
And when I asked Subaru for another supervisor after she'd literally yelled at me,
they gave the email to the shrill woman so she could call me and tell me she didn't mean to be rude, she's just a loud person. Last Friday she told me she'd call me Monday. No question. Didn't hear from her until an email late Wednesday.
  
They promised I'd be contacted this week by another supervisor "early this week" It's now end-of-business Thursday. I've sent quite a few emails through their website indicating my dissapointment with the car smell, the lack of detection, and the poor treatment by customer service.
  
I think it's time for a regular letter to the president of Subaru of America. Too bad Asa Aarons just left NBC...my hope now is that Subaru realizes they have an evangelist about to jump ship and make a fair offer on the trade-in.
  
Anyone else have a smell like antifreeze-meets-orange-juice overwhelming them in the 2007 Forester when the engine gets hot?
  
!:?

#15 of 52 Re: Smell From The Engine When Hot...6 Months, 7000 miles [aladwag] by paisan

Oct 04, 2007 (7:29 pm)

Replying to: aladwag (Oct 04, 2007 7:22 pm)
Cross posting like this is against Edmunds rules. You already posted this once and the people who can help have or will reply there.
 
-mike

#17 of 52 Well this is a first by p0926

Nov 27, 2007 (10:22 am)

A law firm soliciting business in the Town Hall?
 
Hosts is that allowable?

#18 of 52 Re: Well this is a first [p0926] by tidester

Nov 27, 2007 (1:07 pm)

Replying to: p0926 (Nov 27, 2007 10:22 am)
No it's not.
 
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

#19 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [kev9] by coldsnowskier

Dec 27, 2007 (11:02 pm)

Replying to: kev9 (Feb 05, 2007 6:36 pm)
I've been having this problem on and off now for the last three years or so with my Subaru (Outback). Have gone through various checkups and still the fumes come back in the cold and only in the cold. Seems to be coming from real close to the engine cause I can smell it worst right near what looks like the alternator.

#20 of 52 Re: exhaust/fuel smell in cab [coldsnowskier] by coldsnowskier

Dec 28, 2007 (3:08 pm)

Replying to: coldsnowskier (Dec 27, 2007 11:02 pm)
After googling around more I discovered a lot of Subaru owners were experiencing what sounds like the same problem: smell coming from engine compartment when cold and heater is on. I'd thought the smell was maybe exhaust. It had a bit of a different smell to it which I'd called richer before though I wasn't sure that was the right technical term for it. Anyway, turns out other owners were reporting gas leaks from fuel lines especially when cold. So I popped my hood and looked around. Didn't see anything I could detect - though there was something that looked a little wet but I thought nothing of it (there's lots of snow around here) so I turned on my engine. That's when I saw what looked like little sparks on the driver side of the engine. But it wasn't sparks, it was fluid dripping from a hose clamp down to something lower. With the various reports of leaking gas I quickly shut off my engine and wiped the hose with a cloth. Putting the cloth up close it smelled just like gas too. Bingo. I then tried the easy suggestion I'd read of just tightening the clamps. When I did this while the engine was on it looked like the dripping just got faster making me think perhaps the hose was cracked instead of the clamp just being loose. I called my favorite local Subaru dealership who told me something like "oh yeah you have a fuel leak" as though it was something they'd have told me if I'd recognized it as a gas smell instead of an exhaust smell. That doesn't sit well by me though cause I'd told them repeatedly how the smell only seems to come around really when it's cold and the heater with outside air is on. Makes me feel disappointed that Subaru may be intentionally hiding this problem rather than doing a public recall. I don't know that this is the case for a fact, but like with the infamous head gasket leaks, it's my opinion at least at this point that Subaru is keeping these secret rather than being impressive and forward about these things. My local Subaru service department said there's a 50/50 chance it's just the clamp that is loose or otherwise it's a leak from the hose. Given that my tightening of the clamp seemed to make it leak more I didn't want to take the chance of maybe cracking the hose more or something (I'm certainly not a mechanic). So I brought my car to nearest repair shop. $257 later - for removing the top of the engine supposedly to get to all the hoses and clamps to replace them - and no more smell inside my car's cabin. At least none on the drive back.

Messages Page 2 of 6

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement