At 12:03 AM 1/29/2002 -0800, you wrote:
snip
>The muffler shop repaired a leak I discovered where one of the mufflers
>meets the pipe which is what got me going in this direction. I'm still
>fighting my exhaust fumes in the passenger compartment problem (as soon as
>I roll a window down partially at almost any speed, I get gassed).
>Both windows open all the way usually get me pretty fresh air, but
>rolling up either window even partially means fume city. I do notice
>that the rear bumper gets all kinds of "smudge" from the tail pipes that
>I have to constantly clean off (kind of whitish color)... What do you all
>think?
A very common problem Steve. Typically the trunk seal is the worst
offender and this makes sense since you have noticed the residue on your
bumper. This indicates that part of the exhaust flow curls up behind your
trunk in a low pressure area. The trunk seal is one obvious path for
reentry into the interior (obviously a lower pressure area with the windows
closed). Another path is not well known and that is from the area under
the "bench" behind the seats. Those oval holes in the box stiffener lead
to a channel which is open to the front of the top storage bay (just ahead
of the wheel wells). Some expanding urethane foam in the outside ends of
the box will close this path and prevent air from under your car from
entering this path. It will also make your car cooler by blocking the hot
air that takes this path even if the exhaust system doesn't leak.
In the rear you can direct the discharge tips toward the outside corners
and this will reduce the exhaust captured in the air swirl behind your trunk.
I know it doesn't look as nice, but it's a proven solution. Check out the
Rotary Alpine sometime.
Tom
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