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Smell Problem

To: TIGERS@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Smell Problem
From: Steve Sage <fastsage@cox.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 17:16:39 -0700
I've attacked this problem before but it's back, and worse. With one of 
the Tiger's windows opened, partially or completely, and the other 
closed,  I immediately smell a very strong exhaust smell (or what I take 
to be exhaust) while bopping down the highway. I now have a hardtop on 
the car and this condition seems to be worse with it on than it is with 
just the soft top up, for whatever weird  reason.  My exhaust tips are 
about 2" beyond the rear bumper.

With both windows up, I usually don't smell anything. As soon as I crack 
one of the windows just a bit, the smell is strong and immediate. It's 
almost like someone is standing there with a hose from the exhaust at 
the window, waiting for me to open it just a bit. With both windows 
fully open, the smell is usually not nearly as bad with the hardtop on, 
although still noticeable unless I open the side "flipper" windows, 
which helps considerably. With both windows open with the soft top up, 
you really wouldn't notice anything amiss, until you rolled one window 
up, or partially up. When I first addressed the problem, I had thought 
it might be from bad fuel tanks but I've since had them both re-done so 
that's probably not it. My trunk lid does not fit perfectly, but I have 
tried sealing it up with masking tape around the edges and that does not 
seem to have any effect either way.

I have had the exhaust (from the header collectors on back to the 
tailpipes) checked and the shop that had installed it says they don't 
find a leak. They could be wrong, though.

Could the headers themsleves be leaking enough to create this immediate 
effect with a window partially opened? The fumes would have to be 
flowing from the engine compartment, under the car, and then up into the 
window. With the engine running, at idle anyway (or revving it in 
place), I do not smell anything unusual from the engine compartment itself.

I've owned two new Sunbeams in my time, and neither of them, even up to 
150,000 miles or so each, ever had a problem like this. I did have a 
similar problem with my previous Tiger, but not as bad. On that one, the 
fumes were less noticable with its hardtop on, the opposite of what's 
going on with this one. So, since new Sunbeams didn't have this problem, 
something must deteriorate over the years causing the problem, right?

All ideas will, as usual, be appreciated.

Steve Sage
1966 MK1A





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