# 01 Frontier SC - Exhaust Smell while driving



## DoeD (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi, I am new to this forum and have found it very informative. 
I have a problem with my 2001 Frontier Crew Cab SC. I bought this truck new and have had this problem repeatedly. Dealer can "reproduce" it in the shop, so it has not been fixed or diagnosed. 

While driving and the truck is warm, I get an exhaust smell in the cab. Sometimes very bad. I have to turn on the AC to clear it. Also, while driving, I cannot drive with the windows open or the sunroof open because I get the exhaust in the cab.

The truck has almost 70,000 miles and is regularly maintained.

Anyone else have this problem?

Thanks for your time.


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## msubullyfan (Jul 24, 2005)

Can't say exactly what your problem is, but I want to be sure you understand how severe a problem getting exhaust into the cab of your vehicle can be. If the concentration of exhaust in the cabin is sufficient, you could be subject to carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if the concentration is not high enough to be immediately lethal (called acute poisoning), breathing lower concentrations for an extended period of time (called chronic poisoning) can cause fatigue, nausea, respiratory problems, and memory loss (among other things).

There were documented cases of people driving long distances in station wagons in the 1970's with the rear lift glass open, and the exhaust would get sucked back into the vehicle and kill people in the rear of the wagon. So, it can be a major problem.

I don't know much about the previous generation of Frontiers (I have an '05), but I'm assuming that Nissan's smart enough to have the HVAC system use the coolant to heat the air, and not the exhaust gases (like some Volkswagens and a few other vehicles).

The best guess I have is maybe there's a leak around the exhaust header that's making it through the firewall and into the vehicle.

You can buy or rent (or possibly borrow from the fire department) a carbon monoxide detector that might help you locate the source of the gases. The typical home monitors probably wouldn't work well, because you really need one with a hose that you can sniff small areas with to locate the leak more precisely. 

That would be by best guess.


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## Adam (Apr 30, 2002)

I have this same problem, I have a feeling it may mean I have a cracked exhaust manifold, but I'm not sure.


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## DoeD (Oct 1, 2005)

I meant, the dealer CANT "reproduce" it in the shop, so it has not been fixed or diagnosed. They said it had no exhaust leaks.

Thanks for the replies. I have had a household Carbon Monoxide detector in the truck because my husband insisted. The alarm has never gone off, but I immediately turn on the air when I smell it.

I need to make the service writer ride in the car with me because it only does it when the car has been driven a while. 













DoeD said:


> Hi, I am new to this forum and have found it very informative.
> I have a problem with my 2001 Frontier Crew Cab SC. I bought this truck new and have had this problem repeatedly. Dealer can "reproduce" it in the shop, so it has not been fixed or diagnosed.
> 
> While driving and the truck is warm, I get an exhaust smell in the cab. Sometimes very bad. I have to turn on the AC to clear it. Also, while driving, I cannot drive with the windows open or the sunroof open because I get the exhaust in the cab.
> ...


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## jerryp58 (Jan 6, 2005)

DoeD said:


> Hi, I am new to this forum and have found it very informative.
> I have a problem with my 2001 Frontier Crew Cab SC. I bought this truck new and have had this problem repeatedly. Dealer can "reproduce" it in the shop, so it has not been fixed or diagnosed.
> 
> While driving and the truck is warm, I get an exhaust smell in the cab. Sometimes very bad. I have to turn on the AC to clear it. Also, while driving, I cannot drive with the windows open or the sunroof open because I get the exhaust in the cab.
> ...


Are there any mods to the truck, exhaust or otherwise?

Could it be some type of turbulence? Is it at all speeds? Do any of you people who ride with your tailgates down have a problem with exhaust fumes?


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## DoeD (Oct 1, 2005)

Truck is completely stock. No modifications. I dont drive with the tailgait down because I have a roll & lock cover on bed. I get exhaust smell at all speeds, with windows open and with windows closed after driven for half hour or so.



jerryp58 said:


> Are there any mods to the truck, exhaust or otherwise?
> 
> Could it be some type of turbulence? Is it at all speeds? Do any of you people who ride with your tailgates down have a problem with exhaust fumes?


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## msubullyfan (Jul 24, 2005)

I don't give a flip what the dealer said -- you've got an exhaust leak somewhere.

[Edit: I don't mean that negatively toward you -- I think the dealer's either full of it or flat out wrong. Think about it -- if you don't have an exhaust leak, there's only one place the exhaust can go... out the tailpipe. If you can smell it in the vehicle, then it's going somewhere it isn't supposed to go.]


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## jerryp58 (Jan 6, 2005)

msubullyfan said:


> I don't give a flip what the dealer said -- you've got an exhaust leak somewhere.


I think I'd have to agree with msubullyfan about the exhaust leak. The exhaust system would be the most likely but could it be any part of the EGR system?

I think it's a little odd that it's entering the closed up cab. If all of the firewall seals are intact, it seems like it'd have to be coming through the shifter console.

Any way you drive it by the service dept. the next time it happens?


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## Adam (Apr 30, 2002)

Is the truck 2wd? I find on mine, where the 4wd stick would go, there's some air coming up from under the truck. I can feel it in the big cupholder there. I should get underneath to check it out.


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## AZLS1 (Sep 6, 2005)

Please spend a little money on a battery operated Carbon monoxide alarm. They are at your hardware store next to the Smoke detectors. Get a battery powered one. This should make it easier for you to show them the issue.

It is dangerous and is most probabaly caused by a hairline crack in the exhaust manifold. The crack gets bigger as the engine heats up which is why it get worse after you have been driving for a while.

GET IT FIXED NOW!


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## DoeD (Oct 1, 2005)

Thanks everyone for the insights and suggestions. You are all right. I need to have it fixed NOW. Since the Carbon Monoxide Alarm in my cab never goes off, I have not rushed into the dealer again. I think I will take it to a different dealer and see if they can figure it out. I will let you know what they find....if anything.

Thanks again. 







AZLS1 said:


> Please spend a little money on a battery operated Carbon monoxide alarm. They are at your hardware store next to the Smoke detectors. Get a battery powered one. This should make it easier for you to show them the issue.
> 
> It is dangerous and is most probabaly caused by a hairline crack in the exhaust manifold. The crack gets bigger as the engine heats up which is why it get worse after you have been driving for a while.
> 
> GET IT FIXED NOW!


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## audiocr381ve (Oct 5, 2005)

*...*

I have a 2000 Frontier Crew Cab. I have THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. Doesn't it kind of smell like propane when you leave the stove on with no fire? AHH, I do the same thing, turn on the AC. The smell is overbearing sometimes and gets annoying. If all the windows are up it comes from the open sunroof! Let me know what the problem is and how it turns out for ya


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## keep off median (Aug 3, 2004)

2000 Frontier Crew Cab here. I've got another thread started from early spring. Mine smelled more like fuel, but audiocr381ve's propane smell might be it. In any case, after repeated trips to the dealer and an independant mechanic, no resolution. Finally the check engine light came on and I brought it in to the dealer. They dropped the fuel tank and found it to be severly corroded and vapors were escaping. I'm at 86K miles but Nissan is picking up the tab on the new tank, I'm waiting to hear whether they're covering the labor as well. How demanding should I be that they pay for the labor? What are my rights? Does my 6/100 corrosion warranty cover this? In that case, there's no way I'm paying labor. What regulatory agency should be informed of this safety issue? Any help/advice would be appreciated. They're going to have my truck until the weekend at least.


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## estoman711 (Aug 23, 2010)

I had carbon monoxide problem on my '98 Frontier King Cab. Almost passed out on a 3hr. drive, then even Doctors couldn't identify what the problem was. Finally I figured it out, as I found a small muffler leak... It turned out, forward drift pulled the exhaust right into the cab through air release vents that are located between the cab and truck's bed. I think that the muffler is located in a wrong angle and in a wrong place.... I hope no one dies from this, since most people don't have the education to identify odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that can kill them.


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## azrocketman (Oct 5, 2005)

A carbon monoxide detector in a vehicle is a crutch, not a fix. That's like saying you need a stethoscope if you have a bad heart. Could be the reason the carbon monoxide never goes off is because the fumes you smell are not exhaust.

As some have indicated above, there is a leak. Could be exhaust or it can be raw fuel. The vehicle owners need to get under their respective vehicles and under the hood (or have a mechanic do it) and look for the following:

1) Exhaust system leaks
2) Fuel system hose deterioration, loose clamps, and/or tubing damage (metal tubing can rub through if it's been rubbing for a long time).
3) Lubricant leaks from the engine, transmission, transfer case, and/or rear axle that are contacting hot exaust surfaces

Note the driving conditions. Is there any correlation with vehicle load, amount of fuel in the fuel tank, and the weather (to name a few possibilities)? Is the check engine light on?

Steve


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## mrfixitct (Oct 19, 2010)

DoeD said:


> Hi, I am new to this forum and have found it very informative.
> I have a problem with my 2001 Frontier Crew Cab SC. I bought this truck new and have had this problem repeatedly. Dealer can "reproduce" it in the shop, so it has not been fixed or diagnosed.
> 
> While driving and the truck is warm, I get an exhaust smell in the cab. Sometimes very bad. I have to turn on the AC to clear it. Also, while driving, I cannot drive with the windows open or the sunroof open because I get the exhaust in the cab.
> ...


might check the rubber seal under the center console, I just found mine cracked wide open, looking for a hot air leak coming in thru cupholder only when a window is open. 116 degree temp wafting in, part about $65.00, looks easy to replace. I should add mine is a 2001 SE w/manual trans..


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