Bad or Burnt Exhaust smell in cabin during hard acceleration.

[stillmarried]

I got the partial exhaust system replacement done that has the turned down exhaust tips that is apparently the latest TSB fix for the exhaust smell in the cabin. I swear that I did not get 4 miles from the dealership after picking up the Ex, and got the exhaust smell. The smell was less, but still there.
My forecast is: in the year 2287, Ford is getting complaints about the model year 2286 Explorer exhaust smell in the cabin, but admits no responsibility since it is a design issue!

 

[Burritoman]

Found a news video. http://www.clickondetroit.com/autom...explorers-can-leak-poisonous-gases-inside-suv

 

[Odrapnew]

I have to ask, there are many other brand SUV's out there that have very similar designs(square back, exhaust out the back), what's different about some of the Explorers that are out there? Why doesn't this affect every Explorer? Sure, CO is odorless, but the exhaust, which carries the CO does have a smell to it. I don't see how you could have CO entering the cabin without the exhaust smell. I've never experienced any exhaust smell in my 2014 Sport.

I noticed in the story the reporter said one guy couldn't afford a different vehicle and has to deal with it.
Not true. Sell it or trade it in and get something same price or less expensive. "Having to live with" it is no excuse to put your health/life(or other lives) in jeopardy.

 

[GTED]

Wow!!!! I saw this on the CBS News broadcast tonight during prime-time! That was INCREDIBLE video of the cops Ford Explorer SUV seemingly just drift across the roadway, up over the median, almost hit trees and smash into the other side of the road - missing oncoming traffic.

Also incredible that police departments are now installing CO2 detectors in their Ford Explorer's!!

Where can I get one? Should I get one??

Can you say Firestone Tire - Ford Explorer fiasco all over again!!!

Ebay I just bought a battery powered detector for under $15

 

[Bart2Explor]

Can anyone tell their results with hand held Carbon monoxide meter? I just bought one for over $120 its coming on 2/16. I hope for negative results since I just bought this car.

 

[peterk9]

Can anyone tell their results with hand held Carbon monoxide meter? I just bought one for over $120 its coming on 2/16. I hope for negative results since I just bought this car.

I believe there are several such posts in this thread. You can use the 'Search' feature to find them.

Peter

 

[stillmarried]

Can anyone tell their results with hand held Carbon monoxide meter? I just bought one for over $120 its coming on 2/16. I hope for negative results since I just bought this car.

I also bought a CO meter, made by Pyle #PCMM05 from Walmart for $119 that should be here in a couple of days. We can compare notes on our readings. One thing may be a problem, I read the manual on line and it shuts off after 15 minutes, so I need to see if I can override that timer so the meter will stay on until I turn if off.

 

[Tom Howard]

I took my 2016 Platinum out today and did some hard acceleration but never got that smell. I had my CO meter and it never got off zero. I put the meter near the exhaust to verify it was working.

Last time I had a sulfur smell after the accelerating (see my earlier post), but didn't have the CO meter with me. That time the outside temperature was about 80F and I had Max AC on. Today was 44F with climate on "auto", so probably no AC.

My meter is a Sensorcon Inspector. It will stay on until you turn it off, and has a max function to retain the highest reading.

 

[LukerDooker]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/feds-investigating-ford-explorers-over-132800790.html

Feds investigating Ford Explorers over exhaust leaking into cabin

feedback@highgearmedia.com (Andrew Ganz)
[URL='http://thecarconnection.com']The Car ConnectionFebruary 14, 2017
[/URL]
The number of complaints the NHTSA has received from owners of 2011 through 2015 Ford Explorers about exhaust fumes reaching the passenger compartment has increased considerably since the federal agency first launched its.

Back in July, the federal agency had received just over 150 complaints from consumers over an exhaust smell and lightheadedness, prompting it to launch a probe into the matter. Today, the number of complaints stands closer to 500 and even includes some 2016 and 2017 models, which came after the Explorer was updated for the 2016 model year.

A police officer in Newport Beach, California, has filed a lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court alleging that he lost consciousness and crashed his Explorer-based police cruiser as a result of " a defective design which exposed him to vehicle exhaust that entered the passenger compartment and lead to carbon monoxide poisoning."

Ford has admitted that an exhaust smell can enter the Explorer's passenger compartment.

"In rare circumstances, there have been instances where customers detected an exhaust odor in Explorers," Ford said in a statement released to members of the media.

The automaker encouraged concerned owners to visit dealers, but it hasn't issued a recall or a fix for the vehicles.

The federal agency's investigation may lead to a widespread recall by the automaker.

In 2012 and 2014, it acknowledged the issue with a series of technical service bulletins, or TSBs, designed to quietly address the issue with sealant and undercoating. TSBs are separate from recalls in that owners aren't directly notified about them. Instead, they are typically performed at no charge to customers when a vehicle is brought into a dealer's service department for another reason like an unrelated repair or an oil change.

The Explorer was redesigned in 2011 and then refreshed in 2016 and it is among the country's most popular new vehicles.

 

[omar302]

I am not sure if TSB 16-0165 was mentioned here before , but a member in the Edge forums posted (link) details of it.

 

[Odrapnew]

I took my 2016 Platinum out today and did some hard acceleration but never got that smell. I had my CO meter and it never got off zero. I put the meter near the exhaust to verify it was working.

Last time I had a sulfur smell after the accelerating (see my earlier post), but didn't have the CO meter with me. That time the outside temperature was about 80F and I had Max AC on. Today was 44F with climate on "auto", so probably no AC.

My meter is a Sensorcon Inspector. It will stay on until you turn it off, and has a max function to retain the highest reading.

If you can, try setting your HVAC it to recirculate and repeat the testing with the meter inside the vehicle.

With Max AC on, the system is set to recirculate, so that might be the difference between smelling and not.

 

[peterk9]

I know this is a frustrating issue for those with the problem but I think I can understand why a recall has not been issued. To issue a recall there has to be a defined 'fix' for the problem and I don't think Ford or even our members have one. The fact that not all Explorers have this issue also likely doesn't help.

Peter

 

[supr squirrel]

I know this is a frustrating issue for those with the problem but I think I can understand why a recall has not been issued. To issue a recall there has to be a defined 'fix' for the problem and I don't think Ford or even our members have one. The fact that not all Explorers have this issue also likely doesn't help.

Peter

I know I noticed 'the smell' after WOT a few times immediately after getting our Ex. But Mrs. Squirrel...who normally smells things before me....never noticed it. And what's even more weird is that, trying to think back, I haven't noticed it in a long time...and I know I've been in WOT situations since then. :-/

Like you said, this has to be driving the engineers at Ford up a wall.

 

[blwnsmoke]

Like you said, this has to be driving the engineers at Ford up a wall.

I agree.. 3 different attempts at fixing it havery failed. 450 complaints, roughly 1.25 million explorers sold since 2011. Not a rather large sample to play with. Obviously not a wide spread issue but it is still an issue one should not have to deal with.

 

[613GT500]

With all due respect to those affected, why are you not installing a CO2 detector inside the cabin?
I've been lucky so far and when I first heard about this issue, I installed a digital CO2 detector (0ppm readings for two weeks), because I drive around with my kid and wife and the last thing I want is them being exposed to this deadly gas.

 

[peterk9]

With all due respect to those affected, why are you not installing a CO2 detector inside the cabin?
I've been lucky so far and when I first heard about this issue, I installed a digital CO2 detector (0ppm readings for two weeks), because I drive around with my kid and wife and the last thing I want is them being exposed to this deadly gas.

Most members here are talking about Carbon Monoxide and using a CO detector. In any case I guess both could be present. Just happy I've had 2 smell free Explorers.

Peter

 

[gypsy321]

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/drivers-fear-ford-explorer-leaks-exhaust-fumes
Latest news about exhaust fumes entering cabin

 

[Tom Howard]

With all due respect to those affected, why are you not installing a CO2 detector inside the cabin?
I've been lucky so far and when I first heard about this issue, I installed a digital CO2 detector (0ppm readings for two weeks), because I drive around with my kid and wife and the last thing I want is them being exposed to this deadly gas.

What you need (and probably have) is a CO detector, not CO2. Some of us _are_ using CO meters to measure and report levels. If you bought the type of CO detector that's meant for use in a house, please note that sort of detector is not well-suited for use in this situation. Those sort of detectors are deliberately slow. There are other types of CO meters that respond much more quickly and are better suited for this purpose.

The problem has only been reported (to my knowledge) after full-throttle acceleration. If you aren't stomping the pedal to the floor then you are probably not going to experience this even if your Ex actually has the problem.

Your thought to measure CO in your car is a good one. Just be sure it's CO and not CO2, and it's the appropriate type of meter for this purpose. If you get one, take it around your gas water heaters and furnace in your house, to make sure none of those are leaking CO into your house. The house-type CO meter will alert you when the levels are high enough to require action, but I think it's good to check for trouble before the levels get that high.

 

[Tom Howard]

This site has a nice explanation of CO vs. CO2:

http://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/1209952-co-and-co2-what-s-the-difference

 

[jlrohio]

Ford released the following statement:

"We take the safety of our customers very seriously and will cooperate with NHTSA on this investigation, as we always do. In rare circumstances, there have been instances where customers detected an exhaust odor in Explorers. While it poses no safety risk, customers can and are encouraged to contact their local Ford dealer to address any concerns."

Wow! We know that Ford Customer Service reps follow the threads here (and elsewhere), so how can Ford use the word RARE in their response to this issue...especially when this particular thread is 89 pages long with over 2200 posts (granted not all of them are saying they have a CO leak).

I wonder what Ford's definition of RARE is - maybe Ford's legal team is just like Bill Clinton's legal team.

"It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is"

Another thing...and I'd put money on it - Ford's legal team is following this thread (or at least it is on their radar); they'd be stupid not to, as I'm also sure that the lawyers in some of these cases will use evidence from these public boards to indicate that customers have been reporting this issue to Ford for years!.