Eau de Cerbera

[Cavey]

I've always loved the smell of TVR interiors - that lovely mix of leather, old car, and some glue.

However, once on the move my car is decidedly fumey inside. Not a neat petrol smell so much as the sort of thing you get when you start a car up in the garage with the door shut. It's not a huge issue for me but it is curtailing Mrs Cavey's enthusiasm for the Cerbera experience.

Is this normal? Should I just close the air vents and open the windows?

All help gratefully received.

Martin

[high52kojak]

Are your manifolds cracked? If so fumes could be getting blown into the cabin.

[Tanguero]

No it is not normal. Check your exhaust manifolds for cracks as above. Also check fuel lines in the engine bay for leaks as a matter of urgency.

You really need to resolve this as exhaust leaks into the passenger compartment can and do cause fatalities.

[Gazzab]

I have found this in every cerb I've owned or been in where they are de-catted.

[Tanguero]

The only time I have ever had any fumes in the cabin (with cats in or out) was when my fuel line split under the expansion tank and pissed petrol everywhere

Either that or I just have no sense of smell

[PaulK]

I would check the points others have made but I have had mine for 12 years and I always have smelt fumes not to strong just enough to give you a headache after a couple of hours, just thought it was a TVR thing

[Cavey]

Thanks for the replies. The car has an ACT de-cat system, but I also have the original so if the other things don't produce any results I might swap the exhausts over and see if that makes a difference.

[gcpeters]

I think we need to know the type of fumes, is this a petrol type or the exhaust gas type?

mines decated and just has the sports pipes and doesn't smell inside

GP

[Gazzab]

The fumey smell I get on a decatted cerb is very slight and isnt a smokey or petrol like smell. Its hard to explain and most if not all people dont seem to notice it.

[Boatbuoy]

I've had this issue on and off in the 20 months that I've owned the car. Mine has the ACT system and is decatted, it's deffinitly an exhaust gas smell (as opposed to fuel). It all seems to be fairly susceptable to any minor movement. I got so fed up with it that I re-aligned the whole system before I went to Le Mans this year, I just couldn't face a 1000 mile round trip with the issue. Anyway, I did it and the journey was fine, no smell or headaches. The next major trip I took it on was a run down to devon which involved a campsite and a bumpy track/road. Thereafter the smell came back and now I've got to re-align the whole system again.

[Gazzab]

Come to think of it I think that the new exhaust and linked decats on mine may have lost the smell...

[Cavey]

Boatbuoy said:

I got so fed up with it that I re-aligned the whole system before I went to Le Mans this year, I just couldn't face a 1000 mile round trip with the issue. Anyway, I did it and the journey was fine, no smell or headaches. The next major trip I took it on was a run down to devon which involved a campsite and a bumpy track/road. Thereafter the smell came back and now I've got to re-align the whole system again.

What does re-aligning the system do, or put another way what is going wrong to cause gases to get into the cabin if it's out of alignment? I'm interested because when I first had the car it was majorly low and I gave the sports silencers a good grounding a few times which I imagine may have affected the alignment (although I can't really remember whether the fumey smell was there before this or not).

[Gazzab]

Cavey said:

What does re-aligning the system do, or put another way what is going wrong to cause gases to get into the cabin if it's out of alignment? I'm interested because when I first had the car it was majorly low and I gave the sports silencers a good grounding a few times which I imagine may have affected the alignment (although I can't really remember whether the fumey smell was there before this or not).

I think the exhaust gases some how can circulate behind the car and back into the boot and up through the holes under the rear screen. Also up through the gear stick area.

[Cavey]

Gazzab said:

I think the exhaust gases some how can circulate behind the car and back into the boot and up through the holes under the rear screen. Also up through the gear stick area.

Marvellous! Is that going to happen anyway, or does the position of the end of the pipes make a difference or something?

[Rawhide]

I would also check the cork seal in the fuel filler cap.

[gerradiuk]

There is a fumey type smell,more like when you open an old book. Its there but not overpowering, would'nt seem like a TVR without it.

[StPauli]

gerradiuk said:

There is a fumey type smell,more like when you open an old book. Its there but not overpowering, would'nt seem like a TVR without it.

I have the same smell as described here in my car. My Girl always knows what shirt I have worn at driving the Cerbera. I like that smell and this is one thing of the unique character of a Cerbera. Marvellous

[bobbins]

Same here - ACT and decatted too. I've got used to it and quite like it. It's not too noticeable in the cabin but pretty strong in the boot - anyone else the same?

Weekly shop/clothes etc can smell for a few days if left in the boot and taken out after a run. The other day I could actually smell the Cerb on some spring onions I was cutting that I'd bought earlier. Had to

[StPauli]

bobbins said:

Same here - ACT and decatted too. I've got used to it and quite like it. It's not too noticeable in the cabin but pretty strong in the boot - anyone else the same?

Confirmed, same on mine, but as I said, thats the character of a TVR I also like...

[FarmyardPants]

bobbins said:

The other day I could actually smell the Cerb on some spring onions

That's hilarious!

Edit: I have tears of laughter running down my face and every time I read that sentence I break out into uncontrollable fits of giggles. People are starting to stare at me, help!

Edited by FarmyardPants on Saturday 22 September 22:09