TDI causing me to have headaches

[tres bug]

Hi I bought a 2002 tdi Beetle to drive to work only. When ever I get in, after about 5 minutes I start to get a headache. There is a wierd like motor smell to the inside also. I changed out the cabin filter and the intact filter. can anyone please help. I really like to the little guy but I will have to sell him if the headaches don't go away. I never have owned a diesel, So I really don't know what to look for. Also the motor looks clean and there isn't any smoke coming from the engine.

[Smileybug]

Does it smell like diesel fumes? Can you be more specific on the smell?

[MichelleRoze]

wires burning somewhere? I know electrical burning smell gives me a headache. Check your fuses and wires. on top of the battery box too. But you will have to be more specific on the smell...can't imagine what it could be....

[Rbug]

Pick up a battery powered Carbon Monoxide (CO) tester at your local hardware store and place in your vehicle while driving. High carbon monoxide levels will cause headaches. Also have your exhaust system inspected for leaks.

[VolksTrooper]

Diesels put out very little carbon monoxide, at least alot less than gasoline engines so i doubt it would be an exhaust leak. Try driving with the fan on RECIRCULATE and see if that helps.

[DZLBUG]

Does it smell like diesel smoke? Might be a good idea to have the exhaust checked out for leaks. They are easy to spot under the car, just look for the soot stain. A common place for them to leak would be on the downpipe flex joint, the cat. converter weld, or the coupler. Another thing to check would be the EGR cooler flex pipes.

The last thing would be to make sure that the firewall is sealed off as it is supposed to be. Experiment with the airflow controls to see if it gets any better, depending on where the smell is coming from, you may/may not want the recirc. function on.

[tres bug]

Thanks for replying. I took the car to an exhaust expert. He seems to think it may be coming from around the turbo. He was not totally sure, so he adviced me to take it to the voklswagen and have them give it a look over.

The smell seems like burned oil. I cleaned the carpet and seats hoping that would help but very little. I don't believe it is electrical. I'm familar with that type of smell.

My children have always teased me cause I have a hound dog nose. I can smell everything. One thing I have noticed it the decreased mileage. Maybe a airleak or gas leak?

Comments are O so appreciated.

Ps I am a Er nurse. At least I will be close to some oxygen or intubation equipment if I need it...hahaha Just kidding, Tres

[DZLBUG]

Stay away from the VW dealer, they'll probably try to sell you a new turbo that you don't need.

Go here:
MF Automotive
5611 Washington Pike
Knoxville Tn. 37918
MF AUTOMOTIVE - Knoxville Tennessee's Independant VW and Audi Specialist
(865) 523-7676

[kcfoxie]

It's possible your turbo could be consuming oil (ie failing) and you're smelling it, that would go with reduced mileage... I've seen that happen on plenty of AHU TDIs.

[DZLBUG]

Originally Posted by kcfoxie

It's possible your turbo could be consuming oil (ie failing) and you're smelling it, that would go with reduced mileage... I've seen that happen on plenty of AHU TDIs.

Yeah but it would be consuming oil at a very fast rate and there would either be visibly smoking exhaust or a runaway condition if leaking out the cold side.

My bets are on an exhaust or EGR leak.

[kcfoxie]

That's also very true, they smoke badly and you'd also notice the oil consumption.

EGR leaking... that might be the culprit. If it's leaking coolant that has a bad smell when it gets heated ...

[MichelleRoze]

My EGR is leaking and I don't smell burnt oil. Then again, my leak may not be THAT bad yet.

Tres, check your oil level...is it low?

[macdave]

Might just be the floor, dash panel insulation.

[tres bug]

Hi guys thanks again for your help. I took my car today, to a great diesel place in downtown Chattanooga, TN.(Southeast Diesel) They gave the car a complete look over and tried to help me as best as possible. Wouldn't even take in money for trying to fix this problem. They are great guys!

We have came to the conclusion, the guy that owned it prior to me worked at a chemical plant. Southeastern thinks maybe the old owner had some type of chemical on his clothes or shoes and got it in the cab.

I feel like an idiot! I would have never thought od that. Tomorrow I will totally clean the carpet and seats from one end to the other. I will post more in a few days after seeing if this works. Thanks again.

[kcfoxie]

AH, that does make sense. Worse case, interior upgrade!!! Do you have cloth?

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Imagine what it smells like to those of us following you in traffic! I hate Diesels for that reason! They ALL stink..I don't care what year they are.

[BumbleBeeTDI]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Imagine what it smells like to those of us following you in traffic! I hate Diesels for that reason! They ALL stink..I don't care what year they are.

pickup diesels smell worse than our NBs and when it comes to gassers, they are just as bad if not worse, I would rather smell the diesel fumes from our NBs than one from a pickup or some of those gassers out there today.

Besides, this person was having a serious problem and found out it wasn't even because of the exhuast fumes or anything else NB related, previous owner at a chemical plant...wow, who would have thought it.

Tres Bug, I hope you get that problem taken care of, hate to have to see a good beetle go to waste because of a former abusive parent (NB owner). Good Luck

[kcfoxie]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Imagine what it smells like to those of us following you in traffic! I hate Diesels for that reason! They ALL stink..I don't care what year they are.

ULSD fuel smells *much* less than LSD fuel did.

Biodiesel has no ill smells and causes no allergic reactions.

And even with a straight pipe, a TDI smells less than a vehicle with a 3 to 6 inch exhaust -- most Trucks and smaller heavy duty equipment.

Comments like these irk me as if we followed Europe's lead and had a 60%+/- fleet of diesels we'd use less than half the current consumption of fuel, resolving MOST of our economic and sustainability issues.

Instead, however, we're the nation that likes to demand more complex and inferior and inefficient hybrid gas-electric vehicles, using diesel power to ship tons of raw materials around to refine into batteries and destory other lands that aren't our own (after all environmental protection is only within the scope of our borders, right? -- that's sarcasm...), and gloat about our new and uncomfortable vehicle that gets a staggering 42 to 44mpg real world.

I have a twisted frame, blow a tire or two tires every oil change from premature wear, and I STILL get 43 in the city. In my bug. With it's little turbo diesel.

Hybrids impress me not. But, no offense, mindsets like yours are why they are popular and prominent.

Food for thought.

(also it's been studied, ULEV emissions un-restricted are still far more deadly than unrestricted diesel emissions... so while diesel makes your head hurt and is visible it has less nanoparticles to cause damage. Gasoline exhaust is mostly nanoparticles, you can't see or smell them, and it will kill you quickly.)

[tres bug]

I have done a lot of research today and found out there are more than just me out there with this problem. There is a compound called cosmoline which vw company coats the floor pad with to protect the car from rust. There are a lot of people out there withthis problem. They have told me to remove the old carpet pad. The smell and headaches will go away. This is the same stuff rifles and hand guns get coated with to protect from rust.

Believe it or not, but there are actually people out there who like their car smelling like crayons. Yuck. I will remove the carpet and see if that relieves the problem.

[kcfoxie]

Ah, so that's what that smell is. I always wondered what caused it.

You know any interior shop should be able to make you a new floor mat... but I'd suggest stripping the carpet out entirely and rhinolining it. I have seriously considered doing this to my bug many, many times.

I may be taking a trip to Memphis, I don't know where Pikeville is but I'd be happy to come and help you take the interior apart. It's NOT as bad as you think, less than 20 fasteners and the whole carpet comes right on out.

We've even machine washed one or two before... YouTube - BJ's carpet wash