Strange Corvette issue I'm having

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44) 01/18/2017 at 12:11 • Filed to: None

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When I leave the car running for a while I get smoke coming through the AC vents in the center of the dash . It doesn’t smell electrical but it’s hard to say with how much the side-pipes gas you. What could cause this? My car was sold with AC but the system has long since been removed. Is smoke somehow getting in to the blower motor? Not sure what’s causing this.

Noah - Now with more boost. > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:14

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What does the smoke smell like? Coolant or oil? Something else?

LongbowMkII > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:14

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condensation maybe?

crowmolly > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:17

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New headers, right?

I’d bet it’s just oil and paint cooking off of them.

Next time this happens pop the hood and have a look at the primary tubes, up near the header flanges.

Since it’s a Vette you can also check near the distributor/back of the intake manifold for oil leaks.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Noah - Now with more boost. 01/18/2017 at 12:17

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Hard to say because all I smell is exhaust

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > crowmolly 01/18/2017 at 12:18

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Headers have been used since August. I’ve already smoked them out haha

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > LongbowMkII 01/18/2017 at 12:18

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Possibly. It is very cold in Canada and I have the heater on

Steve in Manhattan > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:22

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I would say heater core, but that’s a sweet smell.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:23

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My old Hundai and Honda did this when it was being worked. I think it was condensation.

crowmolly > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:23

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I’d still check next time it’s smoking. They are still new, tbh. And has anything leaked on them? Even an oily handprint?

RallyWrench > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:24

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Valve cover oil leak onto the exhausts, entering the ventilation system? This would especially happen if the car is running stationary for a bit, as there’s no airflow around the engine.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > crowmolly 01/18/2017 at 12:25

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Probably lots of oil on them. The valve gaskets leak (changing them this weekend) and I lean on it with work gloves while I work on it.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > RallyWrench 01/18/2017 at 12:26

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I think this might be exactly my issue. My valve covers do leak a bit.

crowmolly > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:28

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Oil that leaks on them will burn off and work its way into the cabin one way or another. Might be intermittent until the headers themselves get hot enough.

Takuro Spirit > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:29

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It wouldn’t surprise me if the fresh air vents are different from an A/C car to a non A/C. They are on my Trans Am.

Depending on where the air enters the car it could be header or an oil leak being drawn in.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:29

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Never experienced first hand. But I’ve heard leaking heater cores can do that with coolant.

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:31

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It’s a primitive in-car air freshener design.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Takuro Spirit 01/18/2017 at 12:35

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They are. Non-AC Corvettes didn’t have the center vent at all

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 01/18/2017 at 12:35

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Hmmmm

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 01/18/2017 at 12:36

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Anti-freshener

RallyWrench > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:43

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Solution: leave the hood off, for better airflow.

Takuro Spirit > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 12:47

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Ah. On my TA the fresh air vents down in the kick panels are blocked off if the car has A/C.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > RallyWrench 01/18/2017 at 13:28

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It’s already off, lol

Tazio, Count Fouroff > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 13:42

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imo first of all check valve cover gaskets first...they can leak a even just a little oil as mentioned and if the fresh air intake seals are a little tired, which sure can happen, ya get a little oil smoke or smoke smell in the cabin vents

Blower motor stuff is possible also but smells electrical and wouldn’t just go on and on and on without escalating somehow like weepy VCGs can

(Have experienced this issue on FWD VW’s and on BMW’s too FWIW)

Ike > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 14:56

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So maybe there’s a hole this routes to in the engine bay that is letting in oil, or snow that’s steaming off headers and alike ?

The Compromiser > Ike 01/18/2017 at 17:28

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Snow is mostly gone right now. It’s been raining and freezing mostly.

MM54 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/18/2017 at 17:52

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My chevelle would smoke like mad on startup and at idle from under the hood before I replaced the valve cover gaskets - I can easily imagine this making it into the blower.

Tip (from the p71): When you have exhaust leaks and are seafoaming the engine, turn off the HVAC before you restart it after letting it soak in...