Topic: Exhaust fumes and in-cabin filter

[fiercextreme]

I am curious to see if this holds true for everyone, but I smell exhaust fumes when I'm behind a big truck or an old clunker as well as that horrific odor when passing the Irwindale Speedway on the 605 fwy and the only way I can not smell it is to put on my a/c then push the car button or on maximum a/c. Is there a secret to not having to do this and does anyone have the K&N air filter and does it work better? If I remember correctly w my first gen Xterra I used to have I never smelled anything period weather my a/c was on or not! Just for the record I have already replaced my filter and I made sure its facing the correct way. Any thoughts?

[Sage Bromax]

When you hit the Max A/C button, it shuts off the outside air.  That is why you don't get the outside smells any more.  There is also a button you can push that will do the same thing without the A/C.  On my 2015, it is the top right button.  I use it all the time on dusty trails.

[Jayrat]

recirculate button
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

[JFanaselle]

Yeah, for some reason, our Xterras are designed to shut off the recirculate feature almost every time you manipulate the controls. Shut off the blower motor and turn it back on? You'll have to re-engage the recirculate button. I've always left my vehicles on recirculate all the time - it's much better than smelling diesel exhaust everytime I'm sitting in traffic, and I have a very sensative nose to smells so it would always bother me a lot. It took me a while to get used to having to press that button several times during a single road trip.

That being said, I've also noticed that even with the recirculate feature on, I can always still smell a little bit of exhaust from other vehicles when in traffic, and I always end up with a lot of dust still inside the rig from the trails. I believe I have a leak in the weather stripping or the floor of my rear hatch area somewhere, because I actually ended up with LOTS of dust built up on my pillows in the very back of the rig during the DV trip.

[knightrider]

activated carbon cabin air filters help with this.

i have a subscription to these on amazon, it reminds you to change them out every 4 months.
http://www.amazon.com/ATP-Automotive-RA-39-Activated-Premium/dp/B004A6LAMM/

[fiercextreme]

Knightrider do u smell outside pollutants still? Or am I asking too much? Im almost certain my 2004 was clean coming from the outside. I have a new 2015 and it was smelling right away thats why I changed mine shortly after I got it! Since ive been using car button all im doing is shutting outside air out. So i'm curious if that filter or a K&N filter will do a better job!

[RBduffer]

The stock filter is just for particles.  The activated carbon filter is designed to reduce odors.  Your nose may vary

A bunch of mini Christmas trees on strings is becoming seasonal right now

[JFanaselle]

Seems like our Xterras allow quite a bit of outside air through the climate control system, even when the recirculate feature is turned on. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't outside fumes/smells be eliminated almost entirely when the recirculate feature is on, regardless of filter type? It's supposed to be recirculating air that's already inside the car, which presumably only contains whatever fumes you've introduced

[knightrider]

you may have an issue with the doors on your climate control.  I have tested this many times near the hay farms out in el centro, if i hit the recirculate button before getting to the area where they dry the hay, i will not smell it.

now i do notice that the xterra will open the recirculate door and allow outside air if you turn off the climate control. but if you leave it on with the fan on 1, it will stay closed.   I honestly never turn off the climate controls, just turn the fan to low

[JFanaselle]

Then yeah, I'm definitely having an issue. There's a dairy farm that I pass on the way to my parents' house in Hemet and even with the recirculate on, it smells like a week's worth of burrito and beer farts when I get within a mile of the place.  Plus, as I said, the dust gets inside the rig pretty bad when out on the trail.

I wonder how I'd go about trying to diagnose/fix that. Anyone know where the fresh/recirculate "door" is located?

[knightrider]

ill see if there is anything helpful in the service manual, might be quite a project.