VWOA told me.....

Matt927

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....it is normal to smell diesel exhaust in the cabin and my car is operating to specification.

My 2013 CR TDI has never emitted a hint of diesel exhaust but my 2014 JSW emits a smell at idle during cold starts and if it is left to sit idling (in traffic, long stop lights etc)

Car has had the DPF replaced and EGR replaced for an improper fitment issue, exhaust system pressure and smoke tested and no leak can be found. The dealership I have been working with has been honest and gone above and beyond but they can not find an exhaust leak.

Volkswagen will not send a regional tech out because another 2014 Wagon at the dealership does the same thing and they can smell diesel exhaust from the engine compartment.

I am at a loss. Car has 2800 miles and has had the issue since new.

The regional case manager told me that Clean Diesel means for the emissions and not the smell in the cabin. I politely told him he is way off with regards to his expectations regarding the exhaust system.

Reached out to a VW exec in Virginia and waiting for a call back.

Any other suggestions? The exhaust smell is coming up from the right rear corner of the engine cover if you are standing facing the car.
 
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Tinman265

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Oswego, IL
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2014 Jetta Sportwagen Sunroof/Nav Platnium Grey Metallic, Titan Black Interior, 6 speed manual. Took the buyback 1-6-17 - Loan payoff 1-17-17
Mine does it occasionally too.

Been inspected and no "problems" found.
 

TDIAustin

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Austin, TX
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2011 JSW, MT, Red/Cornsilk
Something's not right. It's stupid to say that it's normal. I would want to drive some of their cars from the lot to see if they do that.
 

Diesl

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Dec 3, 2012
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Chicago
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'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
Stupid question, but what does 'diesel exhaust' from a car like ours with three or four different filters and converters smell like?
I know what old diesels (pre-dpf and pre-converter and pre-low sulfur diesel) smelled like, I know what school buses without filters smell like, but so far I've failed to identify anything peculiar about our TDI's exhaust.

You're sure it's not just unburned fuel that you stepped in when filling up? Easy to check by switching to recirculation.
 
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ATR

Top Post Dawg
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Jun 18, 2005
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Baltimore
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2011 Golf TDI 6MT
I seem to have that pre-catalytic converter smell from time to time. Seems to be when a regen is occurring. I verified a regen was occurring because the ultra gauge read >1000F on exhaust temp where it would normally be 500-600F under similar conditions.
I've noticed the "pre-cat old school diesel smell" even more if I have both bottom and top grill covers on. So there may indeed be a small exhaust leak.

I believe mine is a smaller one then you're having though as it seems to only come into play when the engine is good and hot and I really give it the beans or when a regen is occurring. Something must be expanding just enough to allow the exhaust to weep out.
 

Matt927

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Tinman265, you are in a 2014 JSW correct? I have looked at four other JSWs and they do not emit this exhaust smell. The dealer where the car is currently, said the new 2014 JSW they tested does the same thing.

The 2014 Jetta TDI sedan I have as a loaner is worse then my car with regards to the exhaust smell. The build dates are also 8 months apart as well. I caught the car in a regen yesterday and the exhaust smell overwhelmed the cabin. No, this was not the normal burnt rubber smell from the regen.

This is a pure exhaust smell not fuel. Been with the car since day one. My thoughts are the high pressure EGR line or the manifold to block gasket. They have pressure and smoke tested the exhaust, sprayed a soapy solution around the all the connections and have found nothing. I think it is hard though to replicate the behavior of high temp, high pressure exhaust that can upwards of 1100F. Plus testing the exhaust side of the turbo back through the manifold and HP EGR line would be difficult.

This is not the treated "warm chlorine" smell that comes out of the tail pipe.

I think have enough experience base with diesels to insist this is not normal. Luckily I have a 2013 CR TDI to compare it to, and that car does not have a hint of pure diesel exhaust.

The dealership has been extremely helpful and informative but they need guidance with regards to the issue.

As another car on the lot exhibited the same behavior VWOA will not send a regional tech out. The regional case manager obviously just relays info from his computer and notes on the case. I remained on the phone with him and the end result was he was going to see what he can do to get a regional tech out. Another problem is my area is without a regional tech right now as the current one just retired.

I reached out to an executive at VWOA on Friday but did not hear anything yet.
 
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Tinman265

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Oswego, IL
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2014 Jetta Sportwagen Sunroof/Nav Platnium Grey Metallic, Titan Black Interior, 6 speed manual. Took the buyback 1-6-17 - Loan payoff 1-17-17
My car seems to get the "warm chlorine" smel in the cabin. Not the pure diesel exhaust smell you are getting.

Regen and wind direction seem to play a part too......
 

MontrealTDI

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Montreal
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2013 Golf Wagon TDI w/DSG
Yes, i get the swimming pool smell sometimes in my garage (and in the cabin after stopping a little bit), but nothing else. My friends find it neat.

Sorry to hear you are having issues. I do not understand the logic of NOT sending a tech out if another car is showing the same symptoms. Shouldn't it be the opposite? The problem seems duplicated if not confirmed.

Maybe try another dealer to see if they can do better? Nothing against the current one but never hurts to get second opinion. I understand it is tiring to explain everything over and over again.

Good luck!
 

Matt927

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This is dealer #4. No other dealer was able to even find a leak to begin with. This dealer has been good, so I am going to stick it out there.

I received word back they are sending a QTM out mid December once a new one is named for the area as the old one retired. I spoke with an Executive level communications person, which I assume is a step above a regional case manager and she stated she has never smelled diesel exhaust on a CR TDI. Of course the regional case manager said the same thing until another car duplicated the problem and then it was normal.

I agree with your logic but VWOA did not at first, their stance was if another 2014 vehicle did it, it was normal.
 
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TDIAustin

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Austin, TX
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2011 JSW, MT, Red/Cornsilk
If they had any sense or cared, rather than concluding that it's normal because another car did it, they might conclude that they possibly have a problem with this particular vehicle. A recall may be in order. That's just not a normal thing.
 

Matt927

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Well here is the update. A VWOA QTM found the leak at the turbo wastegate actuator. Picture below is of the soot staining in the area. This leak was present since day one of ownership and I picked up on it right away, it took four dealers to even identify there was an issue and then three additional visits after that to come to this point.

Turbo is being replaced now to solve the problem. Dealer has been a pleasure to work with and wish I had purchased a car from them instead of the original selling dealership.

 

ATR

Top Post Dawg
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Jun 18, 2005
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Baltimore
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2011 Golf TDI 6MT
I'm going to have to check that on my turbo. I know I smell a tiny bit of exhaust. I seem to notice it more on cooler days.
 

Matt927

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Yes, the smell is most noticeable on a cold start, stick your nose towards the rear of the engine where the turbo is mounted. Even after the engine is warm the smell is noticeable, just harder to pinpoint due to all the radiant heat off the engine.

The tech who worked on the car originally found fitment issues with the DPF and EGR cooler, so both of those were replaced but the smell remained.
 

Matt927

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Update #2: Went to pick the vehicle up today with the new turbocharger. The exhaust smell was worse. The new turbo appears to have the same leak as the the original unit. Needless to say, I did not accept the car.

I would suggest anyone with a model year 2014 JSW take a smell around their turbocharger. We compared it to another 2014 JSW on the lot and that car smelled like diesel exhaust as well. My other common rail VW emits no odor at all, nor ever has. None of the 2014's I test drove emitted the smell either.

But at least my Passat TDI loaner does not smell like an old dump truck........
 
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Windex

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Cambridge
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05 B5V 01E FRF
Disconcerting - I'm assuming that this is s VNT, not WG.

That said, it's kinda sad that it took so long for someone to identify the soot stains as the source of the leak, and that QA at VW (or their suppliers) considered the tolerance on the rod/housing to be acceptable.

You'll probably go through a succession of turbos before they find one that doesn't allow a detectable leak.
 

Matt927

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Pretty insane for a car with less then 5000 miles to have to go through this...that and the fact that the first three dealers said there was no leak/no odor.
 

ar2013tdi

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Dec 3, 2014
Location
Maine
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2014 Sportwagen DSG
Pretty insane for a car with less then 5000 miles to have to go through this...that and the fact that the first three dealers said there was no leak/no odor.
My 2014 has no hint of diesel fumes yet. The car has 600 miles on it, perhaps too soon to tell. Although I think you said the odor was there at delivery. I 'll be using my "sniffer" in the next few miles. The build date of the car was February 2014. This may not have any correlation with the build date of the engine.
 
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Matt927

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My JSW has a build date of 6/2014, the other new JSW on the lot that had a diesel exhaust odor has a build date of 5/2014.

Going through turbos is not something I am very interested in doing at this point, eight trips to dealers so far. Car has currently been out of service nine days for this past visit alone. I think the book calls for nine hours of labor for the turbo R+R.
 
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Supaflygti

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Md
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2011 Jetta TDI
Update #2: Went to pick the vehicle up today with the new turbocharger. The exhaust smell was worse. The new turbo appears to have the same leak as the the original unit. Needless to say, I did not accept the car.

I would suggest anyone with a model year 2014 JSW take a smell around their turbocharger. We compared it to another 2014 JSW on the lot and that car smelled like diesel exhaust as well. My other common rail VW emits no odor at all, nor ever has. None of the 2014's I test drove emitted the smell either.

But at least my Passat TDI loaner does not smell like an old dump truck........

Check the clamp on the turbo to DPF side...a few heat cycles will loosen the clamp and produce that raw diesel smell. I'm deleted and rarely smell diesel...
 

Matt927

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It was. The car was replaced under the Lemon Law with a 2015 Golf TDI in 2015.

After the replacement turbo was installed, it leaked at the VNT actuator worse then the original turbo. The car had other issues has well.

Most common exhaust leak that I have seen or heard of is the turbo to DPF though.
 
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