Bongo Fury

We appear to have a problem with fumes coming inside our van when the engine is idling, and when moving along slowly in traffic or stopped at traffic lights. We have a new stainless steel exhaust but the problem was there before this was fitted, we had hoped this would cure it but it's is no different. We have tried putting on the air recirculation which helps so we think it must be coming in through the vents, has anyone else experienced this or do you have any ideas how to fix the problem .

If it's exhaust fumes, it could be a faulty seal around the tailgate, although I can't see how putting the heater control on to recirculate would ease the problem

I was talking to a fella this morning who's wife was dropping the kids off at school when the doors locked and smoke filled the car. (VW Sharan)
She couldnt get the door locks open and the kids were coughing.
They had to break a window.
Turns out part of the wiring loom was melting.

All the parents outside the school were pulling at the doors and a hell of a panic set in.

Insurer wouldnt pay out as it wasnt technically on fire.

Crikey. What are you to do? Let your kids get burned???

Might not be exhaust fumes but an oil leak (usually from the cam cover) running onto the hot exhaust and making the pong.

Hi again,
Thanks for the replies, waited till the weekend to have a look at the engine for any leaks but I can't see anything. Tere is a slight amount of oil from the breather pipe at the drivers side but well away from the exhaust or anything particularly hot so I don't think that is where it is coming from. We actually went away in the van over the weekend and the problem is still there and nothing to do with other vehicles at lights or anything like that, it is definitely coming from our own vehicle. If it is coming through the vents which is confirmed by the fact that switching on the air re-circulation seems to stop it then it seems to get from back (assuming it's coming from the tailpipe ) to front very quickly. If it's not that then there must surely be a leak but I can't hear or see anything. I was hoping others may have had the same problem but I am now guessing not, any ideas would be welcome though, Thanks.

Try putting about 10 litres of corn oil in the tank, if you can smell chips
frying then it's definitely your own exhaust fumes, and as Franco says
probably being sucked in through the rear tailgate or window seals.

Big rusty holes in the floor panel can have the same effect, not that
I'm suggesting you have a rusty Bongo.

I was wondering about holes in the floor myself. Is the van a converted one? Might there be any 'non standard' holes in the floor for e.g. gas venting (unfortunate if holes designed to let gas out are in fact letting gas in!!)

The vehicle is converted and I am sure there are non-standard holes in the floor (not rust). I suppose they could be in an unfortunate position as far as the exhaust is concerned, from memory I think they are in the bottom of one of the rear cupboards, now that I think about it it must be the passengers side where the gas bottle is. I suppose it would be dangerous to block them, maybe could try it temporarily unless anyone has a more long term solution, meths stove maybe?

Try blocking them and see if the smell goes. If it does, you've found the cause and should be more than half way to a solution.

You can call me Sherlock

Hi
Another thing worth thinking about is electrics....I once had a standard mini (in the 60s) , and someone had put some coins on the parcel tray....one slipped down the front of the tray and got wedged across the back of a switch. Now it's a thought that you may have a wire doing something similar, it might just short occasionally, and as in my mini cause smoke but not blow the fuse. If it's coming through the vents, try the fan area
Cheers
Helen

OK we had a bit of a poke around again, virtually certain it is exhaust fumes but it seems to mainly come in through the heater, though how it gets from the tailpipe to the intake so quickly I don't know. I am assuming the only place the heater can draw in air is under the windscreen or is there anywhere else, even by mistake, pipe loose or somthing?

Could be a leaking manifold.

Quite right SM - so easy to fail to state the obvious!

Surely a leaking manifold would make a lot of noise, if it was bad enough to let the exhaust reach the front air intake?

had a similar type of thing with one of the estima owners,perhaps the bongo has a type of thing like this.

i was getting a bit of fumes in before but i put that down to age.....the flap im refareing to is like a anti flowback flap type thing(thats deffo me in bother now with funny words)..its to stop your ears popping when you close the doors..it lets the air out but shudnt let any back in and they are usually in the boot or at the back..infact i`v just been informed that mine is on the passenger side at the back inside the bumper, and yes its split