TATER

A friend of mine just bought a 2003 Dodge 3500 Cummings/manual/4x4.<br><br>My question is about the diesel smell in the cab. He's owned both a Chevy and Ford diesel, and never had this problem. He's not getting the odor while driving, only when coming to a stop. Are all dodges this way? The diesel smell is pretty strong in the cab, and it's just not this truck. He's on his second new dodge in a week. He started with a shortbox, and decided he needed a long box :<br><br>Does your truck smell like diesel in the cab?<br><br>Is there something to fix this?<br><br>Thanks!

Commatoze

My guess is he's not smelling diesel fumes but smelling the venting of the blow-by bottle. I believe the '03's still have the bottle mounted on the front of the engine, just behind the fan. Good place to put a crankcase vent, huh? : There's 2 things you can do. First is wait for the engine oil to &quot;age&quot; a little bit, and the stink goes away for the most part. Second, either eliminate the bottle and replace it with a piece of radiator hose pointing downward, or relocate the bottle somewhere else behind the engine. Either way, and the smell will be greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. Different brands of oil will stink more than others. Rotella T (base stock, not synthetic) is particularly odiferous Oh.. and a gentle admonishment if I may.....THERE&quot;S NO &quot;G&quot; IN CUMMINS!!

Badunit

I get both smells, diesel exhaust and crankcase fumes, when I'm stopped. First diesel I've owned so I don't have anything to compare it to. The crankcase fumes are either getting less noticable or I'm getting used to them. The exhaust fumes come and go depending on the wind direction I suppose. I have about 1000 miles on my truck so far. <br><br>None of this was a problem until the cold set in and the windows had to be shut. I guess the cowl vents suck the fumes in pretty well. With the heater on Max it doesn't do it (it recirculates inside air) but you can't put it on Max in defrost modes.

Mathew

The 03's (at least mine) does not have the catch bottle, breather tube comes out of the top of the valve cover, down the LH side just in front of the starter and is just an open tube. Hanges almost directly above the front axle. This is pretty similar to the old 12v I think. Looks like it could be easily extended back a ways. <br><br>The oil odor does go away after a while, then comes back when you change.

Commatoze

Thanks Matt for the correction. I now remember that new configuration. Progress.... :<br><br>-Tom-