240D: Sore Throat, Woozy Feeling...Not exhaust?

[kurtio]

Hi,
I have some sort of fumes coming into the cabin of my 1982 240d, and don't know where they are coming from. I know they're there because after driving the car for any amount of time, I feel woozy, and sometimes have a mild sore throat.

My first thought was exhaust leak
-and there was one, and it was fixed by a local mechanic who welded a new section of pipe.

But there were still fumes.
-I took it to another mechanic and told them my story... They searched around carefully for more exhaust leaks, and found none. They thought it could be that the air filter housing was loose. So they replaced it. They also suggested that the fumes could be coming from burning oil.

Still more fumes,
-I cleaned the engine

Still more fumes,
I have the car converted to run on veggie, and have a spare tank in the wheel well of the trunk. I thought perhaps fumes were coming off of this into the cabin (or that exhaust was getting sucked in through small holes where coolant hoses enter trunk)
-So I sealed off the whole tank from the rest of the trunk with an external fuel filler neck, and some elaborate fiberglass work.

-But there are still fumes.

-I talked to a mechanic this morning who suggested that it may be the heater core leaking, and asked if I smelled a "maple syrup smell". I'm not sure if I do or not. There is a sweet smell in the car, but I thought it was just mercedes smell.
-This mechanic suggested that I spray some lysol into the intake vents in front of the windshield, and said that would probably take care of things..

Don't know how that was supposed to work.

-But there are still fumes.

I don't know what to do. I am in a very rough situation, because I don't have the money for a new car, I can't drive this one, and I refuse to sell this car without letting the future owner know of the fumes.

My next move might be to replace the heater core, but this seems like a major expense.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kurt

PS: the body is in good shape, with no rust holes.

Edited by kurtio 12/8/2005 3:49 PM