That’s what happened in the case of the young people who died inside a BMW in Balneário Camboriú (SC), last January, according to the expert’s report at the time.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas produced by the incomplete burning of fuel. Firstly, the substance can cause discomfort, mental confusion and drowsiness, even leading to death by asphyxiation.
In cars, this toxic gas is usually generated in the engine and must be safely expelled through the exhaust system. But some defect could end up taking this air into the cabin through the air conditioning. In the case of the BWW 320i from Balneário Camboriú, the police identified that there was a modification to the exhaust system to make the car more sporty – we still don’t know if something like this was also done to the couple’s Hyundai Tucson from São Paulo.
Mechanical defects caused by lack of vehicle maintenance can also cause gas leaks. This is the case of holes or corrosion in the exhaust; loose or damaged connections; problems in the catalytic converter – responsible for converting harmful gases into less harmful gases before being released into the environment – and even in the engine, which stops burning the fuel completely, increasing the production of carbon monoxide.
Mechanical engineer André De Maria, from Autocentro Confiar, explains that the engine compartment is very close to the air intake of the air conditioning system, next to the vehicle’s hood.
