[obermd]

It's the same foam gasket virtually visible in everyones engine bay. It was pointed out in the coolant odor thread where some had visible gaps in it near the coolant reservoir causing smell. I just was wondering was it for more that just that. It doesn't hold anything together at all, just fills a gap between the cowl and body of car in engine bay.

I'm going to hazard it's to keep engine smells from being sucked into the cabin air intake which sits just at the base of the windshield. Don't want those smells telling you somethings wrong with your car vs. smelling the exhaust of the guy in front of you.