To be fair you can expect some fumes in the air filter housing after the engine is switched off - its simply crankcase ventilation and the fumes are drawn up into the air filter where they pass into the engine for burning....less pollution apparently. Obviously the more worn your engine is the more fumes there will be. I don't think that any disconnected pipes will affect the performance of your car, but if you can only get 20 mph out of it there sure is a problem - perhaps with the ignition coil pack.
John
April 2008