Have a quick question for whoever can help . Have my car about a year now and it seems like whenever I get on the car ( spirited drives ), I get a rotten egg smell . I passed inspection with no problems. Does this mean my catalytic convertor are going . I hear no rattles ,just the smell . Any help that would clear this up, would be appreciated . Thanks

 

Have you checked out your battery to be sure it's not getting overcharged and leaking?

 

Do you entrust your 911 to a valet, or perhaps your girlfriend/wife eats fast food in it while your not looking?


Seriously though... something could have died under the seats, but I like the battery idea better.


ive used a product named "odor magnet" which is a gel like sponge in a small cottage cheese type container,.... open it up, place under your seat, and it sucks any odor out of your car.

 

The oder is not all the time . It's just when I get on the car and get rpms up...Then as I'm driving it goes away ..

 

Change the cabin filter for starters.......

 

Is the cabin filter the one under the hood? If so ,I just changed it....

 

How old is the battery? maybe it near the end of its life.

Do you use any fuel additive? try using a different gas station.

Maybe the precious metal in the CATS are fading.

 

So if that metal is coming apart ,would that mean the cats are going ,even though the inspection was fine? Sorry for all the novice questions

 

There is strong chance that unburnt fuel stagnated in the cats then hydrogen sulfide get released into the air when u get on to it.

If battery and fuel additives are ruled out, then it's probably something going on with the CATs

 

here is an idea...go WOT on it few times, maybe whatever in the cats would get blown out.

 

Often the smell after really spiriting drives is from bits of rubber getting throw up from the tires and hitting the hotter than normal exhaust parts, sticking, and getting burnt off. If you look at the bottom of your mufflers right after your drive you might find black specks there still cooking.

 

Only time I ever had that problem in a car was when I ran over some roadkill and the blood/guts sprayed up in my wheel well. Doesn't sound like the same as your problem though.

 

If you smell this after a spirited drive it is probably stuff from the road got on the hot exhaust.

If you smell this smell after cold engine start it is the converters. They can sometimes get off on the wrong foot -- chemically speaking -- and produce hydrogen sulfide gas for a while.

I have not ever smelled this from up to operating temperature converters.

In this case you can try a different brand of gasoline. Be sure too you buy from a busy station. Stale gasoline could be more likely to trigger the converters into the wrong exhaust gas processing state, at least temporarily.

A nice long drive at highway speed could help. Around town the converters can as best I can describe it get loaded up somehow and they do not perform well. The CEL won't be on but when emissions tested the car's emissions can be high, even out of spec.

The smell might not be from something on the hot exhaust or from the converters.

Be sure the body water drains are clear. These can collect plant trash which gets wet/damp and stinks.

Be sure you change the cabin air filter once in a whole. The activated charcoal treated ones can develop a foul odor.