[Vincenzo]

We've been having some great weather for this time of year here in the DC area and I've been taking advantage of it over the last couple of days. However, a few times over the last two days, I've noticed the smell of eggs or sulfur after accelerating hard. At first, I thought it was the catalytic converter of someone ahead of me but a few times, there was nobody else around so, I think it's me (well - not actually ME....).

Has anyone else had this before? Could this be my cats? Is there a problem?

Thanks in advance.
V.

 

[BigFoot]

Phil, what did I tell you about going easy with that beans enchilada?

 

[GCalo]

Your engine may be running rich to compensate for the colder weather and it may be overloading the cats.

You are smelling the sulphur not fully buring in the cats.

Make sure you drive the car sufficiently to ensure the engine fully warms and I mean fully.

 

[BigFoot]

G, when you mean fully, how hot do you think it needs to go? I've never seen the temp on my engine raise above 90 degrees (halfway through on the temp gauge).

 

[GCalo]

The colder the ambient temp the longer it takes for the engine coolant to fully warm.

The thermostat will stay closed for a long time to ensure the engine is running at proper temps.

When you first start driving watch the temp indicator and you'll notice for a while the needle will jump a bit near normal temp. That's the thermostat opening and closing.

So figure 15-20 miles minimum if 0-10 degrees cent. (32-45 Farenheight +/-)

The computer is trying to adjust mixtures based on a number of factors but engine temp is most critical.

So the colder the temp the longer the drive.

 

[Vincenzo]

Phil, what did I tell you about going easy with that beans enchilada?

HaHa - when I posted that one, I thought to myself..."betcha BF will have something to say about this...".

 

[Vincenzo]

Your engine may be running rich to compensate for the colder weather and it may be overloading the cats.

You are smelling the sulphur not fully buring in the cats.

Make sure you drive the car sufficiently to ensure the engine fully warms and I mean fully.

I never knew this. I'll keep an eye (nose) out for the next time I smell it and make note of ambient temp and how long the car's been running. Now that you mention it, I would say I smelled it within five miles of my home each time I took it out. Do you know if this could prematurely wear out the catalyst?

 

[007]

smell

Hi Phil.

Is the smell similar to that from my car on hard acceleration when you were in England?

Is everyone sure that it is definitely CAT related?

I mean I notice a smell coming from the rear inside the car upon hard acceleration/spirited driving and soon afterwards I noticed the low CC fluid icon. Upon refilling and normal driving no smell.

My theory is that the smell - well in my case could be a leakage of the CC fluid (CS speed) onto hot exhausts.

My car does have a very slight leak of the fluid and was told my FM technician that the nuts in the CC pipes need to be tightened but I never bothered so I top up about once a year/when my CC low icon comes on. I think that under heavy acceleration etc the pressure gets too high and the fluid leaks out and since you have put in the FD drive by wire and are now accelerating harder you are putting more pressure through the pipes hence you are getting the smell.

I have some CC fluid and I will try to burn some as an experiment to see if I can locate the same smell.

Or it could be the clutch smell.

 

[Vincenzo]

Hey 007 - I don't recall any smell from your car as we were blasting through the tunnels in Birmingham. (unless it was the Indian food we had earlier!) The smell I had in my car was just as if you had hardboiled some eggs and then opened them up...kind of sulfur-like.

I don't have any drips on my concrete floor. Does your car drip fluid when sitting or just under driving conditions?

 

[007]

smell

Hi. Remember when we were at the lights in the town centre and we tried to do a wheelspin (Southbeach-Florida)?

My car doesnt drip or at least i dont notice it but I'm quite sure that I lose fluid from underneath under heavy load.

 

[GCalo]

---Do you know if this could prematurely wear out the catalyst?

There is no doubt the smell is from the cats.

Any engine running too rich can damage the cats.

Let those engines fully warm and the colder the ambient temp the longer you should be driing.

Engine temps are so critical that racers heat oil before they put it into the block before race!

 

[GrndLkNatv]

There is no doubt the smell is from the cats.

Any engine running too rich can damage the cats.

Let those engines fully warm and the colder the ambient temp the longer you should be driing.

Engine temps are so critical that racers heat oil before they put it into the block before race!

They sure do, and that's why they can start the engine and just take out of the pits and go. The stock cats on our cars will not stand up to loads of extra fuel and you are best off replacing them with some of Jeff's products or MaxFlow. Another interesting item to note is if you do replace your cats take your old cats to the cat recycling place in your local town. They pay extra bucks for Ferrari and Maserati cats for some reason, not sure why but they are paying double what they pay for American brands here in Denver.

 

[GCalo]

---They pay extra bucks for Ferrari and Maserati cats for some reason, not sure why but they are paying double what they pay for American brands here in Denver.

CA has new regs about replacement cats and now requires OEM's only.

The prices have skyrocketed!

It's ridiculous.

Brother in law needs a cat for a 626 Mazda. $750.00 in CAand $250.00 if purchased out of state but he can't use the out of state cat here!

It's a joke!

 

[Vincenzo]

Yesterday, I let the car fully warm up before stomping on it and guess what? No smell. You guys were right.

 

[GCalo]

I found that sometimes different gas brands can cause the same.

With natural oils there are two types- sulphur and parafin based. The parafin based oils are sweeter. The sulphur based oils can stink when burned (aka diesel).

If you get the smell again, have your engine oil changed to Redline and see if that cures it.

It is possible your oil is too thick and that your cold weather could be causing issues with the valve seals. Oil may be sneaking by and burning in the cat.

Keep an eye on this.

 

[Niteroi]

I staretd a thread not long ago about a smell when accelerating hard and wasn't sure if it was my new cluth slipping or coolant on the manifolds. I'm starting to think that it's the cats. The simptoms seem to be the same as discribed by Vicenzo.

And I haven't been back to the dealer to check my PIS yet. Pure laziness...

 

[GCalo]

You again?

Now what's up?

Maybe your old clutch got caught in the CAT!!!!

Change to redline, let that car warm up, and then see if it still stinks!

 

[Niteroi]

I'm just picking a problem easier to solve...

 

[ocamilo]

I posted this same question on here a few months ago and I was given the answer that this smell was due to build up in the cats.

I too experienced this same smell, but mind you this was in 100 degree August weather. If this smell is due to the engine now warming up enough does this still hold true in summer weather?

I've been driving the car last few days and its been below freezing here in NY. After driving it for about 15-20 minutes the other day (ample time for the engine to warm up enough) after punching it I still experienced the smell...so what is the explanation for this?

 

[Virgil80]

I posted this same question on here a few months ago and I was given the answer that this smell was due to build up in the cats.

I too experienced this same smell, but mind you this was in 100 degree August weather. If this smell is due to the engine now warming up enough does this still hold true in summer weather?

I've been driving the car last few days and its been below freezing here in NY. After driving it for about 15-20 minutes the other day (ample time for the engine to warm up enough) after punching it I still experienced the smell...so what is the explanation for this?

How was the problem solved?