Rotten Egg Smell Exhaust

Printable View

08-19-2002, 06:13 PM
Davan

Rotten Egg Smell Exhaust

My car has always (every now and then) had exhaust smelling like rotten eggs.

But recently it's been getting more and more frequent, and is actually quite embarrassing.

Just wondering what I can do about this? I took the car to the dealership a while ago about it, and all they could say was try different gas. Well, I've tried a few tanks of about every major gas company, and a few tanks of different octanes as well, no difference.

I saw JC Whitney sells catalytic converter cleaner, but I can't find any in town... what do you think about that stuff? Any other ideas?

Thanks! :)
08-19-2002, 06:20 PM
Dope Dealer

The rotten egg smell is just the initial burn in of the catalytic converter. Every car made with a catalytic converter will have this smell when it is young.

I also heard the smell occurs when the cat or exhaust gases aren't hot enough which causes the process to be incomplete.

Sit it out? :)
08-19-2002, 06:24 PM
speedracer

Any emissions is warrantied for 7 years (I think).

The smell is most likley the catalytic converter failing.
08-19-2002, 06:29 PM
GP_DrIvEr

davan: if your willing to spend some money you can lose that egg smelling exhaust, gain HP, and increase gas mileage :thumbsup:

i just got this thing installed on my car today called Genx2, to make a long story short a buddies dad developed it and sells it... it heats up the fuel before it goes into combustion.... in the end it leaves you burning cleaner, more efficient, and gives you that extra boost....

all i can say is i got it put on this morning, as soon as i started it up i was idling around 150-250 rpm lower, revved it up a couple times and carbon deposits and moisture were coming out of the exhaust (cleaning it out) and by the time i got hime i could also feel the HP differences :burnout:

oh and by the way my exhaust now smells like soap or bleach... has a very clean smell too it...:thumbsup:
08-19-2002, 06:30 PM
Davan

Hmmm... two conflicting opinions... :D

Thing is... the smell was occassionally noticeable during the first summer I had the car (car was about 6 months old). Now, the car is almost 2 years old, and it's still doing it. Worse though...
08-19-2002, 06:31 PM
Davan

Quote:

Originally posted by GP_DrIvEr
davan: if your willing to spend some money you can lose that egg smelling exhaust, gain HP, and increase gas mileage :thumbsup:

i just got this thing installed on my car today called Genx2, to make a long story short a buddies dad developed it and sells it... it heats up the fuel before it goes into combustion.... in the end it leaves you burning cleaner, more efficient, and gives you that extra boost....

all i can say is i got it put on this morning, as soon as i started it up i was idling around 150-250 rpm lower, revved it up a couple times and carbon deposits and moisture were coming out of the exhaust (cleaning it out) and by the time i got hime i could also feel the HP differences :burnout:

oh and by the way my exhaust now smells like soap or bleach... has a very clean smell too it...:thumbsup:

PM me more info... I'm looking to sell the car next summer, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on it... but if the price is right... :)
08-19-2002, 06:33 PM
GP_DrIvEr

yeah seriously, if you have an extra couple hundred $$$ i would consider buying this thing...

i garuntee your exhaust wont smell like egg after this thing is on your car

:D you have a new pm
08-19-2002, 06:34 PM
bol

i'd like some snake oil also please
08-19-2002, 06:38 PM
cocoabrova

Quote:

Originally posted by GP_DrIvEr
it heats up the fuel before it goes into combustion

Iv'e always heard that the colder the fuel is, the more power you get from combustion :confused: I also read in a mag a few years back in an article entitled "Low-Buck Tech tips" that keeping heat away from your fuel lines will keep your fuel nice and cool which allows for a better burn....:dunno:
08-19-2002, 06:47 PM
GP_DrIvEr

i dont know man but i can say it is working on my car...

my friends dad that created these things is hitting it big in cali and in japan because it burns fuel better and makes cleaner emmisions, and because there are so many cars in both of these places....

when i was getting it installed today he said he had ralph klein interested in his product because of this kyoto accord thing:bigpimp:
08-19-2002, 06:48 PM
bol

"About GenX2: GenX2 is a simple retrofit fuel saving device designed for both gasoline and diesel powered engines. It uses a combination of electro-magnetics, signal pulse and ionization processes to re-align fuel molecules whereby oxidation or the burn occurs at higher temperatures increasing engine work and efficiency. The process is simple, effective and provides a permanent solution, saving fuel and reducing harmful emissions. Ionizing of fuel is achieved by utilizing a magnetic field and a signal pulse. The molecular changes result in improved combustion and reduced fuel consumption."

:rofl:

Funny how anything I find about it is sales literature by the holding company that owns it. I wouldn't trust a company called "Golden Fortune Investments" either. :rofl:
08-19-2002, 06:52 PM
GP_DrIvEr

Quote:

Originally posted by bol

:rofl:
I wouldn't trust a company called "Golden Fortune Investments" either. :rofl:

hey laugh all you want but it works man

it is made for gas mileage and cleaner emmisions, the added HP is just a bonus :burnout:
08-19-2002, 07:02 PM
three.eighteen.

heating fuel...last time i checked it was a good idea to keep jerry cans away from heat, do you sell those electronic superchargers and the tornado as well?
08-19-2002, 07:06 PM
cocoabrova

Quote:

Originally posted by three.eighteen.
heating fuel...last time i checked it was a good idea to keep jerry cans away from heat, do you sell those electronic superchargers and the tornado as well?

:rofl: :rofl: I think so....
08-19-2002, 07:41 PM
jonny

Re: Rotten Egg Smell Exhaust

Quote:

Originally posted by Davan
My car has always (every now and then) had exhaust smelling like rotten eggs.

But recently it's been getting more and more frequent, and is actually quite embarrassing.

Just wondering what I can do about this? I took the car to the dealership a while ago about it, and all they could say was try different gas. Well, I've tried a few tanks of about every major gas company, and a few tanks of different octanes as well, no difference.

I saw JC Whitney sells catalytic converter cleaner, but I can't find any in town... what do you think about that stuff? Any other ideas?

Thanks! :)

If youre engine is burning your fuel at a hot enough tempature then you dont get a complete reaction and end up with a sulpher bi-product. At least thats how i understand it.

I'm sure theres some chem expert who can explain it better.
08-19-2002, 07:44 PM
Dope Dealer

Quote:

Originally posted by GP_DrIvEr
i dont know man but i can say it is working on my car...

my friends dad that created these things is hitting it big in cali and in japan because it burns fuel better and makes cleaner emmisions, and because there are so many cars in both of these places....

when i was getting it installed today he said he had ralph klein interested in his product because of this kyoto accord thing:bigpimp:

Is this company on the Stock Exchange? :) If so, what is the symbol. :bigpimp:
08-19-2002, 07:59 PM
Davan

Re: Re: Rotten Egg Smell Exhaust

Quote:

Originally posted by jonny

If youre engine is burning your fuel at a hot enough tempature then you dont get a complete reaction and end up with a sulpher bi-product. At least thats how i understand it.

I'm sure theres some chem expert who can explain it better.

This sounds like something I've read about before...

So can anyone explain to me how to fix this little issue?
08-19-2002, 08:14 PM
cocoabrova

Re: Re: Re: Rotten Egg Smell Exhaust

Quote:

Originally posted by Davan
So can anyone explain to me how to fix this little issue?

Does it smell like this when the engine's revving high, or is it constant?
08-19-2002, 08:21 PM
Davan

It used to be I'd mostly notice it just after some spirited driving... but lately it's pretty much anytime... at random. But quite often.
08-19-2002, 08:40 PM
cocoabrova

If there has been a noticeable loss of power too, could be a plugged cat, or maybe you just need a new one, period... Other than that, I'd take it to an exh. shop to diagnose it properly. They SHOULDN'T charge you to take a look at it/give you a diagnosis. I've always taken my exh. work to Carline in behind Pacific Place... :thumbsup:
08-19-2002, 08:48 PM
Dope Dealer

Quote:

Originally posted by Davan
It used to be I'd mostly notice it just after some spirited driving... but lately it's pretty much anytime... at random. But quite often.

It should make that smell after you run it hard. That's when I started to notice the smell.
08-19-2002, 09:00 PM
speedracer

Quote:

Originally posted by Davan
Hmmm... two conflicting opinions... :D

My bad. I wrote this withought much thinking. Sounds like your cat is very effcient / not clogged up.

This is how I understand how the convertor works.

When the car is running lean the Catalyst among other things would build up of SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide) or SO3 Sulfur Trioxide. (more air than is needed to burn fuel ~ inbetween spirited driving).

As it builds up sulfates the moment your car is running rich (more fuel than air) -such as slowing down; the sulfates become unstable and react to form hydrogen sulfide - which gives you the ugly smell. Which is suppose to mean your cat is doing it's job.

Then again I never really paid attention to Chemistry class either.
08-19-2002, 09:05 PM
speedracer

Quote:

This can sometimes happen when trace elements of sulphur in petrol form minute quantities of hydrogen sulphide on the catalyst. This generally only occurs when there is a rapid change of engine speed and load. It is a phenomena of new units and should reduce with age.

http://www.saf.abelgratis.co.uk/cats/faq.htm
08-19-2002, 09:10 PM
Davan

Okay... so behind all the nasty chem stuff (which would actually make sense if I wasn't up at 4 this morning... ;) ) .... this means the root of the problem is an air/fuel management issue?
08-19-2002, 09:13 PM
Davan

Quote:

Why do cat emissions sometimes smell of rotten eggs ?

This can sometimes happen when trace elements of sulphur in petrol form minute quantities of hydrogen sulphide on the catalyst. This generally only occurs when there is a rapid change of engine speed and load. It is a phenomena of new units and should reduce with age.

So my car is almost 2 years old (this november). Maybe the thing was just plain defective from the factory?
08-20-2002, 06:38 AM
4wheeldrift

If your getting that sulphur smell all the time, your cat is on the way out. If it only happens occasonally it isn't anything to really worry about, most newer cats do that sometimes.
08-20-2002, 10:40 AM
rage2

Quote:

Originally posted by GP_DrIvEr
i just got this thing installed on my car today called Genx2, to make a long story short a buddies dad developed it and sells it... it heats up the fuel before it goes into combustion.... in the end it leaves you burning cleaner, more efficient, and gives you that extra boost....

I'm not an expert in this area, but I've done some research on fuel temperatures, combustion temperatures, etc.

Cat converters need a lot of heat to start working properly... that's why on modern cars a set of "startup cats" sit really close to the exhaust headers to minimize heat loss and to clean up the exhaust at startup (exhaust is most "dirty" when engine/cats are cold).

Heating up the fuel would probably help startup emissions by raising exhaust gas temperatures, but that's about it. It's not the smartest thing to do, it increases EGT's which can lead to burnt valves. Fuel also acts as a coolant to supress detonation on high performance engines, increasing fuel temps is the same effect as using lower octane fuel. As for "more power", it doesn't matter what the temps are, there's going to be the same amount of air and fuel, so power should stay the same (unless of course detonation occurs because of higher fuel temps).

Now, I'm not sure how much EGT's increase with this product, but it's probably so small that it doesn't make any difference in EGT's to affect anything that I've mentioned... meaning it doesn't do anything =).
08-21-2002, 02:50 AM
three.eighteen.

Quote:

Originally posted by rage2

I'm not an expert in this area, but I've done some research on fuel temperatures, combustion temperatures, etc.

Cat converters need a lot of heat to start working properly... that's why on modern cars a set of "startup cats" sit really close to the exhaust headers to minimize heat loss and to clean up the exhaust at startup (exhaust is most "dirty" when engine/cats are cold).

Heating up the fuel would probably help startup emissions by raising exhaust gas temperatures, but that's about it. It's not the smartest thing to do, it increases EGT's which can lead to burnt valves. Fuel also acts as a coolant to supress detonation on high performance engines, increasing fuel temps is the same effect as using lower octane fuel. As for "more power", it doesn't matter what the temps are, there's going to be the same amount of air and fuel, so power should stay the same (unless of course detonation occurs because of higher fuel temps).

Now, I'm not sure how much EGT's increase with this product, but it's probably so small that it doesn't make any difference in EGT's to affect anything that I've mentioned... meaning it doesn't do anything =).

heh wow what a complicated way to say...:bullshit: