Rotten egg smell...V8 4.6

[QCTLG]

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone would have some words of wisdom to bring to my dealer this Wednesday. I have an appointment in the am (for the cooled seat) and would like to also let them know of this issue:

Today, I stepped on the gas a couple of times just for the heck of it.
I wanted to stomp on my car a couple of times as I never do this.
Anyways, I couldn't believe the smell after flooring it a couple of times.

Is it a sulfur smell, like from eggs or something.

It's pretty bad...I then asked the wife to follow me and floored it in front of her and she said it smelled pretty bad.
This cannot be good and wonder if it could be bad gas...
I have a gas card and only fuel at Petro-Canada outlets.

Why does it smell soo bad?
What can it be?

Many thanks in advance for any advice you may have.

 

[Water Boy]

hasn't happen to my genie yet but this is normal from time to time. something do with the cat and some of the unspent fuel in it from full throttle runs i believe. nothing to be alarmed about

 

[msitter]

That used to be pretty common in cars with cat cons. It is a sulfur
smell as a reaction to cleaning the exhaust. It seems anytime the mixture goes a little rich you get that smell. Nothing to worry about.

 

[charlesleiss]

Join the club, I used to smell it when I'd stop at a traffic light. It used to be a fairly regular occurance. After I hit 7,500-8,000 miles it seemed to stop on it's own when I asked the dealer about it, they looked at me like I was crazy! It'll go away!

 

[ASHDUMP]

I've got 14K on my car right now and I typically don't smash the pedal to the floor. I have a couple times withing the past week or two and I get that same smell.... Nothing I haven't smelled before... Nothing to worry about.

 

[Aquineas]

I punch it full throttle a lot; around 14K miles as well and no smell.

 

[Ron Veenker]

I have a 3.8 Lambda V6, 2009, so I don't put out quite as much exhaust as you big brothers do with the Tau engine. I haven't noticed this smell, but even as much as a dweeb I am with automotive things, it occurs to me that catalytic converters produce H2SO4, sulphuric acid as a byproduct. I remember all the controversy over this issue when the catalytic converter was invented. As the sulphuric acid reacts with various gasses in the atmosphere, I'm guessing that you are smelling sulphur compounds that smell like "rotten eggs." The most toxic and pungent "rotten egg" smell is a chemical known as hydrogen sulphide, H2S. I am not a chemist either, but took a year of high school chemistry in 1953.

Ron

 

[ASHDUMP]

I punch it full throttle a lot; around 14K miles as well and no smell.

thats the reason why!!! I need to punch it more often!

 

[nearwater]

I thought severe "rotten egg" smell was the first symptom of a bad catalytic converter.
Not saying yours is going bad. Just felt like throwing it out there.
I, personally didn't experience anything like this on my Genesis... yet.
I'll see if mine does the same after WOT.

Dan

 

[QCTLG]

Thanks for all the replies...

got back the car today and the Mechanic said to floor it a couple more times to see if the smell goes away. He said that it was best to do this while going uphill. He also said if I can to try different gas company. I explained that I have a company gas card.

I'm leaving for a week on holidays and will try this a couple of times during my vacation and will report back once I get back. I'll be doing approx. 2000 miles during this trip and will try different gas companies at the same time.
I'm going to Dick, NC with the family.

I haven't tried WOT since, but boy did it smell pretty hard when I did WOT.

Regards,

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[ImInPA]

I have experienced first hand this smell. I can also tell you that a different brand of gas can eliminate it. If I fill up at a certain Exxon station, my Volvo will have the rotten egg smell. I think I read somewhere that certain additives in certain combinations can cause it as part of the reaction in the catalytic converter. I think that if I had a company gas card, I would live with it.

 

[QCTLG]

Just wanting to share my experience in the last week.
I have put almost 2000 miles last week and tried all kinds of gas stations.

I have floored it almost everyday and it never smelled once.
I can't believe it was the gas all this time.

Anyways...This V8 engine is an absolute blast to floor it. I can't believe the power but especially how smooth it is!

I'm totally in love with my car it's not even funny!

 

[Ron Veenker]

I'm leaving for a week on holidays and will try this a couple of times during my vacation and will report back once I get back. I'll be doing approx. 2000 miles during this trip and will try different gas companies at the same time.
I'm going to Dick, NC with the family.

Dick, NC! That's Federal Bay, south of Wrightsville Beach [Wilmington]? Or could you possibly have meant to type "Duck" NC.

Inquiring minds need to know: Dick is very near where I live.

Ron

 

[QCTLG]

Dick, NC! That's Federal Bay, south of Wrightsville Beach [Wilmington]? Or could you possibly have meant to type "Duck" NC.

Ron

Ron...so sorry...it was meant to be written DUCK not DICK.
So sorry for the typo

 

[Ron Veenker]

Ron...so sorry...it was meant to be written DUCK not DICK.
So sorry for the typo

Nice place. Not to worry about the typo... Hmmm, what would Dr Freud do with this one?