catalytic converter problem? car smells like rotten eggs!!@

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udonoogen

Diamond Member
Dec 28, 2001
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what is going on????!! i'm on a road trip and it smells like rotten eggs every time i stop at a light and its coming through my vents too. its disgusting. i ran over a rock yesterday (could not swerve out of the way) and it started around that time. my battery is also dead so i don't know if this is a problem caused by that. my friends and i thought the battery was leaking hence the smell. we heard a fizzle from the battery when we stopped the car.

help?
 
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CrackRabbit

Lifer
Mar 30, 2001
16,641
58
91
Your cat-con is dead. Need to get it replaced ASAP, it will cause your car to run poorly until you do.

If your battery is dead take your car to an Autozone or similar parts place and have it and the altenator tested.
 

Pikachu

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,178
0
0
Probably the alternator, and you're also trashing the battery at this point.

Probably trashed the cat as well. What kind of ground clearance leaves a car so vulnerable? :confused:
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
The cat is not dead it is just the sulfur your smelling the cat is putting out. The smell doesnt mean its going bad. Loss of power and limited exhaust gasses coming from the tail pipe means its going bad because it came apart and is restricting exhaust flow. If you dont like the smell dont burn cheap gas or buy from a different place. As for the battery you may of had an internal short. Just replace it with another one but there really isnt much your going to do about the smell and changing and very expensive cat wont solve it. Its just one of the wonderful byproducts aside of water the cat produces ;)

Feel free to google the smell from the cat if you dont believe me.
 

Pepsi90919

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,162
1
81
Originally posted by: funboy42
The cat is not dead it is just the sulfur your smelling the cat is putting out. The smell doesnt mean its going bad. Loss of power and limited exhaust gasses coming from the tail pipe means its going bad because it came apart and is restricting exhaust flow. If you dont like the smell dont burn cheap gas or buy from a different place. As for the battery you may of had an internal short. Just replace it with another one but there really isnt much your going to do about the smell and changing and very expensive cat wont solve it. Its just one of the wonderful byproducts aside of water the cat produces ;)

Feel free to google the smell from the cat if you dont believe me.

dude. how is it coincidence a rock hit the underside of his car and now he's smelling the catalytic converter.

also read up on how fuel is distributed to gas stations.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
Because people dont notice anything till something else happends. He hit the rock and was expecting something bad. Never noticed it before now and because he "was looking for something to happen" his mind brought it up. I dont care if you too a hammer to the cat and dented the crap out of it. It wont make it "start" smelling like eggs. Its called sulfer and is a natural by product in oil. If hitting the rock did such bad damage it would of jarred the honey comb insides apart and clog it up resulting in extreme loss of power but no hitting a rock isnt going to start making it smell like eggs. People just do this. It could of been there for a long time his mind was just looking for a problem and noticed it and thats all there is to it.

And Im not talking out my ass either. Been workign on cars since I was 12 (now 34) co owned a Dealership till my father died, went to school for auto mechanics, ran and managed the service center for Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac along with several smaller shops. And the BS that the smell is a sign of your cat is failing is a trick to make people like this think that and bring it in to get fixed. Brand new cars make this smell more then used so if your going to tell me that the smell means your cat is bad then 70% of the new cars comming off the showroom floor need to be recalled for bad cats. It either works or it dosent and 99% of the time it fails from being old and comes apart and you will hear a rattle comming from it when you hit the exhaust. That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt. Alot of times the smell can also be because the car isnt running right such as a tune up ar failed EGR but for the most part if you smell Sulfer (smells like gun powder, fireworks, or rotten eggs) it is sulfer from the fule your smelling and some cats will produce the smell worse then others. You want it to go away buy another cat and waste your money but just changing stations, brand or octane levels will relieve the smell.

Linkage on how a cat works.
 

Pepsi90919

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,162
1
81
Originally posted by: funboy42
Because people dont notice anything till something else happends. He hit the rock and was expecting something bad. Never noticed it before now and because he "was looking for something to happen" his mind brought it up. I dont care if you too a hammer to the cat and dented the crap out of it. It wont make it "start" smelling like eggs. Its called sulfer and is a natural by product in oil. If hitting the rock did such bad damage it would of jarred the honey comb insides apart and clog it up resulting in extreme loss of power but no hitting a rock isnt going to start making it smell like eggs. People just do this. It could of been there for a long time his mind was just looking for a problem and noticed it and thats all there is to it.

And Im not talking out my ass either. Been workign on cars since I was 12 (now 34) co owned a Dealership till my father died, went to school for auto mechanics, ran and managed the service center for Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac along with several smaller shops. And the BS that the smell is a sign of your cat is failing is a trick to make people like this think that and bring it in to get fixed. It either works or it dosent and 99% of the time it fails from being old and comes apart and you will hear a rattle comming from it when you hit the exhaust. That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt. Alot of times the smell can also be because the car isnt running right such as a tune up ar failed EGR but for the most part if you smell Sulfer (smells like gun powder, fireworks, or rotten eggs) it is sulfer from the fule your smelling and some cats will produce the smell worse then others. You want it to go away buy another cat and waste your money but just changing stations, brand or octane levels will relieve the smell.

Linkage on how a cat works.

so you're saying that a rock opening a hole in or around the catalytic converter isn't going to make the gas more likely to reach the cabin than if it were to exit out the tail pipe at the back?
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
Originally posted by: funboy42
Because people dont notice anything till something else happends. He hit the rock and was expecting something bad. Never noticed it before now and because he "was looking for something to happen" his mind brought it up. I dont care if you too a hammer to the cat and dented the crap out of it. It wont make it "start" smelling like eggs. Its called sulfer and is a natural by product in oil. If hitting the rock did such bad damage it would of jarred the honey comb insides apart and clog it up resulting in extreme loss of power but no hitting a rock isnt going to start making it smell like eggs. People just do this. It could of been there for a long time his mind was just looking for a problem and noticed it and thats all there is to it.

And Im not talking out my ass either. Been workign on cars since I was 12 (now 34) co owned a Dealership till my father died, went to school for auto mechanics, ran and managed the service center for Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac along with several smaller shops. And the BS that the smell is a sign of your cat is failing is a trick to make people like this think that and bring it in to get fixed. It either works or it dosent and 99% of the time it fails from being old and comes apart and you will hear a rattle comming from it when you hit the exhaust. That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt. Alot of times the smell can also be because the car isnt running right such as a tune up ar failed EGR but for the most part if you smell Sulfer (smells like gun powder, fireworks, or rotten eggs) it is sulfer from the fule your smelling and some cats will produce the smell worse then others. You want it to go away buy another cat and waste your money but just changing stations, brand or octane levels will relieve the smell.

Linkage on how a cat works.

so you're saying that a rock opening a hole in or around the catalytic converter isn't going to make the gas more likely to reach the cabin than if it were to exit out the tail pipe at the back?

If the rock was to open the cat dont you think the op would be complaining more of the loud fvcking exhaust noise or the put put put he would be hearing from a small hole being opened in it? The smalles of a hole in the cat will produce a noise your sure to hear 100%. From a putting sound to full out loud as hell depending if the hole is to the front or rear of the cat.

So come on Im saying that rock hitting it wont make the smell. If he said I hit a rock and now when the car is running and I hear a "put put put" or the exhaust is really loud and he smells the eggs then I would of said you got a hole in the cat and thats whats making the sound but still stand firm on the smell. If there was no cat on the car there would be NO smell. But no he hit something and it is human for one to never notice this before and because something happened the mind is set to "I hit something so somethign will be wrong pay attention to every smell, squeek, rattle, ting, .....)

Hell if it was comming through his vents I would really say he was smelling the car infront of him that was producing the egg smell and his ac system was sucking the air from said car infront of him and because he hit the rock his mind was looking for something bad and thinks it is his.

Tell you what op. Start your car when you get the battery fixed. Stick your nose right to the exhaust pipe, or near it. If you dont smell eggs it wasnt your car. And pepsi been doing this sh!t for 22 years and Diag is my favorite part of the job so dont spit on me and try to tell me its raining outside. I was born at night just not last night.
 
Jun 19, 2004
10,861
1
81
I'm pretty sure funboys right on this one man....let it go.

I have a 97 4runner that I bought one winter and never smelled a thing. However, when summer rolled around I started opening the sunroof and rolling down the back glass and let me tell you, I noticed the smell then. Doesn't mean it wasn't there before, it's just I had all the windows up and I was moving so it's kinda hard to smell it that way.

Even with the windows down I think it's hard to smell it on most vehicles, but mine is easier because having the sunroof open and the back glass open seems to have an "air looping effect", meaning it seems to draw in the smell from the back even when I'm moving, which is when your car is most likely to produce the smell anyways.

Question for you funboy, you mentioned water in the cat con earlier if I read correctly. I've got a problem and I think that could be it.

Here's the deal. About a week or two ago my 4runner (V6) started pouring white smoke at start up for about twenty to thirty seconds. It didn't do it every morning either. It also would do it if I drove for a period of time, let it sit for an hour or two and came back to start it.

I had it checked for a blown head gasket, but everything checks out okay (it didn't even pour white smoke for my mechanic after he had it for a whole day). No bubbles in the radiator fluid, not having to fill it, and temps look good all around. The codes all check out on everything else.

Now, it's kinda died off, but it still does it occasionally in the morning. My cat con smell problem I think I've had for a year or two, so I don't know if the two go hand in hand or what.

Is it possible moisture is building up in the cat con and causing this issue?

Hope that all made sense.

Sorry for the thread jack, just want funboys opinion.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
I'm pretty sure funboys right on this one man....let it go.

I have a 97 4runner that I bought one winter and never smelled a thing. However, when summer rolled around I started opening the sunroof and rolling down the back glass and let me tell you, I noticed the smell then. Doesn't mean it wasn't there before, it's just I had all the windows up and I was moving so it's kinda hard to smell it that way.

Even with the windows down I think it's hard to smell it on most vehicles, but mine is easier because having the sunroof open and the back glass open seems to have an "air looping effect", meaning it seems to draw in the smell from the back even when I'm moving, which is when your car is most likely to produce the smell anyways.

Question for you funboy, you mentioned water in the cat con earlier if I read correctly. I've got a problem and I think that could be it.

Here's the deal. About a week or two ago my 4runner (V6) started pouring white smoke at start up for about twenty to thirty seconds. It didn't do it every morning either. It also would do it if I drove for a period of time, let it sit for an hour or two and came back to start it.

I had it checked for a blown head gasket, but everything checks out okay (it didn't even pour white smoke for my mechanic after he had it for a whole day). No bubbles in the radiator fluid, not having to fill it, and temps look good all around. The codes all check out on everything else.

Now, it's kinda died off, but it still does it occasionally in the morning. My cat con smell problem I think I've had for a year or two, so I don't know if the two go hand in hand or what.

Is it possible moisture is building up in the cat con and causing this issue?

Hope that all made sense.

Sorry for the thread jack, just want funboys opinion.

No your problem isnt water but oil getting past the Valve seals. This is really noticable on chevys with some millage. Its nothing bad jsut when the car is shut of some oil gets past the valvel seals and into the compustion chamber. This happends when the car sits and when you first start it you get smoke for a few seconds till it is all burned up. Be worried though if it is doing this all the time. Also if it was a head gasket and water you would leave a while fluffy could of white smoke that smells sweet for blocks on end. Even further if it is cold out side. Also another dead give away fo a bad head gasket most can do on thier own is pull out your plugs. They will give yyou a tail tell sign of how your car is running. If they have a nice green ceramic like coating then you have colant getting into the chamber. If it is black and sooty then its not burning all the gas right due to needing a tune up, bad injectors, or just need to step up to a hotter plug. Can be other things but again this may have been going on for a long time puffing out at start up and never noticed it. But I wouldnt worry to much about it or look to much into it. Also dont even bother trying anything over the shelf at the auto store it wont work. If you have no blow by and alot of smoke non stop then I would send the head in to get new seals and the falve seats flushed and new ones installe dif you keep the truck but at start up leave all alne. Its a Toyota the body is going to rust off before any of that happens.

But back on hand. Smoke for a few seconds at start up is valve seal and I am surprised that where you took it didnt tell you......oh wait no I am not because they love people like you and the op because they can take advantage of you. Something I could never do to a customer. If you supect your engine may be getting on its last leg you can remove the pcv hose going from the valve cover to the air box and remove the oil cap. If you have NAY smoke comming from there the rings are getting worn. If it isnt much dont worry you got a good 50k left but if it is pouring out of there better start saving some money fro a new engine or car.

Sorry for getting off track. On my new pills doc game me and I cant stop the madness :p
 
Jun 19, 2004
10,861
1
81
Originally posted by: funboy42
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
I'm pretty sure funboys right on this one man....let it go.

I have a 97 4runner that I bought one winter and never smelled a thing. However, when summer rolled around I started opening the sunroof and rolling down the back glass and let me tell you, I noticed the smell then. Doesn't mean it wasn't there before, it's just I had all the windows up and I was moving so it's kinda hard to smell it that way.

Even with the windows down I think it's hard to smell it on most vehicles, but mine is easier because having the sunroof open and the back glass open seems to have an "air looping effect", meaning it seems to draw in the smell from the back even when I'm moving, which is when your car is most likely to produce the smell anyways.

Question for you funboy, you mentioned water in the cat con earlier if I read correctly. I've got a problem and I think that could be it.

Here's the deal. About a week or two ago my 4runner (V6) started pouring white smoke at start up for about twenty to thirty seconds. It didn't do it every morning either. It also would do it if I drove for a period of time, let it sit for an hour or two and came back to start it.

I had it checked for a blown head gasket, but everything checks out okay (it didn't even pour white smoke for my mechanic after he had it for a whole day). No bubbles in the radiator fluid, not having to fill it, and temps look good all around. The codes all check out on everything else.

Now, it's kinda died off, but it still does it occasionally in the morning. My cat con smell problem I think I've had for a year or two, so I don't know if the two go hand in hand or what.

Is it possible moisture is building up in the cat con and causing this issue?

Hope that all made sense.

Sorry for the thread jack, just want funboys opinion.

No your problem isnt water but oil getting past the Valve seals. This is really noticable on chevys with some millage. Its nothing bad jsut when the car is shut of some oil gets past the valvel seals and into the compustion chamber. This happends when the car sits and when you first start it you get smoke for a few seconds till it is all burned up. Be worried though if it is doing this all the time. Also if it was a head gasket and water you would leave a while fluffy could of white smoke that smells sweet for blocks on end. Even further if it is cold out side. Also another dead give away fo a bad head gasket most can do on thier own is pull out your plugs. They will give yyou a tail tell sign of how your car is running. If they have a nice green ceramic like coating then you have colant getting into the chamber. If it is black and sooty then its not burning all the gas right due to needing a tune up, bad injectors, or just need to step up to a hotter plug.

But back on hand. Smoke for a few seconds at start up is valve seal and I am surprised that where you took it didnt tell you......oh wait no I am not because they love people like you and the op because they can take advantage of you. Something I could never do to a customer. If you supect your engine may be getting on its last leg you can remove the pcv hose going from the valve cover to the air box and remove the oil cap. If you have NAY smoke comming from there the rings are getting worn. If it isnt much dont worry you got a good 50k left but if it is pouring out of there better start saving some money fro a new engine or car.

Sorry for getting off track. On my new pills doc game me and I cant stop the madness :p


Well, now that you mention it the guy did say at the end it "might" be bad valve seals, but me in my ignorance forgot to mention that. I can fix any pc problem you've got (it's what I do for a living), but when it comes to cars, yeah, I'm ignorant.

So what does a repair like that usually run? Just ballpark. Should I premptivly replace those seals or just wait until it gets that bad. The trucks got 160,000 miles onher, but other than this (and needing brakes) she's in great shape, and IS PAID FOR.......that's the big thing. I hate financing sh1t or paying higher insurance premiums. If I can't save up cash and pay for it all at once I don't buy it/own it.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
Originally posted by: funboy42
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
I'm pretty sure funboys right on this one man....let it go.

I have a 97 4runner that I bought one winter and never smelled a thing. However, when summer rolled around I started opening the sunroof and rolling down the back glass and let me tell you, I noticed the smell then. Doesn't mean it wasn't there before, it's just I had all the windows up and I was moving so it's kinda hard to smell it that way.

Even with the windows down I think it's hard to smell it on most vehicles, but mine is easier because having the sunroof open and the back glass open seems to have an "air looping effect", meaning it seems to draw in the smell from the back even when I'm moving, which is when your car is most likely to produce the smell anyways.

Question for you funboy, you mentioned water in the cat con earlier if I read correctly. I've got a problem and I think that could be it.

Here's the deal. About a week or two ago my 4runner (V6) started pouring white smoke at start up for about twenty to thirty seconds. It didn't do it every morning either. It also would do it if I drove for a period of time, let it sit for an hour or two and came back to start it.

I had it checked for a blown head gasket, but everything checks out okay (it didn't even pour white smoke for my mechanic after he had it for a whole day). No bubbles in the radiator fluid, not having to fill it, and temps look good all around. The codes all check out on everything else.

Now, it's kinda died off, but it still does it occasionally in the morning. My cat con smell problem I think I've had for a year or two, so I don't know if the two go hand in hand or what.

Is it possible moisture is building up in the cat con and causing this issue?

Hope that all made sense.

Sorry for the thread jack, just want funboys opinion.

No your problem isnt water but oil getting past the Valve seals. This is really noticable on chevys with some millage. Its nothing bad jsut when the car is shut of some oil gets past the valvel seals and into the compustion chamber. This happends when the car sits and when you first start it you get smoke for a few seconds till it is all burned up. Be worried though if it is doing this all the time. Also if it was a head gasket and water you would leave a while fluffy could of white smoke that smells sweet for blocks on end. Even further if it is cold out side. Also another dead give away fo a bad head gasket most can do on thier own is pull out your plugs. They will give yyou a tail tell sign of how your car is running. If they have a nice green ceramic like coating then you have colant getting into the chamber. If it is black and sooty then its not burning all the gas right due to needing a tune up, bad injectors, or just need to step up to a hotter plug.

But back on hand. Smoke for a few seconds at start up is valve seal and I am surprised that where you took it didnt tell you......oh wait no I am not because they love people like you and the op because they can take advantage of you. Something I could never do to a customer. If you supect your engine may be getting on its last leg you can remove the pcv hose going from the valve cover to the air box and remove the oil cap. If you have NAY smoke comming from there the rings are getting worn. If it isnt much dont worry you got a good 50k left but if it is pouring out of there better start saving some money fro a new engine or car.

Sorry for getting off track. On my new pills doc game me and I cant stop the madness :p


Well, now that you mention it the guy did say at the end it "might" be bad valve seals, but me in my ignorance forgot to mention that. I can fix any pc problem you've got (it's what I do for a living), but when it comes to cars, yeah, I'm ignorant.

So what does a repair like that usually run? Just ballpark. Should I premptivly replace those seals or just wait until it gets that bad. The trucks got 160,000 miles onher, but other than this (and needing brakes) she's in great shape, and IS PAID FOR.......that's the big thing. I hate financing sh1t or paying higher insurance premiums. If I can't save up cash and pay for it all at once I don't buy it/own it.


Honestly if it was me I wouldnt worry to much about it. It just does it at start up. But check the blow by I mentioned and pull your plugs and look at them. If there is NO blow by at all and the plugs look normal (little dark or grey) and you dont like the smoke at start up then you looking anywhere from $500-$2500 depending on where yo take it and get done. In some cases if all you want is seals they can put the cyl on tdc (top dead center) and put compressed air in there and just swap out the seal but if you want it done right the head should come off and replace your timming chain while your at it. Then have new valves put in and the head re-seated and fluxed (checked for cracks) put back together. But I would only do this if liek I said its running like new and no blow by at all. If there is a little and you stll want it doen find a shop that will replace the seals without taking off the head using the compressed air method. Should be around $500 done that way with parts and labor.

And sorry to the OP for taking this ot.
 

udonoogen

Diamond Member
Dec 28, 2001
3,243
0
76
Originally posted by: funboy42
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
Originally posted by: funboy42
Because people dont notice anything till something else happends. He hit the rock and was expecting something bad. Never noticed it before now and because he "was looking for something to happen" his mind brought it up. I dont care if you too a hammer to the cat and dented the crap out of it. It wont make it "start" smelling like eggs. Its called sulfer and is a natural by product in oil. If hitting the rock did such bad damage it would of jarred the honey comb insides apart and clog it up resulting in extreme loss of power but no hitting a rock isnt going to start making it smell like eggs. People just do this. It could of been there for a long time his mind was just looking for a problem and noticed it and thats all there is to it.

And Im not talking out my ass either. Been workign on cars since I was 12 (now 34) co owned a Dealership till my father died, went to school for auto mechanics, ran and managed the service center for Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac along with several smaller shops. And the BS that the smell is a sign of your cat is failing is a trick to make people like this think that and bring it in to get fixed. It either works or it dosent and 99% of the time it fails from being old and comes apart and you will hear a rattle comming from it when you hit the exhaust. That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt. Alot of times the smell can also be because the car isnt running right such as a tune up ar failed EGR but for the most part if you smell Sulfer (smells like gun powder, fireworks, or rotten eggs) it is sulfer from the fule your smelling and some cats will produce the smell worse then others. You want it to go away buy another cat and waste your money but just changing stations, brand or octane levels will relieve the smell.

Linkage on how a cat works.

so you're saying that a rock opening a hole in or around the catalytic converter isn't going to make the gas more likely to reach the cabin than if it were to exit out the tail pipe at the back?

If the rock was to open the cat dont you think the op would be complaining more of the loud fvcking exhaust noise or the put put put he would be hearing from a small hole being opened in it? The smalles of a hole in the cat will produce a noise your sure to hear 100%. From a putting sound to full out loud as hell depending if the hole is to the front or rear of the cat.

So come on Im saying that rock hitting it wont make the smell. If he said I hit a rock and now when the car is running and I hear a "put put put" or the exhaust is really loud and he smells the eggs then I would of said you got a hole in the cat and thats whats making the sound but still stand firm on the smell. If there was no cat on the car there would be NO smell. But no he hit something and it is human for one to never notice this before and because something happened the mind is set to "I hit something so somethign will be wrong pay attention to every smell, squeek, rattle, ting, .....)

Hell if it was comming through his vents I would really say he was smelling the car infront of him that was producing the egg smell and his ac system was sucking the air from said car infront of him and because he hit the rock his mind was looking for something bad and thinks it is his.

Tell you what op. Start your car when you get the battery fixed. Stick your nose right to the exhaust pipe, or near it. If you dont smell eggs it wasnt your car. And pepsi been doing this sh!t for 22 years and Diag is my favorite part of the job so dont spit on me and try to tell me its raining outside. I was born at night just not last night.

the sulfur smell started yesterday, i swear. i drive with my car windows down all the time. i have never smelled it ever before. this smell was rancid and it was coming from the bottom of the car (driver side is worse) as well as through the vents.

battery always needs a jump when not starting it within 10 minutes of driving/parking. i took the car to walmart tire center and they took a battery reading. he said the battery was not a problem and that it might be the alternator (he admitted he was not too car savy though). i don't hear a put put put and the exhaust isn't abnormally loud. could i have damaged the catalytic converter? i drive a toyota camry solara 1999.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: funboy42
That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt.

"water"? The main pollutants that catalytic converters deal with are CO and NOx, which are converted to CO2 and N + O2 respectively.

Besides that detail, :thumbsup:

Originally posted by: udonoogen
the sulfur smell started yesterday, i swear. i drive with my car windows down all the time. i have never smelled it ever before. this smell was rancid and it was coming from the bottom of the car (driver side is worse) as well as through the vents.

Maybe you hit a rotten egg and only thought it was a rock?:p

funboy is right, though, the only way a cat can die is by putting holes in it (which you would hear), gutting it from the inside (which you would have to have done yourself), or poisoning the catalyst (which happens pretty gradually, and certainly isn't done by hitting it with rocks).
 

Midlander

Platinum Member
Dec 21, 2002
2,456
1
0
Originally posted by: udonoogen

the sulfur smell started yesterday, i swear. i drive with my car windows down all the time. i have never smelled it ever before. this smell was rancid and it was coming from the bottom of the car (driver side is worse) as well as through the vents.

battery always needs a jump when not starting it within 10 minutes of driving/parking. i took the car to walmart tire center and they took a battery reading. he said the battery was not a problem and that it might be the alternator (he admitted he was not too car savy though). i don't hear a put put put and the exhaust isn't abnormally loud. could i have damaged the catalytic converter? i drive a toyota camry solara 1999.

I'd take the car to a reputable dealer. They can tell you what's going on. I'd also take every bit of advice funboy42 gives you. He's absolutely right on every point.
 

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,648
201
106
you probly fugged your voltage regulator, altenator, and battery all at the same time.
that foul smell you got isnt rotten eggs, its the smell of hot melted auto electronics.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
Originally posted by: udonoogen
Originally posted by: funboy42
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
Originally posted by: funboy42
Because people dont notice anything till something else happends. He hit the rock and was expecting something bad. Never noticed it before now and because he "was looking for something to happen" his mind brought it up. I dont care if you too a hammer to the cat and dented the crap out of it. It wont make it "start" smelling like eggs. Its called sulfer and is a natural by product in oil. If hitting the rock did such bad damage it would of jarred the honey comb insides apart and clog it up resulting in extreme loss of power but no hitting a rock isnt going to start making it smell like eggs. People just do this. It could of been there for a long time his mind was just looking for a problem and noticed it and thats all there is to it.

And Im not talking out my ass either. Been workign on cars since I was 12 (now 34) co owned a Dealership till my father died, went to school for auto mechanics, ran and managed the service center for Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac along with several smaller shops. And the BS that the smell is a sign of your cat is failing is a trick to make people like this think that and bring it in to get fixed. It either works or it dosent and 99% of the time it fails from being old and comes apart and you will hear a rattle comming from it when you hit the exhaust. That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt. Alot of times the smell can also be because the car isnt running right such as a tune up ar failed EGR but for the most part if you smell Sulfer (smells like gun powder, fireworks, or rotten eggs) it is sulfer from the fule your smelling and some cats will produce the smell worse then others. You want it to go away buy another cat and waste your money but just changing stations, brand or octane levels will relieve the smell.

Linkage on how a cat works.

so you're saying that a rock opening a hole in or around the catalytic converter isn't going to make the gas more likely to reach the cabin than if it were to exit out the tail pipe at the back?

If the rock was to open the cat dont you think the op would be complaining more of the loud fvcking exhaust noise or the put put put he would be hearing from a small hole being opened in it? The smalles of a hole in the cat will produce a noise your sure to hear 100%. From a putting sound to full out loud as hell depending if the hole is to the front or rear of the cat.

So come on Im saying that rock hitting it wont make the smell. If he said I hit a rock and now when the car is running and I hear a "put put put" or the exhaust is really loud and he smells the eggs then I would of said you got a hole in the cat and thats whats making the sound but still stand firm on the smell. If there was no cat on the car there would be NO smell. But no he hit something and it is human for one to never notice this before and because something happened the mind is set to "I hit something so somethign will be wrong pay attention to every smell, squeek, rattle, ting, .....)

Hell if it was comming through his vents I would really say he was smelling the car infront of him that was producing the egg smell and his ac system was sucking the air from said car infront of him and because he hit the rock his mind was looking for something bad and thinks it is his.

Tell you what op. Start your car when you get the battery fixed. Stick your nose right to the exhaust pipe, or near it. If you dont smell eggs it wasnt your car. And pepsi been doing this sh!t for 22 years and Diag is my favorite part of the job so dont spit on me and try to tell me its raining outside. I was born at night just not last night.

the sulfur smell started yesterday, i swear. i drive with my car windows down all the time. i have never smelled it ever before. this smell was rancid and it was coming from the bottom of the car (driver side is worse) as well as through the vents.

battery always needs a jump when not starting it within 10 minutes of driving/parking. i took the car to walmart tire center and they took a battery reading. he said the battery was not a problem and that it might be the alternator (he admitted he was not too car savy though). i don't hear a put put put and the exhaust isn't abnormally loud. could i have damaged the catalytic converter? i drive a toyota camry solara 1999.


As for the battery I wouldnt believe them one damn bit. If the battery shorts out internally it will drain itself rather quickly AND can still show up as being good. A alt maintains the charge of the battery so if you can jump the car and drive all day with the lights on, radio blasting, fan for the ac on bringing in air that smells like rotten eggs and the car doesnt ever die out then your running pretty much right off the power the alt is producing. Again same as the cat the alt is working or its not. If it doesnt work your car would run off the battery till there is no more juice left in it then the car wont run at all. Even if you jmp it and get it start if the alt isnt producing juice once the battery is drained thats it.

So if the car is running after you get a jump and stays running then its not the alt at all. And since your saying it doesnt take long for the battery to die after you shut it off there really isnt many things that can cause a battery to die that quickly. If it was just a little wire short youd either pop a fuse or it would take longer then 10 minutes to drain it completly. The only thing that will drain it that quick is a defective battery that is internally shorting out. Spend the $50 and buy a new one and that problem is solved.

Again about the cat. Check out the link I provided and see how one is made. Your pretty much going to have to flatten the cat to damage it to the point it wont work at all. The smell you have is what you get from some cats unfortunatly (old or new cars right off the showroom floor. Try telling that to a customer that just plunked down $50K for his infinity and smells eggs from the exhaust on delivery). Other then trying different gas stations your only other option is to try a different cat. Going with another one is not a 100% sure thing for depending on the fuel and the cat it will still smell like eggs and your wasting your money. I am willing to bet though the smell has been there for ever but because you hit the rock your senses are hightened and your noticing it again. Also jsut thinking more and the fact your "getting: this smell through your vents when the exhaust is in the rear of the car would also lead me to think maybe what you hit wasnt a rock? A animal perhaps? A small skunk that may be logded under a car part? If it is a baby skunk it could of looked like a rock and wouldnt give a strong odor like its parents but it should would give a stink and it would come through the vents. But other then that I just dont know, how, if it is not comming from another car how it is not obeying any laws and the exhaust with the windows up and car moving is able to go foward infront of the car, through the hood or under it, to the air box, and make it into your car through the vents (sounds pretty damn silly especially since you dont have an exhaust leak). Again put your nose near the tail pipe and smell. If you got no egg smell comming directly out of that pipe but through the vents you got other problems.

SO again change your battery, remove the baby skunk from under the hood or botom of the car (if not a skunk could of some sort of dead animal found its way into the air box and need to have that cheked out), and if it is the cat you can either change gas stations, have a universal cat installed (Uni for $100 or OEM for $600 you make the choice on which is better to throw your money at), or just sell the car to some other sucker and buy another one.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
OHOHOHOHOHOHOH I just remebered something that slipped my mind and alot of people dont know about. Emmision systems have thier own warranty seperate from your bumper to bumper (same goes for your restraints, paint, sheet metal, and air bags). But if your car doesnt have too many miles most emmisions systems (depending on the manufacture) are covered for 7-10years and 75-100K miles. Thsi isnt jsut the cat mind you this is anything that deals with what makes what comes out the rear of the car better for the enviroment. Every sensor every part that is considered and "emmisionscontroled" part is covered under that seperate warranty.

So If you indeed do smell eggs comming from the exhaust use the "if you smell eggs your cat is bad" against the dealership and have it replaced for free. Dealerships hate this because if you look in your manual very closely (which 99% of the population doesnt and I never knew till I worked for one) you will see what other parts continue to have coverage even if the bumper to bumper ha expired. Alot of people think that if the B&B is over with that is it and get charged for alot of stuff that would still be covered that most dealerships will not say is. If you dont bring it up we will ring it up ;)

So if you have your manual or if someone here does that drives a 99 toyota of any model would read it carefully about the emmisions system (the cat is an emmisions part just not the exhaust pipe) you may be able to get this done for free and not waste your money.

Just a thought.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
damn. i had a 1987 honda accord that no matter what we did to it smelled of rotten-eggs when it was running.

other then that it was a great car. but man it had to suck being behind it hehe
 

udonoogen

Diamond Member
Dec 28, 2001
3,243
0
76
Originally posted by: funboy42
Originally posted by: udonoogen
Originally posted by: funboy42
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
Originally posted by: funboy42
Because people dont notice anything till something else happends. He hit the rock and was expecting something bad. Never noticed it before now and because he "was looking for something to happen" his mind brought it up. I dont care if you too a hammer to the cat and dented the crap out of it. It wont make it "start" smelling like eggs. Its called sulfer and is a natural by product in oil. If hitting the rock did such bad damage it would of jarred the honey comb insides apart and clog it up resulting in extreme loss of power but no hitting a rock isnt going to start making it smell like eggs. People just do this. It could of been there for a long time his mind was just looking for a problem and noticed it and thats all there is to it.

And Im not talking out my ass either. Been workign on cars since I was 12 (now 34) co owned a Dealership till my father died, went to school for auto mechanics, ran and managed the service center for Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac along with several smaller shops. And the BS that the smell is a sign of your cat is failing is a trick to make people like this think that and bring it in to get fixed. It either works or it dosent and 99% of the time it fails from being old and comes apart and you will hear a rattle comming from it when you hit the exhaust. That or if your car is equiped with a sensor and it says the cat is bad then it is but all it is is a series of plates in a honey comb formation that produces a chemical reaction and changes the gasses from one form to another (water). There are no moving parts in it, there are no computer whatvers in it. It works or it doesnt. Alot of times the smell can also be because the car isnt running right such as a tune up ar failed EGR but for the most part if you smell Sulfer (smells like gun powder, fireworks, or rotten eggs) it is sulfer from the fule your smelling and some cats will produce the smell worse then others. You want it to go away buy another cat and waste your money but just changing stations, brand or octane levels will relieve the smell.

Linkage on how a cat works.

so you're saying that a rock opening a hole in or around the catalytic converter isn't going to make the gas more likely to reach the cabin than if it were to exit out the tail pipe at the back?

If the rock was to open the cat dont you think the op would be complaining more of the loud fvcking exhaust noise or the put put put he would be hearing from a small hole being opened in it? The smalles of a hole in the cat will produce a noise your sure to hear 100%. From a putting sound to full out loud as hell depending if the hole is to the front or rear of the cat.

So come on Im saying that rock hitting it wont make the smell. If he said I hit a rock and now when the car is running and I hear a "put put put" or the exhaust is really loud and he smells the eggs then I would of said you got a hole in the cat and thats whats making the sound but still stand firm on the smell. If there was no cat on the car there would be NO smell. But no he hit something and it is human for one to never notice this before and because something happened the mind is set to "I hit something so somethign will be wrong pay attention to every smell, squeek, rattle, ting, .....)

Hell if it was comming through his vents I would really say he was smelling the car infront of him that was producing the egg smell and his ac system was sucking the air from said car infront of him and because he hit the rock his mind was looking for something bad and thinks it is his.

Tell you what op. Start your car when you get the battery fixed. Stick your nose right to the exhaust pipe, or near it. If you dont smell eggs it wasnt your car. And pepsi been doing this sh!t for 22 years and Diag is my favorite part of the job so dont spit on me and try to tell me its raining outside. I was born at night just not last night.

the sulfur smell started yesterday, i swear. i drive with my car windows down all the time. i have never smelled it ever before. this smell was rancid and it was coming from the bottom of the car (driver side is worse) as well as through the vents.

battery always needs a jump when not starting it within 10 minutes of driving/parking. i took the car to walmart tire center and they took a battery reading. he said the battery was not a problem and that it might be the alternator (he admitted he was not too car savy though). i don't hear a put put put and the exhaust isn't abnormally loud. could i have damaged the catalytic converter? i drive a toyota camry solara 1999.


As for the battery I wouldnt believe them one damn bit. If the battery shorts out internally it will drain itself rather quickly AND can still show up as being good. A alt maintains the charge of the battery so if you can jump the car and drive all day with the lights on, radio blasting, fan for the ac on bringing in air that smells like rotten eggs and the car doesnt ever die out then your running pretty much right off the power the alt is producing. Again same as the cat the alt is working or its not. If it doesnt work your car would run off the battery till there is no more juice left in it then the car wont run at all. Even if you jmp it and get it start if the alt isnt producing juice once the battery is drained thats it.

So if the car is running after you get a jump and stays running then its not the alt at all. And since your saying it doesnt take long for the battery to die after you shut it off there really isnt many things that can cause a battery to die that quickly. If it was just a little wire short youd either pop a fuse or it would take longer then 10 minutes to drain it completly. The only thing that will drain it that quick is a defective battery that is internally shorting out. Spend the $50 and buy a new one and that problem is solved.

Again about the cat. Check out the link I provided and see how one is made. Your pretty much going to have to flatten the cat to damage it to the point it wont work at all. The smell you have is what you get from some cats unfortunatly (old or new cars right off the showroom floor. Try telling that to a customer that just plunked down $50K for his infinity and smells eggs from the exhaust on delivery). Other then trying different gas stations your only other option is to try a different cat. Going with another one is not a 100% sure thing for depending on the fuel and the cat it will still smell like eggs and your wasting your money. I am willing to bet though the smell has been there for ever but because you hit the rock your senses are hightened and your noticing it again. Also jsut thinking more and the fact your "getting: this smell through your vents when the exhaust is in the rear of the car would also lead me to think maybe what you hit wasnt a rock? A animal perhaps? A small skunk that may be logded under a car part? If it is a baby skunk it could of looked like a rock and wouldnt give a strong odor like its parents but it should would give a stink and it would come through the vents. But other then that I just dont know, how, if it is not comming from another car how it is not obeying any laws and the exhaust with the windows up and car moving is able to go foward infront of the car, through the hood or under it, to the air box, and make it into your car through the vents (sounds pretty damn silly especially since you dont have an exhaust leak). Again put your nose near the tail pipe and smell. If you got no egg smell comming directly out of that pipe but through the vents you got other problems.

SO again change your battery, remove the baby skunk from under the hood or botom of the car (if not a skunk could of some sort of dead animal found its way into the air box and need to have that cheked out), and if it is the cat you can either change gas stations, have a universal cat installed (Uni for $100 or OEM for $600 you make the choice on which is better to throw your money at), or just sell the car to some other sucker and buy another one.

thank you funboy42! it was the battery, indeed.

i was driving home down from the bay area on the 5 south at near midnight. my lights started flickering because my battery was dead. it was probably leaking or shorting as you said, which explains the horrible sulfur smell. anyhow, i bought a new battery and everything was great. went to my mechanic today and he said the alternator was charging it fine and it was probably the battery (which i ditched in central california for the $5 core fee ... no way i was hauling around a stinking battery). now i just gotta do my 90k maintenance ... how pricey!!! :)

thanks ATOT (esp funboy!). youve been a big help to me again.
 

RU482

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
12,689
3
81
Topic Title: catalytic converter problem? car smells like rotten eggs!!@
Topic Summary: battery is dead, i ran over a rock yesterday

Sell Sell Sell

Dammit Mortimor
 
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