My Altima stinks..literally?!

[Keyan]

So this is VERY odd, and I am wondering if anyone has encountered this before.

When I set my 07 SE to manual mode, and then floor it in first (I think it will do this when on regular auto too), basically any time you hammer it and keep it down till you reach about 60, there is a VERY strong odor of rotten eggs/sulfur. This is very distrubing. It's not rubber burning, and the tires aren't slipping when I lunch, it really smells like eggs and it's VERY strong. I'm concerned that there is some kind of issue that is causing the smell, has anyone else had this happen??

[nissangirl74]

Had this happen to me but it was on a MUCH older vehicle. That smell is usually associated with a failed catalytic converter. Good news is that you can take it to any muffler shop and they will test it for free. If it is the CC, it will probably still be under warranty; most manufacturers are required to guarantee them for at least 80K, some of them even longer.

[Keyan]

Hmm, that would be bad. I'll tell the dealership about it when I take it in for service next time. It's still under 18k miles, it better be covered

Thanks for the info!

[nissangirl74]

You're welcome.

<If it's not the CC, let me know what you find out.>

[Keyan]

Service guy said it could be a bad O2 sensor - which would make sense b/c it would be running too rich and tossing too much unspent fuel into the cat, causing the strong odor.

Have it scheduled up for this coming Tuesday AM, I'll post a follow up with what they found..

[JIBRIL4life]

happened to me on a 99 alti, short trips in the car didnt allow for the cata to heat up and combined with cheap gas would give off the sulfur smell.

longer trips and prem gas every once in a while and the smell went away.

that was 10 years ago

[Ferguson]

Guys, it is just the normal smell of a heated catalytic. Nothing to worry about at all. In fact, it is more common with a new one, rather than an old one.

Have you never smelled that when some guy in front of you nails it?

Don't worry unless it smells like that during normal driving!

[Keyan]

I've never had this happen before when flooring it until about 3 weeks ago or on my 05 altima.

This isn't like some faint smell, it's like someone set off a stink bomb right under your nose and it lingers for a good couple of minutes. A little smell I could understand, but this is REALLY bad.

[erick.s]

I've never had this happen before when flooring it until about 3 weeks ago or on my 05 altima.

This isn't like some faint smell, it's like someone set off a stink bomb right under your nose and it lingers for a good couple of minutes. A little smell I could understand, but this is REALLY bad.

That sure sounds like a fouled cat to me. That should definitely be a warranty repair. Are you modded at all?

[Ferguson]

If it is THAT bad, then yes, it may be a cat issue, and also a warranty issue. What fuel do you use?

[Keyan]

Not modded, other and a K&N drop in filter which doesn't count for much (not sure if it does anything at all..)

They couldn't find anything but covered the Diag under warranty. I always put prem in it, but they suspect that I got a bad batch that was probably still old winter blend (higher sulfer content) that combined with the warmer temps led to the cat putting off that smell.

I have a fresh tank in it and I've tried a few hard runs and the smell isn't coming back. I'll give it a couple more good line start runs to about 60 and see if it comes back again, but if not then I'll just check if off as bad gas.