rotten egg smell....need solution

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

okay guys....my nose can't take it anymore as I about yacked on the way home from work today as the car just plain stinks.

I am looking for the quickest most economical way to get my car to stop stinking so I need your help to tell the header builders what to do to the car.

Do I just need the EGR hooked back up?

Do I need the CAT's added back on?

I don't know if I need to do both or just one of the above. I know HeavyDuty has the CAT's punched out and he does not mention about the smell....so right now I am just thinking that I need the EGR thingy hooked.

BTW....for those who don't already know....I have custom headers with the EGR plugged and no CAT's what-so-ever. The car did not start stinking until about a week after I got the car back. Also the check engine light does not come on....it only came on once so far.

Please help me as no damn girl that I know of will tolerate this smell unless she is some nasty "catfish" type girl that will gobble up anything that comes by her.

Post by **pito11213** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

From my past experiences I would have to say that the smell is attributed to the cat's.

Post by **Rex** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Rotten egg smell usually indicates bad CAT's, not cause the cats smell, but because they can't do their "thing". So, my giess would be fix the upstream problem - EGR and it should help.

Based on timing, I wonder if something in the new exhaust system has now gone through a heat cycle and should be fine eventually??

Yeah, in short I've got no idea, sorry.

Post by **elwesso** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Rob, heres my take on it...

if the EGR is plugged up, and theres no fumes coming from a hole in the header, then thats not going to help anything..... The EGR is only active during cruise and it wouldnt help the smell at all, I dont think

I was going to ask if it came from the engine or the tailpipes, but its obvious form the latter......

Whenever we dirve our GTP with cheapo GM cats it stinks if they dont get to warm up fully..... Smells like fireworks ..... Fireworks and the snipes houeshold is another story, but you can bet the Q is in the garage.. I digress.....

Anyway, to get rid of the smell your gonna need some sort or catylitic converter to reduce the smell..... So if your concerned about smell, go withthe cats.. if you care about emissions, go both..... The EGR wont help the smell.....

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

okay.....so the EGR will not help the smell...correct?

CAT's....now can I just use just about any type of CAT to get rid of the smell or does it need to be a special type of CAT? Can somebody recommend a good aftermarket CAT?

Post by **elwesso** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Why not use your old OEMs......? higher flow than anything out there and will last a while.....

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Sure the EGR will help the sulfur smell by lowering the combustion temperature........less conversion to H2S.

High sulfur in gasoline is the major problem low sulfur = low smell.

Post by **maxnix** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

I am sure you do cruise (constant throttle opening). The catalytic convertors will help too. GM cats seem to be the first to fail and give off the hydrogen sulfide smell.
Modified by maxnix at 9:58 AM 9/4/2004

Post by **Jesda** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

When the Q was running hot (thermostat needs replacement) I noticed the same rotten egg smell.

It was very brief, but very pungent and peculiar. I assume thats just a result of high operating temperatures?

-Jesda

Post by **Mr1der** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

don't fart in the car?

it's probably a cat though...

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Trying to use an off road design on the road, see Felony tampering, does have downsides even if you don't get caught.

Since cats have been in use [since 1975], people have forgotten what old non emissioned cars smelled like.

As I said earlier all the bad gas gets dumped in states with low/no emission testing.........cause it's hard to get caught.

The same bad gas that destroyed so many fuel level senders in FLA, has been improved just enough to kill your lungs and nose.

If the fuel was clean to standards of Sulfur you wouldn't be having the smell problem.

Post by **Jesda** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

So in summary here, I need to change my EGR and catalytic converter?

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Quote »don't fart in the car?[/quote]

I only wish it were this simple!!!!!

Quote »So in summary here, I need to change my EGR and catalytic converter?[/quote]

Exactly.....I need the cliff notes version of this thread. I am going to have the CAT's & EGR added back. I don't have any OEM CAT's available too me and I am not paying OEM CAT's prices. This is getting way to costly.

Dennis....can you recommend a good aftermarket CAT for me? I will take the car to the shop within the next week or so and have them hook up the EGR and install new CAT's. I know that the aftermarket CAT's as you said earlier will probably not pass the dyno emissions tests, but a little CAT is better than no CAT at all.

Also what kind of EGR flexible steel hose do I need or can I get to hook up the EGR? Should the shop already have something like this lying around that will work? Just want to save myself two trips to the shop.

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Hate to use the word but you are screwed. Where are your old manifolds and cats. It's shopping junk yards for you.Flex tube won't work for long- heat will destroy the flex.

Can't really recommend any after market cats they are all so bad and cheaply made. Calculating the correct positioning is difficult, try to use oem length from exhaust ports. Guess precats are not necessary just the cats and egr.

Kind of an expensive experiment...........why I just say cat back only exhaust for the street............even then probably not worth the noise for the 0.1 second improvement.

I assummed you knew what you were getting into with no cats*......been well tested and known for 30 years. Worrying about smells and noise doesn't compute with performance mods.

*Few pay attention to my warnings anyway chosing to ignore science taking the word of some marketing hypester.

Those G35 guys are ripping and snorting tearing oem apart; plenums that warp and crack, intakes that destroy MAFs, replacing cats that shatter and rattle in 6 months, headers, everything they've bought created little power and caused serious problems.

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

yyeeooucchh!!! Okay...I learned my lesson and say uncle

If anybody has access to OEM Secondary CAT's....please let me know as I can easily bolt these straight up to where my old OEM Cats were since all the flanges are in the same place and compatible with the OEM's.

Dennis.....I don't intend to be purposely trying your knowledge on this stuff....but sometimes one has to learn from their own mistakes by experimenting themselves. It has been a painful experience to say the least and nothing more needs to be said as every time I drive my car I am well aware of the smell and therefore recieving some of my own punishment. I am totally new to doing any mods to any cars what-so-ever and now I finally know better about the mods and you can be sure that the next car that I buy will be only modified by the factory as I don't have the patience for this stuff.

Post by **Rex** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

rsiwicki - have you tried a better/different grade/brand of gas? I'd hate to think driving a little farther or paying a few cents more for gas could solve/decrease the smell problem and goes untried.

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

I only use name brand 93 octane gas....last tank was Cheveron. I will try Shell, but the smell is just really horrible and while some gas may reduce the smell....I can't keep driving it around like this forever so back off to the shop it is again. When you open the car door in the mornings....the car's interior just stink's like rotten eggs before I even turn on the car. I had no idea how bad the smell would be until, of course, it was too late.

Post by **maxnix** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Rob, geez, that's a shame. What did happen to your old converters? Hopefully they didn't throw them away.

I guess in the old days the exhausts were so rich from carburetor inaccuracies all I smelled was unburnt hydrocarbons.

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Quote »I don't have any OEM CAT's available too me[/quote]

I repeat....the OEM CAT's are long gone. As said before...I am new to modifying cars and never thought that I would need the OEM CAT's again so I never asked for them back and of course after I call the shop a week later...they are long gone. The car did not start stinking until a full 6 days after I got it back....all of a sudden when it through a check engine light code for the EGR...the car started stinking.

All of the junk yards down here already have the exhaust system removed from the cars....I have no idea why they are already removed, but every car I looked at had the exhaust system removed when I was there 2 months ago. There was one car out of 20 with an engine, but I have no idea if it has the exhaust and I will be checking asap.

Post by **Rex** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

rsiwicki - ask AZ about the "pristine" 95 he's going to part out. He said there's nothing under the hood, but the cats may be there??

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

The 6 days delay concerns me other than the sulfur may be reacting inside the muffler sound deadening material..........some use almost inert mineral wool, some use quasi stainless steel metal spirals?

Post by **rsiwicki** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

I have no idea at this point and I am just plain tired of this whole modifying my car thing. Never again will I mod my car...back to the basics for me and cars.

I have the dynoflowmaters mufflers on the car....3 of them. I went out to the car during lunch to get my extra set of keys and the car's interior just stinks and I did not even fire it up.

I have already asked Greg about the secondary CAT's on the Q45 that he is parting out. Hopefully he can come through for me on those.

I have only had one check engine light come on and that is when I started to notice the smell. Since then the check engine light has not come on in the car and I drive about 15 miles to work with a span of about 8 miles cruising from 60-90mph on I-95.

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

But it is not your cars or your designs fault that it smells, blame the refiners feeding your area.

Post by **1992Q45A** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

rsiwicki wrote:I have no idea at this point and I am just plain tired of this whole modifying my car thing. Never again will I mod my car...back to the basics for me and cars.

I have the dynoflowmaters mufflers on the car....3 of them. I went out to the car during lunch to get my extra set of keys and the car's interior just stinks and I did not even fire it up.

I have already asked Greg about the secondary CAT's on the Q45 that he is parting out. Hopefully he can come through for me on those.

I have only had one check engine light come on and that is when I started to notice the smell. Since then the check engine light has not come on in the car and I drive about 15 miles to work with a span of about 8 miles cruising from 60-90mph on I-95.

Word RSI. It's nice to get it all from the factory or have proven mod paths like the more popular JDM rides... This is the price that is payed, for paving the way.

Thanks anyway

Post by **Fastlane** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Rob.........maybe you should check if the flanges are squared on your new exhaust system and the gaskets are sealing properly.

also the type of gasket.......my son had to go to high performance ones on his 69 Edelbrock Mustang to eliminate leaks.

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

And where on earth would you find a HIGHER performance gasket than oem, in fact there are no other exhaust manifold gaskets available.

Whether the sulfur comes from the engine bay or exhaust pipe makes no difference at idle unless the wind is always blowing to the rear.

Are the cars behind you shooting out your rear window yet?

Post by **Fastlane** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

The area that I was thinking about wasn't the manifold but the connection of the exhaust to the headers.

I completely agree that it's practically impossible to improve on OEM designs on the Q45.

I have noticed the horrible smells eminating from some cars.....newer models with oem exhausts.......I tend to use the inside air setting on the a/c .

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

It's the fuel, in order to squeeze a few percent more gasoline the government has relaxed standards since 9/11.......because people whinned so much about gasoline prices.http://www.etaiwannews.com/Bus...6.htm"The Florida Circuit Court suit estimates 1 million vehicle owners pumped defective gas supplied by the Shell-owned refinery before Shell and Texaco shut down about 400 stations just before the Memorial Day holiday weekend. "

http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/afrw.html

look at bottom for massive multiple pdfs. on fuels if you read them all you will know more than most employees at the fuel tank farms.http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/afrw/afrw-05.pdf

http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/afrw/afrw-07.pdf

What they don't tell you is ethanol in gasoline will quadruple the wear rate of bearings and cylinder walls.

Lasting thru the warranty may take on new significance.....modern oil have additives that help with ethanol but it will take years to find out how well they work in real world where water phase separation occurs in filling station tanks at cold temperatures.

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

http://www.fwc.com/publications/ tech_papers/oil_gas/desulfur.doc

Post by **Fastlane** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:28 pm

Are there any fuel additives that would improve quality?

rotten egg smell....need solution

rotten egg smell....need solution

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