car smells bad when running

[Mark Rosenkrantz]

Perhaps it's the driver that smells?   ;-)

Mark Rosenkrantz
Typos sent from my iPad

On Jan 22, 2013, at 2:06 AM, Grant Lenahan <glenahan at vfemail.net> wrote:

> That was my first thought.  But first describe the smell.  
> 
> Grant 
> 
> Sent from my phone -- please forgive my typos!
> 
> On Jan 21, 2013, at 11:37 PM, Fred Munro <munrof at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
>> Dee;
>> 
>> In addition to the items Kent mentioned, if the odour smells like rotten
>> eggs it could be a problem with the catalytic converter. The sulphur in
>> gasoline is normally oxidized to sulphur dioxide. If the catalytic converter
>> is defective or raw fuel is bring burned in the CAT in an oxygen-lean
>> environment, the sulphur can be emitted as hydrogen sulphide, which is the
>> compound that gives rotten eggs that characteristic perfume. Sometimes
>> switching to a different brand of gasoline with a lower sulphur content will
>> reduce the odour, but if the CAT is bad you may have to replace it.
>> 
>> HTH
>> 
>> Fred Munro
>> '97 S6
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:quattro-bounces at audifans.com] On
>> Behalf Of Kent McLean
>> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2013 5:09 PM
>> To: quattro at audifans.com
>> Cc: v8-list; doubldz at aol.com
>> Subject: Re: car smells bad when running
>> 
>> EllenO wrote:
>>> ... my car smells really bad when its running ...
>>> Dee
>>> 1990 Pearl V8q
>> 
>> It could be a few things:
>> 
>> 1) Oil dripping from the engine onto the hot exhaust.  It's probably an
>>   old seal or maybe a sensor leaking.  When the car is parked, open the
>>   hood and see if it smells worse in the engine bay. You might even see
>>   smoke from where it's hitting the exhaust.
>> 
>> 2) Antifreeze. This wold be a sweeter smell. If it is stronger inside
>>   the car than in the engine bay, it might be the heater core leaking.
>>   Look for a wet, sticky spot in the front floor wells. The heater
>>   core is up inside the dash and is 8+ hours of labor to get to and
>>   replace.
>> 
>> 3) If the car has been parked for a while, don't discount a dead mouse
>>   that made its home inside the ventilation system.  Stick you finger
>>   in the coolant overflow tank and smell it. Pull the oil dipstick and
>>   smell it.  If your bad smell isn't one of those, it might be a dead
>>   critter.
>> 
>> I CC'd the V8 list as they may have more insight.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Kent McLean
>> Audi-less for the first time since Bad Puppy.
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