Back to all

No Yolk! Rotten Egg Smell (Sulfur Smell Causes)

April 10, 2022

The pungent smell of rotten eggs can send people running for the hills.  So when that odor is inside your vehicle, yikes!  Yolks!  The good news is that a trained service technician can search the source of that smell and stanch the stench… that comes from another words that begins with S.  Sulfur.

Fuel contains small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, but they're enough to stink up a vehicle when it's not properly burned.  You may know that the smell of rotten eggs can often be a sign of a catalytic converter that isn't working the way it should.  That could be due to age, damage or an abundance of oil that's clogging it up. 

If a sensor in charge of managing the fuel has failed, the engine can run with too rich of a fuel mixture.  That can overload the catalytic converter and allow some of the byproducts to escape without interruption from the chemical reaction that is supposed to prevent them from going out the tailpipe.

There's another possibility, but it's usually only in stick shift vehicles.  That's leaking, old transmission fluid.

Catalytic converter repairs are best left to a professional. Technicians at your vehicle service facility have equipment and training that can help them pinpoint the cause of this funky fragrance.  Once the cause is found, repairs made and/or parts replaced, the smell should go away fairly rapidly.

Tuffy Grand Rapids - Fuller Ave.
1121 Fuller Ave. NE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
616.458.8091
https://www.tuffyfullerave.com/

Need Service?

Request a Quote

More articles from Tuffy Grand Rapids (Fuller Ave.)

Speak Up: Talking with Your Tuffy Grand Rapids (Fuller Ave) Service Advisor

May 19, 2024

About 80% of the vehicles on Grand Rapids roads today are behind on their preventive maintenance schedules. That translates to about 160 million vehicles in the United States that aren't performing as well as they could be - thousands right here in MI. Some of the maintenance issues are minor. Ot... More

Diagnosing Your Vehicle at Tuffy Grand Rapids (Fuller Ave) in Grand Rapids

May 12, 2024

When we Grand Rapids residents get a car repair bill, we really shouldn't be surprised to find diagnostic fees as one of the line items. When we get a computer fixed, there is usually a charge for the time it takes to diagnose the problem. When we go to a medical doctor, most of his fee is for hi... More

The Tuffy Grand Rapids (Fuller Ave) Guide to Saving Fuel: Car Weight

May 5, 2024

The team at Tuffy Grand Rapids (Fuller Ave) in Grand Rapids, and MI car owners are all talking right now. Better gas mileage. Fewer emissions. Grand Rapids drivers want to save the environment and their pocketbooks.And we all knowor should knowthat preventive maintenance will help maximize fuel ... More