Car Trouble. Anyone know how to stop the Rotten Eggs smell!?

[MajorDamage]

I have a 2001 Chevy Tracker ZR2. The place where we bought it can't seem to fix it though! It keeps stinking like sulfer or rotten eggs. They said it had a bad cadalaic(spelling?) converter on it, and replaced it like 3 times! Anyone know what i can do? Oh and the dealership put a small dent and messed up the paint in this like 2 inch area last time we took it in!

ENDO!

[Chris]

The rotten egg smell does come from a bad catalytic converter. If the stock GM ones do not work, you may want to see if you can find an aftermarket one to put on. Or just run without one...as long as you dont have to pass a smog test anytime soon. The catalytic converter reduces cold start emissions, and isnt too important IMO. Unfortunately GM may put oxygen sensors before and after the converter to ensure that it is working properly. If that is the case, removing it without further modifications will cause the engine light to come on. There are a number of ways around all these problems, but they all cost money.

-Chris

[t2m6c1]

Lemon Law?

Where did you purchace the vehicle? Is it still under warranty? Is the dealer replacing the catalytic converters.

Most states have some form of lemon law. If you keep having the same problems repeadidly (3 times I think) in a certain period of time, they have to replace your vehicle or buy it back from you.

Keep all of your maintenace records and check with the laws in your state. This may be an option to look into if you cannot solve the "STINKMOBILE" problem .

[Ball Buster]

lemon law..

Your right, it is 3 times.. If you have your car brought to the dealer to have the same item fixed 3 times you can file for the lemon law..

Although, it's not like walking in and saying "hey, my catalitic converter stinks, I want a new car".. I know a girl who had LOTS wrong with her car.. engine problems, etc.. it took quite a bit for her to get a new car, but they eventually bought it back for the purchase price, but her car was in the shop for 6 out of 8 months she owned it.. sooo..

There are lots of aftermarket cat's.. you can even like someone mentioned run without one(if your in a lax emmissions testing state, NOT california), it'll give you better airflow also...

[MajorDamage]

Yep the dealership is replacing the cadalaic converters, and Ive heard of the lemon law, and am about to take advantage of it. Im in Tennessee. We have put it in 3 times and it hasnt worked yet. Ive only had it for like 5 months or so, still under warrenty, and has been stinking since like the first week Ive had it! Its really ticking me off! I'll check into running without it, or getting a new one. Thanx alot guys!

ENDO!

[tazman]

Hi All,


What is causing the rotten egg smell from your vehicle is the sulphar content in the gasoline that you are using.

As for the dealership changing the cat converter, I dont Know I guess they didn't check there TSB's.

Try changing fuel brands and grades, I have run across this problem before and it is what I tell the customer to try First. When I go to work I will look for a TSB on the smell and let you know as I work at a GM Dealer in Canada but the TSB's should be the same.

[MajorDamage]

Weve tried diffrent gases. It didn't work.

ENDO!

[tazman]

From the same STation in the same area? Did you try differnent Octane ratings? I will check on the T-50 tomorrow when I get to work and see if there are any TSB"s on the rotten egg smell and let you Know some Techs forget to Look or they are to lasy to look. If I find one I will give you the basic run down and the TSB Number.

[MajorDamage]

Ok thanx alot! Ive tried gas at a diffrent station, but the same octain level.

ENDO!

[gimp]

maybe you have some old food under the seat or something. My solution would be to get some of those little air fresheners.

[PsychoMag]

it IS your emissions, but does not have to be a catalytic converter itself. The converter is the common cause, but the technician needs to diagnose the entire system and find the real cause of the smell. My buddy is an "A" tech at a Chevy dealer and says that the entire emissions should be tested, not just replace the converter all the time. If the converter is bad, there is a erason why it continues to go bad over and over again. I would bring it to a different dealer. Obviously the techs at the one you go to are not competent enough to make the proper diagnosis. The emissions system is sensitive, and therefore can be caused by other systems in the car, such as the fuel delivery and injection system, the ignition and timing system. I would go for the lemon law and get another one...

[MajorDamage]

Ok, thanx. Im probably gonna go for the lemon law if I can, because these people don't know what they are doing. It ticks me off that they can't fix this. My little 6 year old cousin had to color something that smells in school, and he drew my car. hehe. It gives off a STRONG smell. Its bad enough that cars don't pull up close behind me. Oh and no gimp, its not food(hehe). It comes from the outside of the car. If it came from the inside I would guess it was my little brother's feet(seriously, if he takes off his shoes, it stinks up the ENTIRE car!). Thanx alot for all your help guys!

ENDO!

[Potatoboy]

Originally posted by tazman
As for the dealership changing the cat converter, I dont Know I guess they didn't check there TSB's.

Ha! I actually know what TSB's are because I work for the company that mails them out!

[tazman]

Okay What is cuasing the smell is the vehicle is running rich found it on the T50 at work as for the solution it says to call Tech Assistance. Talk to Driveability/Electrical guy that I work with and He help me find it. It could be caused be a Bad Bank one Sensor One O2 sensor (Engine Management O2 Sensor) Changing the Cat Converter will Not do a Thing. The smel come from the sulpar content in the fuel I don't have the space to explain the chemical explanation(Had to read it twice to fully comprehend it Thank god for grade 11 chemisty).

I would try a different dealer thou sounds like the guys that you have been going to can't fix a nob on a s**thouse door. MAKE SURE that they check the TSBs and Find out if they have called Tech assistance. Also call GM them selfs and complain about this problem.

Hope that this helps. Good luck.

Also If you are going to flog the GM DON"T I MEAN FOR GODS SAKE DON"T BUY A KIA!!!! Now don't get me started on the Scrap!!

[t2m6c1]

Does your check engine light come on. Usually OBD 2 will pick up bad sensors and turn the check engine light on. The dealer should be able to hook up a "pro link" or another diagnosic computer to your Tracker, and diagnose the problem fairly easy.