LIVE4SWELL

a repeat of my post on 4x4wire:


I know there have been posts before on this, but i wanted to see if there are any updates...i have about 3800 miles and have had it since about February 15th and on the highway when i accelerate from lets say 50 to 60 or 60 to 70 i get a heavy rotten egg smell inside the car and sometimes i get a hint of an ammonia-like smell, i feel like it comes through the vents, it is overpowering. I feel like it happens more then during acceleration off the line. I am going to toyota for an oil change and will complain about it to them, but I wanted to see if anyone had any more news about it or any possible problems...I wouldn't think it would be a bad Cat on a 2003...thanks for the help

EDGE

I have the same thing except it does not come through the vents, I have had all the windows down and smelled exactly what you did and had a killer headache for a day after, I thought with just the rear window up and all others closed I would not smell it but just the other night I had to get somewhere fast and had only the moonroof open on tilt and could smell the rotten egg odor, was not to happy I was smelling it.

On all past vehicles I have never smelled exhaust like this, at least it is only bad when Im hard on the gas, I do hope Toyota puts out a TSB

zedex

I always thought that the rotten egg smell on any vehicle was due to a faulty cataletic converter. no???

Good Times

I'm w/ zedex on this one... I don't think it's a faulty cat converter though either. Just the breakdown of the gas can't get filtered that well in the converter.

Try using different gas and that should help alot. Not all gas are the same so, in that sense finding the right gas might be the answer.

absolutvt2

I shouldn't say this, because I'll get the strong smell back, but I have not had the 'egg' smell since my last fill up. Almost 6k miles now.

I agree with edge…if the smell continues Toyota should address the issue.

outdoorfever

as far as i know its on all toyotas. i have it on mine really badly, and i have noticed it on older and newer toyotas as well. and you were right, its usually noticed usually going up a hill(hard on the gas).

MrTom

The most recent issue of "AutoWorld" (received today) discusses this problem. They suggest experimenting with different brands of gasoline. Apparently some brands have different sulfur formulations for different parts of the country. The problem seems to exist mostly when the engine is cold.
Tom

LoCore

For those of us that have encountered the sulpher smell, what brands of fuel have you used?

Using Colorado fuel formulations, my experience has been:

NO SMELL: Conoco 87 and 91
SMELL: Texaco 91

Del

Yea I always thought it was the cat too. I've never had it in the Runner, but before when I had the Sable (basically a taurus) I got it really bad. That car was destined for bad smells though cause I eventually ended up driving right over a live skunk and it sprayed the bottom of the undercarraige:pat:

Mikey

Good luck trying to get the stealership to do anything. Unless the converter is being drug down the road on you rig, they won't do anything about it. They all say its the gas. Haven't had any luck finding a gas that doesn't smell. Some BP stations make the truck stink, some don't. Sunoco and Exxon is the same way. I think I'm goign to go the High Flow route, and lop old smelly off my truck.

mhawker

But you're kidding about trying a different brand gas, right? There is no reason Toyota or any other car manufacture has tolerances so tight that one would have to choose brands of gas.

After going through a major problem with Chevy and a new Corvette, I am so much more unwilling to accept this type of thing. How long have the average car manufacturers been making cars? 70-80 years? You can't tell me that they can't make a car that doesn't smell.

It's always been the "norm" in the past that a rotten egg smell was somehow related to a catalytic converter. I would think this is no different. So I guess that would mean all new Toyota's would go through this same thing, huh? Doubtful. It's a design flaw.

Yes, I know it's a new model, etc. That's still no excuse for something as simple as an exhaust system. They've been putting the same types of exhaust on cars and trucks for many years.

I think I'll wait on buying a new 4 Runner for a while.

Mike

EDGE

Maybe I'll just remove the cats then in 3 or 4 years when it needs emissions testing I'll put them back

You think it will be a lot louder or better louder cause I want more V8 ROAR

hotelseven

I've noticed the same smell....Someone advised me the following:

The smell is from the emissions. Normaly exhaust gases loaded with particulates and are recirculated in small ammounts back into the cylinders to be burned off and to lessen the heavy particulate content. Now when you mash the accelerator to pass or past 3/4 throttle the computer automatically shuts down the emissions system. In those situations there are heavy particulates and unburnt fuel being pushed into the cat converter, which produces the sulphur smell which you may have noticed goes away after you let off the accelerator. Just happens to be the way toyota designs their beasts, always trying to squeeze every drop of fuel and reduce emissions by recycling it to be burnt cleaner.

I dunno what it is, but I also agree that they should be able to build a vehicle that doesnt smell like that!

EDGE

I started using 93 on my last fill up but I only put in a quarter tank of it, Im gonna let it go down to empty and fill up, hopefully the lower sulfur in premium will make the smell vanish

Paintballguy59

its the gas cause i have a 03 and no sulphur smell for me.... and my mom works for toyota so she has had this complaint many times.

runningman

i work in the service department at our Hyundai dealer and we had the same problem with our Santa Fe's. It comes from the catalytic converter and can be remedied by changing your fuel or octane level. It will also take more than 1 tank to notice the change. Then you should be good to go.

smelly4runner

i work at an auto part store and have never had this problem on any car i have every owned i have at my sport v8 for over 2 months now and have changed gas liked they asked me to do 4 times always only putting in tops grades of gas when i asked them what grades should i use the couldnt tell me what brand they couldnt tell me i even filled up at the same gas station the dealer uses and still i get the smell!
it is a design flaw people there is something wrong with the exhaust system, as a whole not just that cat that is where the part of the problem
the smell in my truck is so bad that i have pulled over and thrown up it so bad. toyota just doesnt want to do a recall cause they have so much invested in this car i have gone to 3 dealers and a couple of auto repair shops the auto repair shops say the same thing that the exhaust is bad tjhe dealer says change the gas
well lets see exxon/mobil/sunoco/hess/citgo/BP(amoco) all the same crap
i have put in for a lemon recall on the exhaust with toyota of america i think everone shoudl do the same
if im gonna spend 30 grand on a truck it sure as hell will be one i can enjoy
obviously they know something is wrong just not enough people are complaing yet changing gas shouldnt make a difference 98% of all gas companies use the same gas they all get it from the same refineries mobil,exxon.bp.sunoco.coastal,texaco even your little independents companies all get it from the same place just put there name on it

EDGE

smelly4runner
again man, if their really is a problem with the exhaust then these things would not pass emissions testing, for those of us in pollution problem states, don't you think Toyota thought about that.

Also as someone mentioned earlier in here or another board these vehicles are LEV or ULEV and the gas companies have not yet realized that but in the next 5 years are going to reduce the sulfur content of gas mainly 87 or regular also adding 10 cents to it

vmaxjohn

I've read this is caused by a rich condition in the EFI. Fords are listed with this feature when you buy one, just click the "Grandpa Farted in the Backseat" box below air conditioning and moonroof.

To my understanding, something causes the motor to run rich, be it a stuck Tstat, goofed up sensor, whatever, and with all that fuel being pooped at the cat, it can't keep up, and we get a sulphur smell. Like I said, Ford's are nortorius for this, but I'm suprised Toyotas are doing it.

My other thought would be that your motor isn't fully broken in, and the ring seal isn't 100% yet, causing extra fuel to be blown out of the exhaust.

Good luck, I recommend the pine tree air freshener!

SoL

I have almost 10K on my 2003 Sport and it still smells when I get on the gas. I only run high Octane now and have tried all kinds of brands with no luck. Toyota needs to quit passing the buck and take some responsibility.