Hi all, I bought a 2003 Sport Edition 4WD in December and one thing I noticed when I gave it a little gas was the horrible rotten egg smell. I was told that it was the catalytic converter and it should subside after a little driving. Well, 5000 miles into the car and the stench is still there whenever I 'get on it'...is this normal or should I take the car in to get checked out???

Thanks!

 

What octane fuel are you putting in it and are you running the V8 or V6?

 

Sorry about that...I should have known to post more info.

V8 - Regular gas (87 Octane?) - Gas is so expensive now... :-(

 

I get the same smell every now and then... You want to really smell it, drive around with your back window down.

 

Tell me about it...I drove for about 5 minutes with that back window down and couldn't take it anymore. Will it ever go away???

BTW, is that safe driving with the back window down? Seems like carbon monoxide would be a serious problem.

 

There are actually three catylitic converters on the '03. I can't remember why, but it talks about them in the manual.

 

try different brand of gas.... there's nothing wrong w/ your 4runner. all toyota's (the newer ones) have this problem...

Trying using different brands to see if it subsides.... sorry can't you much but that should do it! also winter gas seems to do this more often...

Lance

 

hey the stink is not that bad of a thing. its ozone perfect and in the new runners you have PLENTY of power compared to everybody else.

The smell is mother nature thanking you.


peace

 

The '03 Borla exaust directs is off to the side... As opposed to the rear... I'm thinking this may cut the smell/back flow down.

Man, I live in FL, I wana drive around with the B/W down... Okay.

The only smell I wana smell in the cab is from me drinking Guinness and shots of Jameson the night before... Gunpowder, or the girl sitting in my lap !

 

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

 

I get the same smell with my Xterra any time I fill up with anything higher than 89 Octane. It usually "Farts" once within the first 20 miles of filling up, and then it doesn't do it anymore. It's probably just one of those little things that happen. I wouldn't be too worried about it, unless it doesn't go away, then I would get it checked out.

-Braden

 

Does it fart or pop, either way it is normal thats what I have been told cause my leaf blower does that.

What Nissan Board do you post at for the X

 

Haven't noticed a bad smell, but I always run Chevron Supreme mainly for the lower sulfur content than Regular grade. I once tried Regular in my MR2 Spyder and got the smell, then switched to Supreme and it went away.

 

It's kind of a fart, it makes a soft sound that sounds kind of like a fart, and then it smells for a few blocks.

As far as where I post for the X, I post somewhat regularly on Xterra Owners Club and Xterra-Firma
I also lurk at Xterra 4x4 , Nissan Offroad and Nissan 4-Wheelers

-Braden

 

"Low Octane SBDs".....

... ROTFLMAO!!!! ...

 

The smell comes from the sulfur in the gas. The only way to correct it is to use different fuel. If you are still getting the smell, there isnt anything you can do. Some people blame it on the cat conv. But I have seen a bulletin from Toyota stating its the sulfur in the gas. Toyota considers this normal and not a defect with the vehicle.

 

its definently the gas. I have always used Hess premuim since i purchased my 2003 4runner. I would get a slight smell every once in a while not a constant thing. I went on a road trip to CT and needed fuel so I got Shell premuim. Oh my god my car smells like a rolling rotting egg. So no more shell for me. CHris

 

Elaborating a bit, you're smelling the sulfur. You can control it with a better brand and/or grade of fuel.

Here are some links to recent studies showing the clean air benefits to running low-sulfur fuel. Note that the studies are only of Regular grade fuels. They could've pointed out that Premium grade fuels are already, for the most part, low sulfur content in the 30-50 ppm range.

The main reason I run Premium is for the low sulfur content. Yes, it's environmentally friendly, but I use it based on studies performed by Toyota a few years ago and published as SAE papers. Sorry I can't find the link, but trust me I read the long technical papers twice to understand. It seems that sulfur acts as a cylinder wall abrasive, especially during the cold-start cycle. Long term, high sulfur content fuels tend to wear the low tension piston rings, and especially the oil control ring, resulting in excessive oil consumption and engine cylinder wall damage. Toyota used a 1ZZ engine for the tests that is an alloy block with iron sleeve and low tension ring design, much like the new 1GR V-6 and somewhat like the 2UZ V-8 in the 4th Gen 'Runners.

The good news is that low-sulfur fuel has since become an EPA mandate for all fuel grades in 2004. Until then, you can get the same benefit by using Premium grade fuel that'll give a bit better performance, driveability, and economy, in my experience anyway. I'm sure we'll hear from Toyota owners saying their 19XX Toyota with 200,000 miles doesn't burn a drop of oil and they've only used Regular grade. That may be true, but newer engines use low tension rings to reduce internal friction and improve fuel economy. Kapisch?

http://www.alamn.org/outdoor/execsum_summer02.pdf

http://www.alamn.org/outdoor/blueplanet.asp

http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_big_auto_vs/

 

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

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have never smelled a rotten egg. How do you know that the exhaust smells like rotting eggs? Where do you hang out to smell these rotten eggs? I for one have never had the smell and I have been running 89-93 octane from Phillips and BP. In the past, on different cars, I have smelled a very strong pungent unburned gas smell, typically it has always been in American cars.