Back to all

No Yolk! Rotten Egg Smell (Sulfur Smell Causes)

August 20, 2023

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 Tire & Auto Service Center Lockport
600 E 9th Street
Lockport, Illinois 60441
815-838-3700

More articles from Tuffy Lockport

Steering You Right (Power Steering Fluid Service)

March 2, 2025

Its important for safe driving that two of the most important systems in your vehicle work right. One is the brakes. The other is the steering. Nearly all vehicles on the road have some sort of power steering that allows you to direct a very heavy machine with little effort. There are two ty... More

Feeling Powerless (Why Is My Battery Light On?)

February 23, 2025

When one of your vehicles warning lights comes on, the first thing that comes to mind is, Oh, no, whats wrong now? When its the battery light, it means theres something wrong with your vehicles battery or charging system. And because both are important for your vehicle to work properly, its a go... More

Differential Service

February 16, 2025

When you're driving and turn a corner, you probably aren't aware of all that's going on with your wheels. The outside wheels have a longer distance to travel than the inside wheels, so there are gears that allow the wheels to go at different speeds when you turn. That set of gears is called a d... More