One of the most common things that cause a car to smell like rotten eggs that is the catalytic converter. Many people will tell you that you have a bad converter, but it is actually a symptom of another problem. By acting quickly, finding and repairing the problem causing the smell from your converter, you should be able to save it.
Your car’s catalytic converter is supposed to take in pollutants from the engine’s exhaust and convert them into clean air. Today’s engines are said to produce less than 2% pollutants, so unless there is a problem, the converter should have a very boring job. And, with a healthy well-tuned engine, the converter should last the life of the car.
However, defective engine controls could cause the catalytic converter to be flooded with fuel, which contains sulfur, hence the rotten egg smell. If not repaired, the heat generated by the chemical reaction from the increased amount of sulfur passing through the converter will cause the honeycomb shaped filter to melt. Once melted, it will be an obstruction in your exhaust system causing poor engine performance, sluggishness and stalling.
Just replacing the catalytic converter at this point is only a temporary solution. The cause of the fuel flooding the converter needs to be found and addressed before a new converter is installed, so it will not happen again.
Some things associated with flooding a converter with fuel are: a defective oxygen sensor, a leaking fuel injector, and a defective pressure regulator. Even bad coolant sensors have been known to trick the ECM into sending too much fuel.
So, if you get that rotten egg smell and you’re sure it’s not something as simple as a shorted battery, start by having your ECM scanned for codes.
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