My exhaust is stinky

[G.]

OK, this has nuthin to do with bodily functions.


My Warlock!-Mobile (mini-van) suddenly decided that its exhaust would begin to smell like varnish. I mean, exactly like varnish. When Mrs. G. told me over the phone, I'm thinking, sure, varnish. But damnit if she ain't right! I've caught wind of this before ( :gomer: ), but never to this strength. It's freaky varnish smelling!

So, is the minivan going to 'splode? It's pretty new, 2001. Fuel injected V-6.

Obviously, run the gas dry and try again, but has anyone had this happen? Is there something wrong? $imple to fix? Polution crap?

I can't imagine that someone put something in the gastank (although it doesn't lock in any manner :shakehead) since everybody loves me. 'Cept the wife. And the kids. And the neighbors.

I ain't gonna ask the dog.

Any ideas?

Sort of a sweet smelling varnish-like thing. The condensation that dripped out after running it and getting a bit of CO poisoning didn't smell. At least, at my self-induced diminished brain function, it didn't.

Anyone that sends me that strange pic of the guy dressed festively trying to do interesting things to his car's tailpipe will be hunted down, and, well, just hunted down.

Prolly buy you a beer. But not an import. Bastage.

[racer2c]

What a cowinkydink. Just today my wife asked me to call the dealer because she smelled "rotten eggs" when putting groceries in the back of our 2003 Town and Country (it was idling) the service guy said "that means the catalytic is working." :saywhat:

[G.]

Yeah, but this isn't rotten eggs. The is varnish, a solvent.

[indyfan31]

What a cowinkydink. Just today my wife asked me to call the dealer because she smelled "rotten eggs" when putting groceries in the back of our 2003 Town and Country (it was idling) the service guy said "that means the catalytic is working." :saywhat:
I had an '83 Mustang GT that did just that, it meant the mixture was too rich. I'd adjust it (Holley carb) and the smell would immediately go away.
I don't think it means the Cat is working, I think it means it's working too hard.

G. While I can't be positive, I'm inclined to think you're problem is something similar: fuel/air mixture and the emissions system reacting to it.
Either that, or someone put something stinky in your tank. :)

[Gnam]

I have three ideas:
* old gas
* unburnt gas
* plastic bag stuck under the car

Sounds like the van hasn't been sitting around, so the old gas would've had to come from the gas station or the old lady's car down the street you siphoned it from...not likely.

The plastic bag theory is an easy check. "g. crawl under the car and see if you see anything."

The unburnt gas has three causes:
* too much gas
* too little air
* not enough spark

Could be broken injectors, a plugged air cleaner, or a failing alternator/coil. Have you noticed a drop in fuel efficiency?

[anait]

Ah, car smells. Love 'em. :D

Never had that with our van's exhaust, sorry. However - if you ever notice a chocolate bar scent emanating from your interior air vents, making you wonder if the kids stashed the leftover Halloween treats, check for rodents instead. At the shop we discovered the fan thing-y (yeah, yeah) stuffed full of shredded chocolate bar, candy, and hamburger wrappers. Nice big mouse nest. And the following year, they transferred cups and cups of bird seed into the van's air system...and the seeds sprouted. Smelled like bad bean sprouts before we cleaned it out...

[Easy]

This thread title reminded me of the meat smoking thread.

[Methanolandbrats]

Is it a domestic? Smell does'nt matter if it's an 01 Ford. Head gasket will blow any day. If it's a Dodge, transmission will puke soon. GM? You're lucky it's run this long. I would'nt worry about the smell.

[Audi_A4]

hmmmmm your rear end smells

[racer2c]

I had an '83 Mustang GT that did just that, it meant the mixture was too rich. I'd adjust it (Holley carb) and the smell would immediately go away.
I don't think it means the Cat is working, I think it means it's working too hard.

G. While I can't be positive, I'm inclined to think you're problem is something similar: fuel/air mixture and the emissions system reacting to it.
Either that, or someone put something stinky in your tank. :)

Smart thinking. On this computer controlled, fuel injected engine I 'll have them check the fule mapping and throttle body / sensors.

[Gangrel]

Is it a domestic? Smell does'nt matter if it's an 01 Ford. Head gasket will blow any day. If it's a Dodge, transmission will puke soon. GM? You're lucky it's run this long. I would'nt worry about the smell.

lmao When I first read this, I misread on dodge for some reason and thought you said radiator (don't ask, long day). I was going to correct you that in my experience it has been the trannies on the Chryslers. Then I reread and realized that's what you said!

'91 Voyager - three trannies before 1999 with just over 80k miles... :D

Hate to say it guys, but Toyota hasn't let me down yet....

[B3RACER1a]

First off, have you noticed any increase in fuel consumption? My guess would be yes if you have had time to notice it. I know it just started smelling, so you might not have noticed. You can hear how a motor is running, and they sound different when they are rich or lean, expecially in low RPM's.

An engine running rich can smell a lot like varnish. First, run some injector cleaner through it. If that doesnt fix it, I'm 99% sure its a sensor of some kind sensor, for exmple an O2 or Mass air flow sensor. A bad sensor would explain the sudden change, and condition it is running in. A lot of CPU's have a "safe" mode where is a sensor or something goes out, they'll switch to the safe mode and the engine will still run. On our Formula SAE car, the cpu will do this. On a mass production normal cpu, not sure...lol.

Anyways, I would say with 99% certainty its an O2 or mass air flow sensor.

[CARTNUT]

Oh! That varnish smell from the exhaust means it's time to trade it in.
Besides, the new ones have those ultra cool disappearing fold-down seats that you can stash little kids in when they're bad. ;)

[racer2c]

Oh! That varnish smell from the exhaust means it's time to trade it in.
Besides, the new ones have those ultra cool disappearing fold-down seats that you can stash little kids in when they're bad. ;)

rented a 'stow and go' Town and Country before we bought ours and you are right, it was very cool.

[cart7]

oops, thought this was a new chili thread. :gomer:

[oddlycalm]

oops, thought this was a new chili thread. :gomer: Yeah, G. is a seasoned professional who knows who he's dealing with... :D

oc

[TravelGal]

Ah, car smells. Love 'em. :D

Never had that with our van's exhaust, sorry. However - if you ever notice a chocolate bar scent emanating from your interior air vents, making you wonder if the kids stashed the leftover Halloween treats, check for rodents instead. At the shop we discovered the fan thing-y (yeah, yeah) stuffed full of shredded chocolate bar, candy, and hamburger wrappers. Nice big mouse nest. And the following year, they transferred cups and cups of bird seed into the van's air system...and the seeds sprouted. Smelled like bad bean sprouts before we cleaned it out...

Reminds me of when the motor quit for the Soft Tub (soft sided spa--runs on 120 v, has a top to keep in heat). We took it in and they said it was packed with crickets. :shakehead

/end hijack

[G.]

Thanks to those with suggestions, and LMFAO to those with comments of the less-than-helpful variety! :laugh: OC, if it was beer-drinking time, the bill for the new keyboard would be in the mail. :gomer:

Checked the airflow: looks ok, even though the Mrs. G. ran the van through the mudflats of Illinois and covered the van with gloop (don't ask). Aircleaner is still white. Check.

Put some injector cleaner into the tank (over 3/4 full ) and drove like an idiot for a bit to stir it up.

I'll be damned if that didn't seem to help! Smells more like regular exhaust now. This makes me very suspicious, since running the thing for 20 mins. should not really give the solvent a chance to get to work. Half a tank, maybe.

Anyway, since I've been sniffing exhaust all afternoon, perhaps my varnish senses are diminished. I shall wait until my color vision returns, then I'll check again.

Thanks to all.

[Methanolandbrats]

Put some injector cleaner into the tank (over 3/4 full ) and drove like an idiot for a bit to stir it up.

I'll be damned if that didn't seem to help! again.
Yup, the old Italian Tuneup. Once it's warm, just run it at redline for three minutes. That burns up the carbon and other crap in the motor. Usually clears up drivability problems. And if you have a bad head gasket, weak valve spring or some other problem, it helps pinpoint that too :D

I've got a question, if your car runs fine, WTF difference does it make what the exhaust smells like :confused:

[manic mechanic]

Thanks to those with suggestions, and LMFAO to those with comments of the less-than-helpful variety! :laugh: OC, if it was beer-drinking time, the bill for the new keyboard would be in the mail. :gomer:

Checked the airflow: looks ok, even though the Mrs. G. ran the van through the mudflats of Illinois and covered the van with gloop (don't ask). Aircleaner is still white. Check.

Put some injector cleaner into the tank (over 3/4 full ) and drove like an idiot for a bit to stir it up.

I'll be damned if that didn't seem to help! Smells more like regular exhaust now. This makes me very suspicious, since running the thing for 20 mins. should not really give the solvent a chance to get to work. Half a tank, maybe.

Anyway, since I've been sniffing exhaust all afternoon, perhaps my varnish senses are diminished. I shall wait until my color vision returns, then I'll check again.

Thanks to all.

G,

With you not giving me more info other than the year and engine type, I can't/couldn't be more specific, but if it does turn out to be the fuel, replace the fuel filter. When impurities cause tailpipe odors, there are often other types of debris that the filter catches, and if they restrict the fuel flow to the engine it can burn up the fuel pump (not a fun job to change one because it's probably inside the fuel tank).

Next time you fill up, get a bottle of Chevron Techron additive (unless you fill it with Chevron fuel) and run half the bottle in the full tank. Stash the other half and use it about 5 tanks later. I know very well how bad fuel can mess with you (we had that problem in San Jose last year and it fouled out an injector so badly that I had to change it just to get the car home on all 4 cylinders), so if the van acts differently after the smell is gone have someone scan the system (I do it for friends and family members when I can scam the scanner from work) to make sure nothing suffered due to contamination.

good luck,

manic

A sensor problem will usually light the SES warning (Service Engine Soon or Check Engine) when the computer goes to "limp-in" mode

[B3RACER1a]

You're probably right with the light thing manic, but when my 02 sensor went out, I didnt have any lights, just twice the consumption...lol...right when gas went to 3.00/gallon.

[G.]

My sense of smell has returned, and the nasty odor is still there, still, there, still there.

The van is a Ford, er., Mercury, hell, it's a Nissan. Mercury's badging of a Nissan Quest.

V6, fuel injected, stinky mofo.

I was wondering too about the SES light. Why doesn't it come on? If it's a fuel injector, or an O2 sensor, I thought the light would come on. (yes, the CE bulb is working :gomer: )

I'll prolly take it into the shop, Wed.

[Methanolandbrats]

Any misfire or rich condition should have turned the CEL on to satisfy OBD 2 emission ****s. Did you check the coolant resevoir to see if it's low. Coolant leaking into the cylinders can cause funny smells.

[G.]

Any misfire or rich condition should have turned the CEL on to satisfy OBD 2 emission ****s. Did you check the coolant resevoir to see if it's low. Coolant leaking into the cylinders can cause funny smells.BITE YOUR TONGUE.


[mumble]headgasketreplacingscaremongermofo[\mumble]

;)

No, It's gaseous, not Peakeous

[Gnam]

You're just driving it wrong. :D