Rotten eggs!!

Phantom

Senior Member
T6 Pro
Hi Everyone and hope people camping are having a good time!!

After some advice please as this cannot continue!! About 6 weeks ago I filled up my 102 (Remapped) 16 plate (Euro 5 no adblue), 34k miles T6 in a petrol station I have never used before some way from home and 20 mins later the smell of rotten eggs started! I blamed the Ford Transit in front but after it turned off soon realized in was my van! I thought it must have been bad fuel and and slowly the smell disappeared after most of the fuel had been consumed! Ok so in the last six weeks I have filled up again twice and no smell so all seemed ok!

Last Friday I went to my usual petrol station but they had no fuel due to the pingdemic and driver shortage so nearest fix was Sainsbury's, 15 mins later the smell came back with a vengance, its horrendous! Used the van all weekend with windows open and filled up again half the tank I'd used with some expensive fuel but it's still smells like rotten eggs!! It's not as bad but maybe that's just be being positive! No warning lights and will try and get it into the garage shortly........

Could it be the Catalytic converter but why would the smell disappear with different fuel and no other warning signals!!! Could it just be bad fuel but surely not twice!?

Any ideas welcome and if anyone wants to borrow the van and use up this tank of fuel please feel free!!! Any help greatly appreciated! It smells like the science lesson with the bunsen burner when we used to burn stuff I believe Sulphur! Even the dog is moaning let alone the Mrs!

Thank you

Nick
 
Last edited:
Hi.. @Phantom ….Just did a quick Google….everything points to the exhaust/cat system …I’d ask your local exhaust garage to give it a once over :)

Car Advice

Reasons for a rotten egg smell in car​

Emily Jackson, 1 year ago 2 min read
The most likely cause of a rotten egg smell in your car is a broken catalytic converter.
The eggy smell originates from the tiny amount of sulphur which is within your car’s fuel; if the exhaust system is working effectively this smell is not given out as the catalytic converter transforms it into the odourless sulphur dioxide.
However, if the converter breaks or the filters within it wear down, this conversion process cannot take place. Therefore, the smelly egg odour is released. Thus, the smell is the result of an issue with your emissions system.
The solution? It is likely a new catalytic converter which is an expensive job. Sorry! Make sure to have a mechanic inspect your exhaust system to pinpoint the exact issue and carry out the respective repairs.
 
Hi.. @Phantom ….Just did a quick Google….everything points to the exhaust/cat system …I’d ask your local exhaust garage to give it a once over :)

Car Advice

Reasons for a rotten egg smell in car​

Emily Jackson, 1 year ago 2 min read
The most likely cause of a rotten egg smell in your car is a broken catalytic converter.
The eggy smell originates from the tiny amount of sulphur which is within your car’s fuel; if the exhaust system is working effectively this smell is not given out as the catalytic converter transforms it into the odourless sulphur dioxide.
However, if the converter breaks or the filters within it wear down, this conversion process cannot take place. Therefore, the smelly egg odour is released. Thus, the smell is the result of an issue with your emissions system.
The solution? It is likely a new catalytic converter which is an expensive job. Sorry! Make sure to have a mechanic inspect your exhaust system to pinpoint the exact issue and carry out the respective repairs.
I have no idea where you got that information from, but sulphur dioxide is certainly not an odourless gas. It has an awful smell and is sometimes described as 'bad eggs'. Sulphur itself is a yellow solid and this does not have an odour. I know this as I have used it as part of my job. One of the things we did was combine it with iron to get iron sulphide. If you got the mixture wrong with excess sulphur when heating the yellow sulphur melts to a red liquid and then reacts with oxygen to form the sulphur dioxide and bad egg smell.
I suppose we should now really be saying "sulfur".

Edit; Be very careful if you have a strong smell of this and breath it in. Sulphur Dioxide is soluble and will dissolve in the water in your lungs forming sulphurous acid. Nasty.
 
I have no idea where you got that information from, but sulphur dioxide is certainly not an odourless gas. It has an awful smell and is sometimes described as 'bad eggs'. Sulphur itself is a yellow solid and this does not have an odour. I know this as I have used it as part of my job. One of the things we did was combine it with iron to get iron sulphide. If you got the mixture wrong with excess sulphur when heating the yellow sulphur melts to a red liquid and then reacts with oxygen to form the sulphur dioxide and bad egg smell.
I suppose we should now really be saying "sulfur".

Edit; Be very careful if you have a strong smell of this and breath it in. Sulphur Dioxide is soluble and will dissolve in the water in your lungs forming sulphurous acid. Nasty.
That’s enough to put me back on the cigarettes!!!
 
Umm…Should the exhaust /cat be at fault ( Hopefully after an inspection is completed we’ll have the answer ) the cat converts emissions to an excepted level …but if the cat has failed the emissions are stronger… enough that your nose can pickup the stronger odour
odour/odourants particles at very low levels are difficult for the nose to pickup..However at higher levels you start to smell

as example Natural gas is odourless…but they add too it so we can smell when it leaks

simply that article was trying explain you should not smell any odour if all working correctly because the fumes are at a low level..

but thanks for the science lesson
 
The other possibility is an overcharged/dry battery - gives the same smell.
Thank you for all the replies but this man is a genius! It's the leisure battery under my seat! It's not holding charge and just went for a drive and smelt the battery and it's 100% making the smell! Brilliant as camping next week so need to find a battery! Thank you very much as would not of guessed this and would of wasted time having the CAT / EGR checked etc!!! :)
 
Thank you for all the replies but this man is a genius! It's the leisure battery under my seat! It's not holding charge and just went for a drive and smelt the battery and it's 100% making the smell! Brilliant as camping next week so need to find a battery! Thank you very much as would not of guessed this and would of wasted time having the CAT / EGR checked etc!!! :)
I’d be checking your leisure battery charging arrangements to find out why it’s being overcharged before dropping a new one in.
 
Thank you for all the replies but this man is a genius! It's the leisure battery under my seat! It's not holding charge and just went for a drive and smelt the battery and it's 100% making the smell! Brilliant as camping next week so need to find a battery! Thank you very much as would not of guessed this and would of wasted time having the CAT / EGR checked etc!!! :)
The knowledge on this forum is priceless!
 
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