Why Does My Car Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

Do you smell like a rotten egg every time you start driving? You might be smelling hydrogen sulfide, the fuel of a vehicle that converts into sulfur dioxide, leading to a bad odor.

Your sense of smell is a crucial factor that you should not ignore. It is an important sense in the context of car ownership because it can alert you to many dangerous malfunctions and breaks in your vehicle. 

In this article, we will dig deeper into the main causes of rotten egg car smell and ways to fix the issue.

Not only this, we will figure out whether this smell is dangerous for your health or your car’s performance.

Reasons Why Your Car Smells Like Rotten Eggs

There are a few systems that you must check out from time to time after getting the vehicle’s general cleanliness.

The rotten egg smell results from sulfur gases that are present in the vehicle from the engine bay when the air conditioner is on.

  • Problem With the Fuel System

As the fuels contain hydrogen sulfide, a substance acts like rotten eggs. If there is a problem in the fuel system, it can exhaust toxic gasses.

The gas is harmless and odorless that may be released from fuel pressure sensors or fuel filters. But, excess leakage can cause serious fire hazards as it accompanies a gasoline smell.

  • Transmission Fluid

Keeping the transmission fluid for a long duration without changing it during service can start producing a foul smell of burning and combustion. 

In most severe cases, the fluid burns when it comes in contact with the other hot components present in the engine.

  • Leakage in Car Battery

Sometimes, car batteries start leaking with acid, which means the battery is frozen or overcharged. It may also happen due to mechanical defects or electrical issues.

The dangerous acid can even burn the skin you get in touch with, so you should address it with the help of an expert.

  • Broken Catalytic Converter

The catalytic converter converts the stinky gasses into non-stinky ones. Thus, it is crucial to check it out from time to time and get it fixed in case of issues.

If the catalytic converter is broken or damaged, it will not perform its job and sometimes be a fire hazard. 

  • Dirty Fuel Filter

A fuel filter helps prevent dirt and other particles from entering the fuel system. If it is dirty, the deposits get up on the filter, failing the pressure sensor.

It is crucial to fix it as it may be hazardous and exhaust byproducts and unpleasant smells.

Right after feeling the unpleasant smell, you should take your car for a quick checkup to identify the cause of the problem. Remember that issues vary in severity, time, and cost of the problem.

Is the Smell Dangerous for Your Health?

Yes, any kind of smell from your car can be dangerous for your health if you breathe it. This is because breathing or getting in contact with hydrogen sulfide is harmful. 

These problems can create issues with a person’s health in terms of dizziness, breathing difficulty, coms, and even death in the cases of prolonged exposure to the odor. 

The leakage of sulfuric acid in the car can cause severe chemical burns in the body in the areas where it gets spilled. 

These dangerous malfunctions in cars can create serious complications that we should avoid. It exhausts fumes that cause major issues with the health and are toxic for the lungs.

Will it Hinder Your Car’s Performance?

Sometimes, a normal smell or problems with the catalytic converter causes no harm to the car, and one can drive it indefinitely to anywhere he wants to.

But, this is not something one should do because problems multiply, and the chances of severity create more problems if you ignore them.

A leaking battery can damage other engine components as the acid spilling from the battering can damage the metal and plastic till the end.

Also, overheating other components can lead to a car fire that is life-threatening to a significant extent.

Thus, it is advisable to always look into what is wrong with your vehicle and not ignore it in any case. The more you ignore it, the more severe it becomes, which will be difficult to control later.

How can you fix the Issue?

Of course, you cannot fix the technical issues of the car on your own. Here are some of the steps that you can go with to get rid of the rotten egg-like smell from your car.

  • Let the fresh air come inside by opening the car’s windows for a long time. 
  • Check out if there is anything left out below or behind the seats. Maybe some leftover food particles are smelling bad.
  • If you find nothing, take your car for deep cleaning from inside and outside.
  • If the smell persists, you should consult the mechanic to first identify the cause of the problem. 
  • Then, you need to check out whether to repair or replace the faulty component.

After this, you are good to go and drive with no worries at all! 

Final Thoughts

Regardless of where the toxic odor is coming from, the exhaust fumes in the car can show a serious problem with your vehicle.

The problem can be harmful to your health and the functioning of the car. Inhaling hydrogen sulfide or coming into contact can be very toxic.

Skin problems, dizziness, lung infection, and other symptoms that arise through hydrogen sulfide can harm your central nervous and respiratory systems in the worst possible way.

Take your car to a car repair shop for accurate monitoring of the car from time to time. It will solve the problem, and you can relax the car’s performance and health.

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About the author

I have always been a shopaholic. A lot of times my questions went unanswered when it came to retail questions, so I started Talk Radio News. - Caitlyn Johnson

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