Car Omitting Sulphur Type Smell.

Either BATTERY being overcharged by ALTERNATOR,

or

Misfiring engine.

Is smell at battery or from exhaust...

If most smelly inside it could also be the heater leaking coolant or a smelly aircon.

Need more input !!

xoom7 formulated the question :

It sounds like it might be the cat burning the pollutants off, if its a petrol engine. Does it clear up on longer faster runs?

Or you've found some high sulpher petrol.

Thus spake xoom7 ( snipped-for-privacy@tiscali.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:

If it "omits" a sulphur smell you've got nothing to worry about.

On the other hand, perhaps you meant to say "emit"...

The cat. Short runs are bad news and it'll smell more. What's it like after a longer run (>40 miles)?

Yeah it comes from the exhaust and from the engine bay. Smell is just as vivid on a 3 mile trip as a 30 mile trip.

It's Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) produced by the catalyser . Usually worse if the car is frequently used for short journeys.

Didn't we get this story/warning when cars first had catalysts?

I thought Hydrogen Sulphide smelt of bad eggs, not of Sulphur?

It is usually described that way, but those unfamiliar with either often misdescribe them.

Pedant :-)

I think Doug should try a different petrol.

Same thing (rotten eggs) happened to my wifes Corsa.

There was nothing to suggest anything major (we'd had CAT / Lambda sensor problems with her previous car) but I checked out the Lambda sensor with a 'scope and it was functioning perfectly.

Eventually the smell went away months ago and hasn't returned.

If it happened again I'd run the car 'till the tank was near empty and fill up elsewhere.

Regards, Neil