jhyphen

So I've been noticing this winter that pretty much after every cold start a weird smell comes through the vents. To me it smells like natural gas, like the type found in some gas heating systems. It tends to go away after about 10mins. It may have also faded in and out once or twice when the car was running for an extended period of time. Anyone else experience this or know what might be the cause?

RyanC

iTrader: (1)

You sure it isn't mildew? It tends to happen to me in the summertime, not the winter - from humidity. The smell goes away real fast for me though - usually within the first minute.

You can ask the dealer to clean the vents usually under warranty... if it is mildew it should clear up.

One way to avoid this is to try not to run the car in recirculate mode - run it in fresh air mode and make sure when you turn off the car it is in fresh air mode (although I believe the GS will do this for you automatically when you turn off the car).

99alta

I think I know the smell your referring to, smells like Mercaptan the stuff that's added to natural gas to give it that nasty smell.

Sounds to me like exhaust gases are getting into your car? Car's with Catalytic converters will smell like that when they run a bit rich, the catalyst will create all kinds of funky smelling chemicals.

I'll often smell it when following another new vehicle up a hill, but have never smelt it coming from my own vehicle as exhaust gas should not be entering your vehicle.

JEFFOS69

iTrader: (1)

I think it could be an unwanted characteristic of this engine. I had the same in my is350 and now in this car. It's very infrequent and when it is it is just after the car has been started up and just starting to be driven. Mostly smelled after driving just after sitting and then you hit a red light or something.

It's most likely rich exhaust coming up. It's not a lot but you just get a bit of the egg smell briefly

PirelliRC

odd smell coming from the A/C huh ? do you fart alot in your car ?

bclexus

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jhyphen

haha funny. I know that smell lol


I just had a 2 hour oil change done at the dealer and now I get a nice burning oil smell coming in through the car. I really can't stand this dealer and will not be returning but thinking I will need to go back to have them fix this issue since they clearly caused it. Only go there because of proximity but I think after this return for their failed oil change attempt I'm going to drive a little further for better service.

PirelliRC

bumping this for jhyphen because someone suggested that his exhaust may be getting in his cabin thats why he might be smelling gas, if so, carbon monoxide is dangerous and deadly, and is a serious matter. jhyphen did you since take it to another dealer or a mechanic to get it checked out ? I use my A/C everyday here in L.A. and i have not encountered anything like that.

bclexus

Too many gas station tacos...

PirelliRC

bclexus this is a serious matter, the booze and naked chicks are in SW13GS celebration thread, thank you kindly

bclexus

Carbon Monoxide has no odor - it is odorless. He may be smelling exhaust fumes, but those fumes are not coming into his cabin through his A/C from his car. Where would the exhaust fumes from his car enter the car's A/C ventilation system when in fresh air mode?

bclexus

So...is the oil smell the same smell you talked about in your first post of this thread on February 27th? Or, do you have two different smells going on at the same time? Or, has the first smell faded away and now the oil smell is the one you are most concerned with?

After an oil change it is common for the service tech to have gotten some engine oil on the exhaust header, which will smell for a few days until it burns off.

PirelliRC

I dont think it can either, the only way would be if the A/C lines or condenser have a leak but you would notice that right away when you turn on the A/C, it won't get very cold

bclexus

Exactly! And in all likelihood any refrigerant leak would be outside the cabin and be leaked to the atmosphere, not inside the car. R-134a is for the most part totally harmless in situations where it is leaked or leaking from a system.

jhyphen

So the oil smell was their fault I guess they didn't do a very good job on the oil change as they refunded my money. They "cleaned up most of it" is what they put down as the resolution i can still smell it but nowhere as bad as before. So that issue was at least identified if not resolved.

The exhaust issue is still happening I have scheduled with another dealer to look at it. They were suggesting a bad fuel source as it is highly unlikely as I use top tier stations and 93 min octane but the smell seems quite noxious. If I put it on inside circulation before it starts I don't tend to smell it.