Jasonfl

Looking to see if anyone else has this problem. Under spirited acceleration onto a highway once up to speed I will experience exhaust smell (rotten egg from catalytic converter) smell come thru my air vents for about 30 seconds then slowly fade away. If I immediately change air setting from recirculate (as it defaults to this every time car is started) to outside air, the smell will go away quickly. Also on the highway under spirited acceleration to pass a vehicle the smell will come back again. Under steady highway speeds, or in town use, unless hard acceleration is involved this will not happen. Brought it to dealership, they cleaned a/c coils, no change. When I went back a second time for same problem they gave ne Service Manager to come for a ride. I showed him and he said he was surprised and had never experienced and was going to have to call Lexus engineers. They have had car for one week still no fix and they have no idea.

jfelbab

Hi Jason and welcome.

I had a similar issue with my 2004 RX 330 when I burned regular grade fuel. When I used premium grade fuel the smell didn't occur. After repeated trips back to the dealership they found a TSIB to fix the incomplete combustion.

Start by using premium fuel, if you are not already, for a couple fills and see if this eliminates the odor. You might also try using a different brand of gas. Try fuel from a Top Tier supplier and see if it makes a difference. (http://www.toptiergas.com) Some vehicles seem more sensitive to sulpher levels in the fuel than others. My 04 was such a vehicle. My 2014 RX runs well on anything.

The smell comes from poorly controlled combustion which pours the remnants of the fuel into the catalytic converter. The responsibility of the cat is to chemically eliminate or reduce the pollution exiting the tailpipe and when it gets more pollutants (mostly sulpher) than it can handle it smells. If the fuel used doesn't fix the issue I'd push Lexus to find the cause for the chronic incomplete combustion. Repeatedly asking the cat to remove large amounts of uncombusted fuel will eventually destroy it. Some things to ask your service tech if they checked are oxygen sensors, fuel injectors, pressure regulators, coolant sensors, spark plugs or anything that might cause the ECM to mis-adjust the combustion.

Jasonfl

Thanks for the info Jim. My 2013 rx350 calls for regular grade fuel. The smell coming in the cabin is exhaust and not unburned fuel smell. My concern is the exhaust is coming thru the air vents. They checked seal around tailgate and concluded tight seal in the back.

jfelbab

OK, but just so I am clear on your issue. A rotten egg smell is not a normal exhaust smell, it is product produced in the cat due to oxidation of the remaining sulphur in the gas. If there is incomplete combustion, this stuff is sent to the cat to clean up and the odor of rotten eggs is produced. Normally, engine exhaust should be nearly odorless.

From your original post it sounded like you are having this issue only during spirited driving and to me this sounds like incomplete combustion leading to the excess sulpher being sent to the cat. Your cabin is not an air tight container. Outside odors will enter the cabin even to some extent when you have the recirculation set to on. Sorry if I mis-read your post. My point was that if the car is running properly and you are burning low sulpher top-tier fuel you should not get a rotten egg odor in the first place. I assume that Lexus has checked for any codes and found none?

Different gasoline manufacturers have differing levels of sulpher remaining in their gas after refining. Sometimes just changing from one brand to another for a couple tanks will eliminate the smell. Top-Tier gas also has lower levels of sulpher, as well as higher levels of detergents and just by choosing one of them may eliminate the odor you are experiencing.

Regardless, let us know how you progress and welcome to the CL forum.

Jasonfl

Thank you for your input some great information there, more info then I get from the dealer. I have a hard time believing I am the first Lexus customer with this issue but was amazed when the Service manager of one of the largest dealers in SE Fl said he had never experienced this complaint before. As most of my driving is highway I achieve a good 24-25 mpg. I meet again with the service manager for another ride today and will keep you posted on the result. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Jason

Jasonfl

Dealer has a few more cars that are having this issue. No idea what causes it. Looking to Lexus for help. looks like another recall is looming in the future.

FLYCT

I had a similar problem with a new Ford Expedition back in 2002. Mine was intermittent. It would develop rotten egg smell. If I turned the car off and started it again it would go away for a while.

First time the dealer told me to switch brand gas.
Second time they replace the Mass Airflow sensor
Third time they replaced the catalytic converters.

After the third time in the shop for the same problem I filed Florida Lemon Law. After filing, the manufacture gets one more shot at fixing it then it goes before the board. Ford stepped up and replaced the truck before they were called to testify.

Here is a link to how The Florida Lemon Law Works

http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/...256cc9005da68a

Good Luck..

Jasonfl

Thanks for your info regarding the Lemon Law in Florida. I did not buy this car it is a CPO vehicle which I purchased with 12000 miles. My fourth CPO purchase as the warranty provides more coverage (to 100k miles)than the new car warranty. I am sure there are more vehicles with this problem out there and maybe the owners have attributed thee intermittent smells to outside environments as the smell will only last during an acceleration period. My dealer has moved very slowly on this and yesterday I contacted the Customer Quality Specialist, the person that emails and calls you with a pre recorded message after a service call to let you know you may be getting a Lexus survey and if you can not give a perfect score then she would like to talk with you first. She is my last stop before I go to Lexus direct. Promised me an answer by Friday. Will keep you posted and thanks for your reply.

Jasonfl

Thanks for the information. I purchased this car with 12k miles on it as a CPO from the Dealer because the CPO warranty is more extensive then a brand new warranty so I am afraid the lemon Law will not work here. The dealer told me yesterday that another customer came in with the same problem and they promised me an answer working with Lexus engineers by Friday 10/23. I think this will end up being another recall for the Lexus vehicles as I have heard of more people with the same problem. Will keep you posted.

lexus114

jasonfl, i have the same problem in my 2015. when i use 89 octane it does not do it. but it doesnt perform as well either..go figure. this seems to be some kind of common problem in toyotas for some reason. lexus corporate and my dealer simply say to switch brands of gasoline until i find one that it doesnt smell on....

Jasonfl

My concern is the smell is carbon dioxide being pumped into the cabin. So even if the smell goes away how do we know that this colorless odorless gas is not being breathed in every mile we drive. I do notice a completely fresher smell when I hit the fresh air button vs the recirculate which the car defaults to every time it is shut off. I just do not have the faith and trust in the manufacturer as I once did to believe them at face value

vlad_a

There's not much you can do about breathing-in carbon dioxide. Even when the engine is off, your body is still generating this stuff each time you exhale.

Jasonfl

Very good, I meant carbon monoxide

JohnLX300

iTrader: (2)

Any update one this I am having the exact same issue. I have a 2010 RX450h. Same exact issue with the rotten egg smell. I posted earlier in the hybrid RX section thinking it may just be a hybrid issue. I bought this vehicle a 62k a little under a year ago and it happen then, and now at 82k it is still happening. I have tried the difference gas, and I only go to Top Tier Gas stations. My car only take premium and this is still an issue. I hope someone may have more information on this!

Jasonfl

Still working on it, Lexus engineers came out test drove car and confirmed my problem and said it was normal to have strong exhaust (they called it sulfur) smells come in the cabin while on the highway with the a/c on recirculate. Sulfur is the by product of exhaust which last I heard was not good for the lungs. When I went to pickup vehicle Director of Customer Service met with me to say the car did not have a problem according to the engineers. I challenged him to come for a ride, he did and was taken back by the problem as he experienced it first hand. He is an ASE Certified Mechanic by trade and spent over 1 hour in a 3 piece suit trying to figure out the problem with no success. He took my issue to the regional office they told him they would not help. I am on my 14th month fighting this and I have an arbitration hearing in mid February to get out of this vehicle. Will keep you posted.