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Bad egg/sulphur smell after starting the engine

  • Thread starter Gazbibelots1860
  • Start date
Gazbibelots1860

Gazbibelots1860

VIP Member
Messages
75
Location
Bristol
Vehicle
T5 SE 140
Hi, we’re in France atm, we noticed after one of our first stays for a few nights that when starting the engine and idling or driving for. Few miles that we get a really bad rotten egg Sulphur smell. After stopping the engine it lingers. Seems to be worse when stood near the sliding door, opened the bonnet and doesn’t smell in the engine, opened the leisure battery hatch, all looks normal and no smell.

I read it could be a cat converter failing but my garage tells me that only really happens with petrol cats. He said could be one of the batteries over charging.

Just wondering if we can get by til we get home, should we disconnect the leisure battery maybe?!

The digital display this morning on starting up was reading 14V and 4A.

We’ve been mainly plugged into electric most of the time.

Any ideas welcome! ThNks
 
Gazbibelots1860 said:
Hi, we’re in France atm, we noticed after one of our first stays for a few nights that when starting the engine and idling or driving for. Few miles that we get a really bad rotten egg Sulphur smell. After stopping the engine it lingers. Seems to be worse when stood near the sliding door, opened the bonnet and doesn’t smell in the engine, opened the leisure battery hatch, all looks normal and no smell.

I read it could be a cat converter failing but my garage tells me that only really happens with petrol cats. He said could be one of the batteries over charging.

Just wondering if we can get by til we get home, should we disconnect the leisure battery maybe?!

The digital display this morning on starting up was reading 14V and 4A.

We’ve been mainly plugged into electric most of the time.

Any ideas welcome! ThNks
Click to expand...

Sounds like you could do without the extra batt if you are not running the fridge.
Rotten smell could also be an egg or other beast got traped and the slitly got cooked. Maybe possible you can’t see it stuck there. Or even one of the pipes in the engine bay got cooked. Some of them contain fish oil when manufactured. But just guessing here.
 
Do you have the fan blowers on or off when you smell it? See if it presents with the fan speed set to off front and back.
 
Have you emptied the waste water, that can smell in the heat??
 
Thanks for all these. The battery only powers the fridge when we’re either moving, or temporarily disconnected from EHU, all other times we’re plugged in.

Can’t see it being food trapped, and it’s not a fishy smell, definitely sulphur.

And it definitely happens when we start running the engine and ligers for a bit afterwards, don’t tend to smell it when we’re well into a journey
 
I would ask a local garage to have a look under the car. Maybe nothing. Like you said looking from the top down in de engine bay maybe nothing to see or smell. Could come feom underneath somewhere
 
Gazbibelots1860 said:
Thanks for all these. The battery only powers the fridge when we’re either moving, or temporarily disconnected from EHU, all other times we’re plugged in.

Can’t see it being food trapped, and it’s not a fishy smell, definitely sulphur.

And it definitely happens when we start running the engine and ligers for a bit afterwards, don’t tend to smell it when we’re well into a journey
Click to expand...
Check the temperature of each Leisure battery , by hand will do.
If one is hotter than the other, disconnect the hottest one. Just disconnect either the +tve or -tve terminal. -tve terminal is easiest.
If you disconnect the +tve terminal make sure you isolate from the body work.
 
As your dealer said it was usually linked to petrol cars with the Catalyser not up to full working temperature.

Different thought, have you checked for cracked EGR pipe?
 
B J G said:
As your dealer said it was usually linked to petrol cars with the Catalyser not up to full working temperature.

Different thought, have you checked for cracked EGR pipe?
Click to expand...

Does this not mean you lose power when driving to?
 
temporarysecretary said:
Do you have the fan blowers on or off when you smell it? See if it presents with the fan speed set to off front and back.
Click to expand...
Did you try this one?

Bacteria in the AC or cabin filter could answer it and be made to present itself or get worse going to France where it is likely more humid.
 
DevillBelgium said:
Does this not mean you lose power when driving to?
Click to expand...
Not if a hairline crack shown by sooty deposit around crack.
Crack usually at 'bellows/flexi part of pipe.
If a major split then engine emissions orange light comes on
 
High likelihood of a shorted cell in one of your batteries which causes the other cells to overcharge.
 
Thanks.

If it’s an egr pipe, not sure where I’ll find this, there is some corrosion on the exhaust box that’s in the middle of the van underneath, which is also where the smell is strongest (near sliding door), could that be the culprit?!

Will look into disconnecting the leisure battery, we only have one
 
Update, I feel like I can smell it in the living space even though the engine’s been stopped for a while, maybe it is a drain issue (though no idea why that would flare up when the engine starts?!) or maybe the leisure battery, though there was no prominent smell when I sniffed inside the hatch
 
Hope you find it soon and your vacation does not get the same smell
Looks like there are more willing to help out here.
 
Gazbibelots1860 said:
Update, I feel like I can smell it in the living space even though the engine’s been stopped for a while, maybe it is a drain issue (though no idea why that would flare up when the engine starts?!) or maybe the leisure battery, though there was no prominent smell when I sniffed inside the hatch
Click to expand...
Exactly what vehicle do you have?
You mention drains , well only the SE full camper has that and also has 2 leisure batteries but you said you only have 1 leisure battery.
 
WelshGas said:
Exactly what vehicle do you have?
You mention drains , well only the SE full camper has that and also has 2 leisure batteries but you said you only have 1 leisure battery.
Click to expand...
It’s a 2011 California SE, as far as I knew there was just one battery, located under the wardrobe
 
Gazbibelots1860 said:
It’s a 2011 California SE, as far as I knew there was just one battery, located under the wardrobe
Click to expand...
Check under the front passenger seat. There should be a battery there as well.
It will be covered by a rubber fitted cover. Move passenger seat full forward and look under seat from behind.
 
WelshGas said:
Check under the front passenger seat. There should be a battery there as well.
It will be covered by a rubber fitted cover. Move passenger seat full forward and look under seat from behind.
Click to expand...
Thanks, quite right there IS a battery there, we’re on EHU at the mo and no distinct smell or heat coming from it, a lingering smell generally in and around the van though, engine’s been off for a good few hours now.
 
Pretty sure this is the battery, someone is testing it for me, does anyone know what the multi meter should say if it’s good and what is should say if it’s a bad battery? Also, if it is dead, anyone have any instructions on how to disconnect and remove it (either the one I’m under the passenger seat, or the one in the boot) so we can remove it and drive home safely? thanks
 
See post #7 from WelshGas:
Just disconnect either the +tve or -tve terminal. -tve terminal is easiest.
If you disconnect the +tve terminal make sure you isolate from the body work.
 
Tested the leisure batteries, both measured 12.64 which seems fine to me?!
 
Gazbibelots1860 said:
Tested the leisure batteries, both measured 12.64 which seems fine to me?!
Click to expand...
Just checking that when the the voltage reading was taken the batteries were disconnected from the van. Ie the Earth taken off both and also the hook up disconnected (although taking off the earths will stop the charger) - as @yossarian states also wait a while for the surface charge to dissipate. As multiple people have stated if you do disconnect the positives cables they must be isolated as the other leisure battery will keep the camper power 12v live, if both batteries disconnected the hookup charger will be suppling 12v, and with the engine running the van normal battery and alternator will be feeding the camper power
 
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