Help !! - 2004 Accord - Bad Odor

[Shamrock44]

I have a 2004 Accord LX with about 1,400 miles. At times it gives off a powerful odor like rotten eggs or sulfur. I've seen posting on several sites where they say that the company is claiming that this is not a problem. Has anyone else experienced this and had it taken care of by Honda?

I'm taking it in for the airbag recall in a week and plan on having them look at & handle this problem but have heard that the dealers are dancing around it.
What have you experienced?

 

[TeGGeR®]

(Shamrock44) wrote in

I have a 2004 Accord LX with about 1,400 miles. At times it gives off a powerful odor like rotten eggs or sulfur. I've seen posting on several sites where they say that the company is claiming that this is not a problem. Has anyone else experienced this and had it taken care of by Honda?

I'm taking it in for the airbag recall in a week and plan on having them look at & handle this problem but have heard that the dealers are dancing around it. What have you experienced?

This problem occurs because of sulphur in the gasoline.

Eventually the catalytic converter will get coated to the point where the smell goes away, so this problem is self-limiting.

I cannot tell where you're from, but your jurisdiction has relatively lax regulations on sulphur in fuel. Are you in Canada?

Try a different brand of gas. This may get rid of the smell as another brand may use base stocks that contain less sulphur.

I'm surprised the dealer hasn't told you this.

 

[John Ings]

I have a 2004 Accord LX with about 1,400 miles. At times it gives off a powerful odor like rotten eggs or sulfur. I've seen posting on several sites where they say that the company is claiming that this is not a problem. Has anyone else experienced this and had it taken care of by Honda?

This problem is caused by gasoline with a high sulfer content. If you're sure it's coming from your car, change your brand of gas.

" Most gasoline sold in the United States has fairly high sulfur levels. The national average is 350 parts per million (ppm); as much as one-fourth of gasoline has a sulfur level of 500 ppm or higher, according to petroleum industry figures. On the other hand, California, the nation's smoggiest state, now has a statewide sulfur standard of 30-40 ppm. California's standard allows refiners to produce gasoline in batches that meet a sulfur content average of 30 ppm, so that in some cases, sulfur levels in gasoline can be as high as the state's sulfur cap of 80 ppm. Most northeastern states, also suffering from high ozone levels, sell reformulated gasoline with sulfur levels of 150 ppm"

http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/est/98/jun/put.html

Are you sure it's not coming from the car ahead of you? Try putting your ventilation on recirc and see if it goes away.

TeGGer: maybe this should be in the FAQ?

 

[TeGGeR®]

TeGGer: maybe this should be in the FAQ?

Good idea. Will add it.

 

[td]

I have the same problem, my accord 2004 has 4000 mile on it. I live in Chicago area, and I tried different gas from different gas station without any positive results. Dealers are "dancing around it" without giving any sensible explanations. I hope smell will go away soon, my garage stinks really badly . I am taking car to the different dealer, to fix problem with drivers seat, which moves back and forward while stopping or accelerating, I will see what this one say about it.

Also, I have a noise problem with my door or window - rattles and squeaks. This is my first Honda and I don't know what to expect.

Shamrock44 wrote:

I have a 2004 Accord LX with about 1,400 miles. At times it gives off

a

powerful odor like rotten eggs or sulfur. I've seen posting on

several sites

where they say that the company is claiming that this is not a

problem. Has

anyone else experienced this and had it taken care of by Honda?

I'm taking it in for the airbag recall in a week and plan on having

them look

at & handle this problem but have heard that the dealers are dancing

around it.

What have you experienced?

 

[sskbutton]

td wrote:

I have the same problem, my accord 2004 has 4000 mile on it. I live

in

Chicago area, and I tried different gas from different gas station without any positive results. Dealers are "dancing around it"

without

giving any sensible explanations.
I hope smell will go away soon, my garage stinks really badly . I am taking car to the different dealer, to fix problem with drivers seat, which moves back and forward while stopping or accelerating, I will see what this one say about it.

Also, I have a noise problem with my door or window - rattles and squeaks. This is my first Honda and I don't know what to expect.

If its the gasoline as some claim it is very strange that all other new cars and pickups don't have the same problem. Live with it or sell it would be my advice.

 

[John Ings]

If its the gasoline as some claim it is very strange that all other new cars and pickups don't have the same problem.

Some folks noses are more sensitive than others.

 

[TeGGeR®]

I have the same problem, my accord 2004 has 4000 mile on it. I live in Chicago area, and I tried different gas from different gas station without any positive results. Dealers are "dancing around it" without giving any sensible explanations.

The rotten egg smell is caused by the same thing that makes rotten eggs smell like rotten eggs: Sulphur. Only in this case the sulphur is in your fuel.

Eventually the cat will get coated to the point that the smell goes away. Until then you can try different grades and brands of gas in the dim hope of finding one that has less sulphur.

All it means is that your cat is working very, very well, and is attempting to catalyze the sulphur in your gas into sulphur dioxide.

http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/est/98/jun/put.html

This will be added to the FAQ soon...

 

[TeGGeR®]

wrote in

td wrote:

ALL new cars are plagued with rattles, buzzes and squeaks from the interior.

Since automakers have to reallocate their monetary expenditures in order to satisfy regulatory and consumer demands for "safety" and emissions, the money has to come from somewhere. The interior is one convenient place, especially since it is not structural, is subject to few regulations and is sheltered from the weather.

With Honda's stated aim of turning their cars into rolling rubber rooms, expect ever cheaper, flimsier and rattlier cars. I'm hanging on to my '91 as long as I can.

If its the gasoline as some claim it is very strange that all other new cars and pickups don't have the same problem.

Depends on where you live, the mileage on the car, and how perceptive you are.

Live with it or sell it would be my advice.

It will go away. Just wait. This has been going on since monolithic cats became common in the '80s.

 

[Dick]

On 19 Jan 2005 18:49:37 -0800, wrote:

td wrote:
> I have the same problem, my accord 2004 has 4000 mile on it. I live in
> Chicago area, and I tried different gas from different gas station
> without any positive results. Dealers are "dancing around it" without
> giving any sensible explanations.
> I hope smell will go away soon, my garage stinks really badly .
> I am taking car to the different dealer, to fix problem with drivers
> seat, which moves back and forward while stopping or accelerating, I
> will see what this one say about it.
>
...

Back when we had leaded gasoline, a strong smell of sulfur was a clear signal that leaded gas had been used in a car with a catalytic converter, and the converter was toast from the lead. Don't know what component of current blends might do that, but I would sure suspect a bad catalytic converter. For whatever reason.

 

[Tegger (11)]

Dick <LeadWinger> wrote in

Back when we had leaded gasoline, a strong smell of sulfur was a clear signal that leaded gas had been used in a car with a catalytic converter, and the converter was toast from the lead.

That would have nothing to do with it.

Sulphur needs to react with the catalyst in order to create the smell. If the cat's been coated with lead, the sulphur can't get at the catalyst in order to react, so there would be no smell.