ralphA

so I took the car on a small road trip this weekend and my rear passengers noticed that every time I got on the car a terrible rotten egg smell came thru the rear vents (or so we think that's where it's coming from). I put 93 gas from either shell or Exxon since day one just hit 3200k miles .. anyone every have this problem or idea what it could be. I'm guessing it's the exhaust smell and just a bad batch of gas?

Frank Zappa

Bad passengers......... :-)

AlexIken

Had the same issue with my 2010 E350. Started smelling an awful odor coming from the vents for about 30 seconds after the car was turned on.. (This occurred right after the car was in the shop for major body work due to hail damage, so I am not sure if this had anything to do with it).... turned out the car was in need of a simple air filter replacement. My Mb dealership (MB of Smithtown) replaced for no charge

mb techman

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MBNA109

Wow - big coincidence with you today - I had same issue.
Car is around 4200 miles.

Went out this AM & plugged in the air pump into glovebox...noticed smell since nose was @ passenger vent level.
We don't eat in the car (OCD house rules) so thought it was odd.

After awhile smell dissipated.

Wife got in & I was in driver seat & upon taking off - she noticed it too.

Will bring it in this week & recount MB Techman's comments.

ralphA

thanks for the info guys I'm going to take the car to my dealer here in Queens (helms brothers) hopefully they will take me without an appointment tomorrow morning being that i have a 3 month old mercedes that smells like eggs. will update as soon as I find anything out

venchka

Yikes! Ours is about the same age and also at 4,300+ miles. Fingers crossed that it is an easy fix. Fingers also crossed that it is confined to the Northeast. Grinning.
Standing by.

Wayne

mb techman

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shotgun_banjo

did you ever use your air conditioning? sometimes the bad odor are from molds inside the vents.

ralphA

I didn't even think of the AC. no I've never used it I got the car end of October I'm going to test out the AC see if it smells

N91K

I used to get the same smell from the AC but gradually it stopped

MBRedux

First go buy a different brand of fuel... make sure it's 93 Octane... Then get on the freeway and floor it... keep it there until you have reached your limit.... do this a few times. This heats up the cat(s) real good and will help burn off any contaminants... If the smell continues to be an issue it could be your trim levels are running a bit too rich*... you'll need to have them measured with STAR... or if your car trips any fault codes, it could be a faulty O2 sensor or two. So a trip to the dealer will be your best bet if the above doesn't work.

PS When was the last time it was tuned-up, or had the twin air-filters checked or changed?

venchka

He juist got it in October with just a little over 3,200 miles.
My money is still on the mold/mildew incubater, a.k.a. A/C system and duct work. Especially the contorted ducts in the center tunnel. Based on their shape, they can trap moisture and grow beasties. It has been a relatively warm winter. Perfect for growth. Are the rear vents open so they get good air flow?

Wayne

ralphA

I haven't had anything changed yet but I did notice something else that I never really noticed on my other cars... when I get on it full throttle I see a lot of smoke coming from the rear. even when the car is warmed up.. so much so that it fogs up the outside of my rear window, this happens every single time I get on it.. now on other cars I owned I remember this happening only when it's really cold(obviously) or when I hadn't gotten on the car in a while and it blew out dirt or whatever. so is this or normal?

MBRedux

Yes I know all about that.... but that issue doesn't actually smell like rotten eggs, does it?... It's more like a sewer or fungus stale stench! A Rotten egg smell is usually associated with the catalytic converter issue. There's sulfur in fuel additives; the engine isn't burning it completely and the catalytic converter is storing it. The gas will suddenly release when you apply a heavy load on the engine as more air is forced through the system. The gas is hydrogen sulfide and it usually has a sulfur smell - rotten eggs especially if you drive with the windows open.

Again try switching gas stations, or fuel grades; then try what I said. If the smell is like a mildewy stench, try looking into the AC venting system issue.

iewoals

I'd follow MBRedux's advice. It's most likely the cat converter. Change gas and see if that helps.

venchka

Cloud of smoke: I normally watch the road ahead when passing briskly. Last Saturday, at full throttle, I happend to look in the rear view mirror and saw the same thing. The car had been washed about 2 hours earlier. I thought it might have been water sloshing out from somewhere and hitting the hot exhaust. I will be driving on the highway again in 10 days. I will put the hammer down and report back.
Exhaust stench: I must lead a charmed life. Since 1962, the only exhaust system related foul smell that I have encounted was about 50 pounds of fresh cow pies that got thrown on the exhaust system of a Dodge truck and burned off. I have never had any exhaust smells inside the car in normal operation. What is M-B doing wrong?

Wayne

MBNA109

Yeah - I believe MRedux is correct.
In my case, the smell was like fart.
I recalled bragging to my wife last weekend that the Shell V-Power on I95 we had put in was the best stuff.

Next AM, that unburnt residue was stinky.
Maybe it was a crappy batch from the wholesaler to that Shell station.
Shell has F1 technology in that VPower.

Oh well - back to Sam's & Costco gas for us in town.

venchka

GOOGLE has pages and pages and pages about the rotten egg smell. Most noticeable on start up and standing at the exhauest TIPS outside of the car. This explanation may be the most hopeful:
"As the vehicle is driven, the oxidizing reaction odor in the converter will decrease with mileage and age."

Wayne

420tee

I too have that cloud of smoke on heavy accel. My '65 Pontiac GTO would do that if I ran it through the gears after weeks of normal driving, but it only did it once. After that it ran like a sexually abused ape with just tire smoke in it's wake. I miss that car.

venchka

Let me see if I have this right.
New car. At start up. With the windows open. Or standing at the rear of the car. There may, or may not, be traces of hydrogen sulfide (a.k.a. rotten egg smell) gas. Coming from the exhaust.
Is the smell noticeable with the windows closed? After the car warms up? Can you smell it once moving? Sitting at lights? On the highway at 50 mph+?
Maybe the gasoline in Louisiana & Texas has a lower sulfur content? That might explain why I have never noticed this odor. Combined with starting the car in a garage with the windows closed and promptly backing out and driving away. However, if the hydrogen sulfide were present at start up, some of it would be trapped in the garage. Lisa would smell it and complain. No complaints from her about rotten egg smells in any of our garages since 1978.
Now, the ginormous cloud of blue smoke belched out under full throttle is another story. In my experience that is oil blowing by the rings and burning off in the combustion chamber. Something that my previous vehicles have not done. A condition I would not expect from a so called luxury vehicle. Hopefully the rings will seat soon and the cloud will go away. Keeping an eye on the rear view mirror when the pedal hits the carpet.

Wayne

420tee

I would expect the rings to be seated after 8000 miles.

venchka

Thanks. Noted. I will continue checking the oil to make sure that the loss isn't excessive.

Wayne

420tee

My mechanic, non MB, (full "A" service $125) told me they have noticed with synthetic oil even newer cars tend to burn some off and to be sure to occasionally check the level.

venchka

Our GLK is at the 4,300 + or - mile mark. Very new. Our first Volvo back in the Dark Ages used oil for the first 50,000 miles. Then not a drop thereafter. Monitoring.

Wayne