A Smell U Can Taste

[inais]

hey again all..

Curious - i noticed a few times when idling for a lengthy period (like dropping someone off) that a strange smell, kind of like stale airfrshner/cigarette comes out of my car, and you can pretty much taste it - a few people have said my car stinks. I put it down to the E10 i was running it on, but could it be something else?

[acarmody]

Maybe your car stinks no I joke. If it was the E10 then the smell would be coming from exhaust so check there.

[inais]

lol. It could be the smelly kid.

Could usually smell it with the windows down.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

How long has it been since the ventilation filter has been replaced?

[inais]

I didnt even know there was a ventilation filter - I've had the car for 2 years, hasnt been done since I got it.

I just googled o2 sensors after reading the other thread, and a symptom of theirs is a weird smell.


Where abouts is this ventilation filter, and does it stink the outside of the car or the in?

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

It will smell in the car.

A smell as a result of a faulty O2 sensor means the air/fuel ratio is changing. The PCM is changing the fuel trims to try to compensate for a bad sensor.

[inais]

would the smell of an o2 sensor be this stale?

my gf's dad was standing 10 or so metres away from the car an said it stinks, so its travelling a fair distance. only really on idle is it noticed by me though

[greenacc]

if its noticeable 10 metres away it has to be exhaust or engine related, not the cabin filter or rotten hamburger .. O2 sensors sound like the go. Check your error codes and see if they confirm it.
E10 would not do this, it burns cleaner than normal petrol.

[inais]

Engine code have been checked quite a few times over the last week.
Have had these variables

Code 76 Air Fuel Ratio mixture between left and right banks
code 64 LH Oxygen sensor lean

and most recently Code 42 Electronic Spark Timing bypass circuit fault.

All these after a degrease. I have written my problems in many threads.

WOuld the oxygen sensor be causing the code 42?

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

No. It would most likely be the knock sensor. This may cause the other codes though as it alters timing and can affect AFR's through incomplete combustion.

[inais]

Hmm, sounds like this degrease killed everything.
where do i find the knock sensor?

Im going to test the ignition coils and cable with a multi and see if ive somehow shorted them with the degrease.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

The knock sensor is on the RHS of the engine under the exhaust manifold.

[inais]

OK. So it would be easier to get to from under the car?

Is there a way to test it?

[tt460]

Would you say it smells like someone has done a fart ?

If so it could be a high level of sulphur in the fuel you are using

[inais]

Would you say it smells like someone has done a fart ?

If so it could be a high level of sulphur in the fuel you are using

no man, not a farty sulfur smell.
Smells stale. Kind of like if you locked a smoker in a room, then sprayed some freshner in there with them. and came back to check on them 2 smokes or so later.

You can taste it on the back of your tongue - the smell is really hard to put a finger on as ive never smelt something like it.

[VPplayer]

My mums car had a dirty fishy smell when she first got it. It was realy bad and you couldnt sit in there without the window open. We steam cleaned the whole interior and boot and the smell never came back... or you can just hang them little tree air fresheners everywere.

[Nanos]

its not on gas is it???

[inais]

nah, not on gas

[inais]

The knock sensor is on the RHS of the engine under the exhaust manifold.

ive got 2 knock sensors if i have found the right part. 2 well hidden and hard to reach plugs under the exhaust mani's.either side.

they seem a little hard to get to with a hose, or anything really. question though - wouldnt a faulty knock sensor, or wiring make it run bad all the time?

its a little rough on no accelerator idle, but not remarkably, its only really rough on low revs and in gear - if u give it a bit, it pops, backfires, hesitates then it will run with a small miss. Out of gear it seems to go ok, except for when u put the accel on quickly, then it will hesitate.