rotten egg smell from car

Many people say that they always smell rotten eggs within 1 minute of starting the car, but there are no bad eggs in the car. Do you always feel that the exhaust from your car smells like rotten eggs, which you can smell every time when the car is just started? In fact, the smell of rotten eggs in the car exhaust is caused by hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust gas. So do you want to figure out why this is happening? Let's take a look at the causes and solutions of bad weird or mildew odors in the car.

Reason Why There Is Rotten Egg Smell From Car

car smells like rotten eggs

Why does the air conditioner in my car often smell like rotten eggs smell when it is turned on, is it time to clean the car? 

Rotten Egg Smell From Car: Why This Happens?

This so-called rotten egg smell is caused by the hydrogenated hydrogen in the vehicle exhaust, which is a relatively common phenomenon. In fact, it is normal to have a little rotten egg smell in the car, which is actually hydrogen sulfide, and the main air pollution caused by car emissions is also this. It is often produced when the car is just started. Because at this time, the working temperature of the three-way catalytic converter is still very low, and the effective working temperature of the three-way catalytic converter is between 400 and 800, so it cannot play a catalytic role below 400 degrees.Since the normal temperature of the three-way catalytic converter has not been reached, it has not played a catalytic role, resulting in a higher content of hydrogen sulfide discharged. The higher the hydrogen sulfide content, the stronger the smell of rotten eggs. At this time, the car emits a high content of hydrogen sulfide, and some gases will enter the car through the air conditioning circulation system. So there is a sulfur smell in the car and it smells like rotten eggs.

How To Deal With The Car Smells Like Rotten Eggs?

If the exhaust gas that lasts for a long time is very smelly, it may be an oil problem, a three-way catalytic converter failure, or an oxygen sensor problem, which needs to be checked and eliminated one by one. Persistent rotten egg smell may also be a problem with your vehicle, and you need to go to a professional car service store for further testing. If you have encountered a similar situation recently, go to the repair shop to check it. It is best to clean the three-way catalytic converter.

Other Reasons That Cause Weird Mildew Rotten Egg Smell From Car

The weird, mildew and rotten eggs smell in the car has always been a problem that plagues consumers, air conditioning smell, leather smell, mat smell, smoke smell, food aftertaste, and all kinds of flavors mixed together even if wearing a mask does not work. In the case of this exposure, harmful gases can also volatilize several times, which may cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulties, and other symptoms. Let's take a look at where the weird odors come from in our car.

1. Air Conditioning Mold

rotten egg smell in car air conditioner

Many car owners report that when the air conditioner is turned on, a sour smell is very uncomfortable to blow in the face, but after a while, this state will be alleviated. In fact, this odor is a sign that the air conditioning filter element needs to be replaced, and the air conditioner has been decomposed by bacteria and caused by mold. If the air conditioning system is not cleaned for a long time, or the air conditioning filter element is not replaced in time, a large amount of dirt and dust will accumulate in the air conditioning filter element and it is easy to breed bacteria in the humid environment. At last, these bacteria mold will produce mildew smell or an odor like soul rotten eggs smell.

2. Mildew Odor Caused by Evaporation Tank

After replacing the air filter, the odor is still not alleviated, and this situation points directly to the evaporation box. This is because of the mold in the evaporation chamber. So replacing the cabin air filter element cannot solve the odor, which requires evaporation tank cleaning and air conditioning duct cleaning.

3. Smoking Causes Bad Odors In the Car

how to get rid of smoke smell in car

Many car owners like to smoke, and the cigarette butts in the ashtray in the car are always full. There is always a bunch of cigarette butts from the foot pit. The smell of smoke persists on the interior of the car for a long time, polluting both the interior and the air inside the car. The owner himself in the car can not smell the odor in the car, while other people can feel a disgusting smoke odor in the car. Some women, in particular, are very sensitive to this. 

4. Debris In the Trunk Causes An Rotten Egg Odor

Sometimes the odor in the car is not emitted by the interior of the car but is caused by the owner himself. There have been many similar things that have happened before, and the owner has all kinds of miscellaneous items in the trunk, especially eggs and meat. Eggs are crushed in the trunk, frozen meat is drained from the trunk when it is dissolved, and these things flow in the trunk for a long time, then there is bound to be a pungent odor. That is a really rotten egg smell from your car but not caused by the catalytic converter.

5. Plastic-burned Smell From Exhaust Pipe

car smells like rotten eggs1

Many car owners have reported that their cars have a burning plastic smell, so they began to wonder if there was a place in the car that was burned. But after parking for a while to dry the smell, it disappeared. But it was particularly noticeable when you start to drive the car again. After a full inspection, it was not that there was a problem in the car, but that several plastic bags on the exhaust pipe. Due to the high temperature of the exhaust pipe burning the plastic bag, the odor penetrates into the car. Once the car is extinguished, the car will not have this smell. It is difficult for the owner to detect the bottom exhaust pipe, but the melted plastic on the exhaust pipe must be removed to solve the odor.

6. Interior Materials and Parts Cause Weird Smell in the Car

how to get rid of smell in car

Due to the lack of rigorous manufacturing, scientific environmental protection of interior materials, and odor monitoring process, the interior material parts will release a weird odor in the car; In addition, many car owners like to install a series of adhesive-containing accessories such as seat cushions and foot mats on the car. Most of the adhesives use urea formaldehyde resin paste. So after exposure, these raw materials and accessories may cause the content of toxic gases such as formaldehyde in the air in the car to soar. Especially after the high-temperature weather or sufficient heating in the car, the release speed of the odor will be accelerated. The space in the car is small, so if it is closed for a long time, the odor cannot be excluded from the car in time, which will lead to the accumulation of odor.

7. Exhaust Smell of the Car

rotten egg smell from exhaust

Don't think that car exhaust only pollutes the outside atmosphere, but it will also enter the car during car driving. The slower the speed, the more pollutants are emitted and accumulated, and the more pollutants enter the car. When the windows and air conditioning ventilation system are closed, with the extension of driving time, the concentration of air pollutants in the car will continue to increase. So you will feel a bad smell odor caused by the exhaust.

How To Remove Weird Mildew Rotten Egg Smell From Car?

Through the above content, we have figured out several major sources of bad odors in the car. Weird and mildew or rotten eggs odors in the car can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Let's take a look at some solutions to remove these odors in the car, hoping that can help you.

1. Open the Window to Remove Weird Odors

how to get mildew smell out of car

The most basic way to remove the odor is to open the window for ventilation. You just have to open the windows and let the air inside the car exchange with the air outside. This can not only remove some odors, but also take away a part of the formaldehyde, so in normal times, you can open more windows and doors to let the car breathe. This method is suitable for odors caused by plastic cushions and other plastic products in the car. When the weather is good, park the car in a dry and ventilated place for drying, and the effect of removing odors in the car is immediate. Try not to park the car in a humid place, over time, it will produce a musty smell, which will also affect the service life of the car.

2. Use Activated Carbon to Remove Bad Odor

how to remove smell from car

Activated carbon has always been a relatively recognized air treatment product. It adsorbs pollutants to achieve the purpose of eliminating odors. Moreover, this method is also more convenient, you can just put activated carbon or bamboo charcoal in the car, which is simple and practical, and easy to operate. However, due to the small amount of adsorption of activated carbon, it only has a significant effect on close-range odors. So you need to put some everywhere in the car to make a difference. Activated carbon has a strong effect on the adsorption of odor and formaldehyde, so putting activated carbon packs in the car is a good way to remove weird and mildew odors in the car.

3. Use Fruit to Remove Odors From the Car

my car smells like rotten eggs

Lemons, pineapples, and oranges are all good helpers for deodorization. You can put the lemon slices in the front of the air conditioner and turn on the air conditioner, and soon you will smell the fragrant smell in the car. Or you can directly put their peels in the car. The peel has the effect of absorbing taste and can be used as a natural air freshener. But in the summer, we need to pay special attention to this method. Because the summer temperature is high, if the fruit is placed in the car for a long time, it will be easier to spoil and produce bacteria. Therefore, car owners who use this method must pay attention to taking or replacing fruits in time. This method is suitable for car owners who like to close the windows and it fits for the odor caused by the heat of the plastic and the nasty smell of gasoline.

4. Professional Cleaning of Air Conditioning Systems and Catalytic Converters

Air conditioning pipelines or other components should be regularly checked for debris, dust, or stains. What's more, air conditioning lines should be cleaned regularly with an air conditioning cleaning agent. Clean and replace the air conditioning filter elements regularly to ensure that the air conditioning system is clean enough. At the same time, when there is a rotten egg smell from the car, you should consider cleaning the three-way catalytic converter in time to avoid the continuous generation of rotten egg smell.

5. Use An Car Air Purifier to Get Rid Of Weird Smell From the Car

car air purifier

An air purifier is a reliable method of deodorization. In general, in the new car, the more demanding car owners will choose to install the car air purifier, which can remove the formaldehyde and odor in the car very well. Its principle is to suck the air into the air purifier, and then through the internal filtration equipment, filtering, and then releasing it to ensure that the air is fresh and the formaldehyde is removed. If you want to keep the air in the car clean for a long time, you still need to develop good habits to keep the car clean, and regularly check and replace the cabin air filter. We have selected a car air purifier with a good deodorization effect for you, and you can click the link to buy it. At the same time, you can also take a look at the article we wrote earlier about how to use car air purifier.

In conclusion, the rotten egg smell from car is hydrogen sulfide caused by car emissions. We have also figured out the odor sources in the car and the ways to remove the weird mildew and rotten egg smell from car. For more info about car air quality solutions, you can keep an eye on the updates of Simpure Blog.