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Interior & ExteriorDiscussions about the interior, and exterior of your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "What's that smell?", within the Interior & Exterior forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
We test drove a couple trucks.. Some have that sulfer smell and other's didn't. The dealer said that it's a coating they put on the exhaust that burns off in about 50 miles but I've read it has something to do with the cat.. If it's in the cat then shouldn't all of the trucks smell? Anyone out there have a truck that doesn't smell like rotten eggs? Was this corrected in the 2004?
We test drove a couple trucks.. Some have that sulfer smell and other's didn't. The dealer said that it's a coating they put on the exhaust that burns off in about 50 miles but I've read it has something to do with the cat.. If it's in the cat then shouldn't all of the trucks smell? Anyone out there have a truck that doesn't smell like rotten eggs? Was this corrected in the 2004?
Since 2003 Toyota has gone to a higher emissions standard. The smell may not occur with all Sequoias since it will happen more on hills and lower RPM, and the quality / brand of fuel can effect it also.
There is some burn off on exhaust / engine smell, but not rotten eggs...that is the sulfer in the fuel.
Since 2003 Toyota has gone to a higher emissions standard. The smell may not occur with all Sequoias since it will happen more on hills and lower RPM, and the quality / brand of fuel can effect it also.
There is some burn off on exhaust / engine smell, but not rotten eggs...that is the sulfer in the fuel.
Kevin
After 20 years in the exhaust business here is what I believe to be the correct answer to this problem. FUEL. In the refining prosess the last and final phase is the reduce the sulfer in the fuel. This is only done on 93 octane and higher. While the recommended ratings are fine for your truck, if the sulfer smell does occur, you can get rid of it by running a few tanks of 93 through your engine. And no, contrary to popular belief, it is not the converter making this smell.
Hope this helps.
After 20 years in the exhaust business here is what I believe to be the correct answer to this problem. FUEL. In the refining prosess the last and final phase is the reduce the sulfer in the fuel. This is only done on 93 octane and higher. While the recommended ratings are fine for your truck, if the sulfer smell does occur, you can get rid of it by running a few tanks of 93 through your engine. And no, contrary to popular belief, it is not the converter making this smell.
Hope this helps.
I agree with the fuel part, but not that a couple tanks of 93 oct will rid it. He test drove BRAND NEW Sequoias that had the smell. There should be nothing to get rid of unless it's the fuel in the tank smelling...not some type of build up odor as you seem to suggest.
Changing brands of fuel, or running mid grade can help also. Running Chevron mid grade (89 oct.) in my 03 Tundra helps...but towing boat up hill, I still can get a whiff now and then.
I agree with the fuel part, but not that a couple tanks of 93 oct will rid it. He test drove BRAND NEW Sequoias that had the smell. There should be nothing to get rid of unless it's the fuel in the tank smelling...not some type of build up odor as you seem to suggest.
Changing brands of fuel, or running mid grade can help also. Running Chevron mid grade (89 oct.) in my 03 Tundra helps...but towing boat up hill, I still can get a whiff now and then.
Kevin
As I stated, running 93 octane will get rid of the smell. You don't know what type of fuel is in the truck right now. You don't believe that the factory puts in the most expensive fuel they can into the thousands of cars coming off the line do you.
Alot of my competitors would love people to buy a new converter for a few hundred dollars to get rid of this smell but 99% of the time the 93 octane trick has worked for me and my customers. It is a matter of how the exhaust is reacting to the platinum, rhodium and paladium within the converter that causes this smell. When the converter fires over at about 1200 degrees, it is not getting a clean burn.
Look, what can it do to try my system but maybe save a few hundred dollars and an annoying smell. Good luck.
My '03 has the smell, too. I ride around a lot with the sunroof back and the back window down, so every time I get on it I get a strong smell of sulfer for about 10 seconds. I've never experienced anything like this on any of the other vehicles I've owned. Guess I'll try running a few tanks of 93 to see what happens.
Just FYI - I've been running Shell/Texaco 87 octane. A while back, I heard some cool-weather pinging in the upper RPM range, so I switched to medium grade gas. The ping didn't go away, nor did the smell. Maybe the 93 will cure it.
I always run 93 octane in my wife's truck.. A while back a mechanic told me that anything less is dirtier fuel. Pay it at the pump or pay him later on to fix it was his story. A few extra bucks each time was worth piece of mind.. My truck is a diesel.. Don't get too many choices when filling her up truck..
the sulfur specs in regular 87 octane gasoline are the same as for mid-grade (91) and premium (92/93)... don't let anyone tell you differently. Different brands of gasoline can make a difference as different companies do have variations on blendstocks available. But just because you buy gasoline at a Chevron or BP or Exxon station, in no way guarantees that you are buying gasoline made at their refinery. There is so much inter-company trading that goes on, as well as mixing in common pipelines that most of the time the brands get thoroughly mixed before it ever hits the pump. All the fuel has to do is meet the fed or state-specific fuel regs as well as have a minimum FON octane number as listed on the pump. But even buying from the same gas station from week-to-week in no ways guantees that you are buying gas made from the same blending components, let alone the same refinery.
We test drove a couple trucks.. Some have that sulfer smell and other's didn't. The dealer said that it's a coating they put on the exhaust that burns off in about 50 miles but I've read it has something to do with the cat.. If it's in the cat then shouldn't all of the trucks smell? Anyone out there have a truck that doesn't smell like rotten eggs? Was this corrected in the 2004?
yeah, i remember a lot of folks complaining about the rotten egg smell, but to be honest i've never had the problem on my '01. unless i just like the smell of rotten eggs. but yeah, it does seem like only some are affected.
They instruct the service center to tell the owner to find a new place to buy fuel.
Probably a sign that you should. Given that fuel injection systems tend to fail quicker based upon fuel quality. If your fuel supplier has less than sweet smelling fuel, this may be a reason to find another supplier. Because there may be other issues with his fuel that will cost you later.
The sulfur and occasional ammonia smell is from the exhaust, and it comes in through a leak in the cabin somewhere in the back. I get a huge blast of it when I am accelerating uphill at highway speeds with air-recirc on. Need to roll down the windows some times.
It's "normal" to the exhaust depending on the gasoline, but the leak into the cabin is NOT normal and Toyota should have a fix for that.
I had a 2000 tundra 4.7 and never had the smell and I was hard on the gas pedal but I now have a 2001 sequoia and just the slightest romp will send that smell through out the cab. I usually have my border collie riding in the back and the first time I could smell it I thought it was my dog.
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What's that smell?
but yeah, it does seem like only some are affected. 
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