2005 Avalon

Love this car but have 1 annoying issue, when under hard acceleration,
the car smells like rotten eggs inside. Tried premium gas, doesn't
matter if I have outside air on or not. Anybody else with this?
Chuck

[email]chumad@cox.net[/email] wrote:
[color=blue]
> Love this car but have 1 annoying issue, when under hard acceleration,
> the car smells like rotten eggs inside. Tried premium gas, doesn't
> matter if I have outside air on or not. Anybody else with this?
> Chuck[/color]

My best guess is that the problem is not the octane of the gas, but the
quality. Try a higher quality gas brand with little to no sulfur in it.

<chumad@cox.net> wrote in message
news:1129132425.830202.72350@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Love this car but have 1 annoying issue, when under hard acceleration,
> the car smells like rotten eggs inside. Tried premium gas, doesn't
> matter if I have outside air on or not. Anybody else with this?
> Chuck
>[/color]

Seems all toyotas do this... my 2003 4runner is REAL bad... but that is my
biggest complaint and i can live with it...

<chumad@cox.net> wrote in message
news:1129132425.830202.72350@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Love this car but have 1 annoying issue, when under hard acceleration,
> the car smells like rotten eggs inside. Tried premium gas, doesn't
> matter if I have outside air on or not. Anybody else with this?
> Chuck[/color]

Toyota TSB EG003-03

Introduction:
Some owners of Toyota vehicles may experience a sulfur like or rotten egg
odor from the exhaust system. Sulfur is a natural component of crude oil
from which gasoline is refined and the amount of sulfur can be decreases
through the refining process. The amount of sulfur in fuel in CA is
regulated, however gasoline sold in other states can have substantially
higher sulfur content. Sulfur content also varies considerably between
gasoline brands and locations.

Applicable vehicles:
All models

Repair procedure:
A sulfur odor emitted from the vehicle tailpipe does not necessarily
indicate that there is an issue with the engine's condition, but is most
likely directly related to the fuel. If the vehicle is exhibiting an
excessive sulfur odor, the following checks should be performed:

If the MIL light is ON, check for DTCs and repair as necessary

If no trouble is found after performing the above check, recommend the
customer try a different source of fuel.

Replacement of oxygen sensors, air/fuel ratio sensors or catalytic
converters will not reduce the odor and therefore will not be considered
warrantable.

Regards,

Ed White

"C. E. White" <cewhite3@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:qUc3f.13893$q1.3192@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
>
> <chumad@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:1129132425.830202.72350@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Love this car but have 1 annoying issue, when under hard acceleration,
>> the car smells like rotten eggs inside. Tried premium gas, doesn't
>> matter if I have outside air on or not. Anybody else with this?
>> Chuck[/color]
>
> Toyota TSB EG003-03
>
> Introduction:
> Some owners of Toyota vehicles may experience a sulfur like or rotten egg
> odor from the exhaust system. Sulfur is a natural component of crude oil
> from which gasoline is refined and the amount of sulfur can be decreases
> through the refining process. The amount of sulfur in fuel in CA is
> regulated, however gasoline sold in other states can have substantially
> higher sulfur content. Sulfur content also varies considerably between
> gasoline brands and locations.
>
> Applicable vehicles:
> All models
>
> Repair procedure:
> A sulfur odor emitted from the vehicle tailpipe does not necessarily
> indicate that there is an issue with the engine's condition, but is most
> likely directly related to the fuel. If the vehicle is exhibiting an
> excessive sulfur odor, the following checks should be performed:
>
> If the MIL light is ON, check for DTCs and repair as necessary
>
> If no trouble is found after performing the above check, recommend the
> customer try a different source of fuel.
>
> Replacement of oxygen sensors, air/fuel ratio sensors or catalytic
> converters will not reduce the odor and therefore will not be considered
> warrantable.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ed White
>
>[/color]

Funny, there is a TSB on my 03 4runner that replaces the cat and it
supposedly reduces the odor... what makes no sense is that my friend's Pilot
does not produce this smell and we both get gas at the same station.

"Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote in message
news:11kqtlmknah2n27@news.supernews.com...
[color=blue]
> Funny, there is a TSB on my 03 4runner that replaces the cat and it
> supposedly reduces the odor... what makes no sense is that my friend's
> Pilot does not produce this smell and we both get gas at the same station.[/color]

Toyota has a tradition of having engine management / catalytic converter
strategies that are more sensitive to sulfur than other brands. At one time
or another virtually every manufacturer has had this concern. I am not sure
what Toyota is doing differently. However, I am certain that if you are
getting the rotten egg smell, there is sulfur in your gas. The fact that you
can smell it and your buddy can't just means that Honda has hit on an engine
management strategy that is preventing the creation of sulfur dioxide. Maybe
instead, they are creating sulfuric acid (another possible creation when you
have sulfur in the gas). You can be sure if there is sulfur in the gas, it
is reacting with the other elements in the exhaust stream to create
something. Whether or not the compound being created by Toyota is better or
worse than the compound being created in a Honda catalytic converter, I
can't say.

I do recall that Toyota (and Ford, and GM, and....) have from time to time
tried to address the rotten egg smell by revising the converters. Currently
only Toyota seems to have a major problem with the smell. Toyota has a TSB
for the Matrix that calls for reprogramming the PCM and replacing the
catalytic (see
ttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerofile/4746/1zzsulfursmell.pdf ). Maybe
something like this is in the works for the Avalon as well.

The suggestion to change gas brands is little more than a go screw yourself
response. In many locations, all the unleaded gas comes from the same stocks
no matter who's name is on the station. While the additives may be
different, the basic gasoline is the same, and therefore changing brands
won't necessarily change the sulfur content (although it might because the
base stock for that particular day's delivery came from a different lot).
Eventually the government will tighten the requirements and reduce the level
of sulfur in all gas. When this happens, your Toyota will be fixed.
Personally I'd like someone more knowledgeable than me to explain the
advantages / disadvantages of the Toyota emission control system. I don't
think Toyota engineers are stupid, so they must have made a different
tradeoff than other manufacturers for some reason.

It was not so long ago that Shell in Louisiana got in trouble for selling
fuel with so much sulfur that it was actually damaging fuel gauge tank
sensors. I can only guess how damaging this must be to converters (and
noses).

Regards,

Ed White

I live in Northern California and I believe Ed and the TSB are
correct. Our gasoline sucks for mileage compared to out of state gas
in my vehicles. I've never noticed the "rotten egg" smell from mine.

BUT

I have followed vehicles from other states in Oregon/Wasigton/Idaho
and you can definitely smell the odor, of some of them. It seems more
pronounced on long grades where engine is under load. Didn't pay
particular attention to makes.

So I'd suggest trying different brands also or living with it.

Ron


"C. E. White" <cewhite3@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:Etf3f.13949$q1.10469@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
>
> "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote in message
> news:11kqtlmknah2n27@news.supernews.com...
>[color=green]
>> Funny, there is a TSB on my 03 4runner that replaces the cat and it
>> supposedly reduces the odor... what makes no sense is that my
>> friend's Pilot does not produce this smell and we both get gas at
>> the same station.[/color]
>
> Toyota has a tradition of having engine management / catalytic
> converter strategies that are more sensitive to sulfur than other
> brands. At one time or another virtually every manufacturer has had
> this concern. I am not sure what Toyota is doing differently.
> However, I am certain that if you are getting the rotten egg smell,
> there is sulfur in your gas. The fact that you can smell it and your
> buddy can't just means that Honda has hit on an engine management
> strategy that is preventing the creation of sulfur dioxide. Maybe
> instead, they are creating sulfuric acid (another possible creation
> when you have sulfur in the gas). You can be sure if there is sulfur
> in the gas, it is reacting with the other elements in the exhaust
> stream to create something. Whether or not the compound being
> created by Toyota is better or worse than the compound being created
> in a Honda catalytic converter, I can't say.
>
> I do recall that Toyota (and Ford, and GM, and....) have from time
> to time tried to address the rotten egg smell by revising the
> converters. Currently only Toyota seems to have a major problem with
> the smell. Toyota has a TSB for the Matrix that calls for
> reprogramming the PCM and replacing the catalytic (see
> ttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerofile/4746/1zzsulfursmell.pdf ). Maybe
> something like this is in the works for the Avalon as well.
>
> The suggestion to change gas brands is little more than a go screw
> yourself response. In many locations, all the unleaded gas comes
> from the same stocks no matter who's name is on the station. While
> the additives may be different, the basic gasoline is the same, and
> therefore changing brands won't necessarily change the sulfur
> content (although it might because the base stock for that
> particular day's delivery came from a different lot). Eventually the
> government will tighten the requirements and reduce the level of
> sulfur in all gas. When this happens, your Toyota will be fixed.
> Personally I'd like someone more knowledgeable than me to explain
> the advantages / disadvantages of the Toyota emission control
> system. I don't think Toyota engineers are stupid, so they must have
> made a different tradeoff than other manufacturers for some reason.
>
> It was not so long ago that Shell in Louisiana got in trouble for
> selling fuel with so much sulfur that it was actually damaging fuel
> gauge tank sensors. I can only guess how damaging this must be to
> converters (and noses).
>
> Regards,
>
> Ed White
>[/color]

Nevermind the choice of fuel, find out how exhaust is getting inside the car
while moving. Trunk weather seal torn?


<chumad@cox.net> wrote in message
news:1129132425.830202.72350@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Love this car but have 1 annoying issue, when under hard acceleration,
> the car smells like rotten eggs inside. Tried premium gas, doesn't
> matter if I have outside air on or not. Anybody else with this?
> Chuck
>[/color]

Thats what I was thinking, a bit disappointed that $30,000 has this
issue but it seems that its quite common. At the 5,000 service I guess
I'll bitch a little and see what the dealer suggests, thanks all for
replying. Misery loves company you know....