#Car fumy upon start up manual#

THE CULPRIT: Hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust, which is produced by trace amounts of sulfur in gasoline. There may be a leak from a fuel-injection line or a fuel-tank vent hose. Modern cars have an evaporative-emissions system that's tighter than our managing editor's deadline schedule, so any fuel smell means something is wrong. On older cars-pre-1980 or so-some odor after a hot shutoff is normal from fuel afterboil in the carburetor float bowl. Unfortunately, leaks here typically mean a trip to the shop.Ī GAS STATION WHEN: Parked, especially inside a garage or when the weather is really warm. Look for sulfury-smelling dribbles of viscous, oily stuff under the car. Sulfur compounds in this oil serve as extreme-pressure lubricants for the gears, and can get pretty funky after a few years in service.

#Car fumy upon start up manual#

This means gear lube is leaking from the manual transmission, transfer case or differential housing.

THE CULPRIT: Yes, it really is brimstone, or, as it is usually called today, sulfur. WHEN: All the time, especially after the vehicle has been sitting after a long drive. Cheap solution: Turn off the a/c a mile from home and run the fan on high to dry the system out. And no, drizzling Listerine down the vents won't fix it, in spite of what your brother-in-law read on the Internet. THE CULPRIT: It's good, old-fashioned mildew growing in the moisture condensing inside your a/c evaporator. WHEN: You turn on the heater/air-conditioner fan and you get a whiff of that high-school gym locker. A strong odor inside the passenger compartment probably means a bad heater core. It might be coming from a leaky radiator cap or the radiator itself, especially if you smell it outside the car. It could be coming from a radiator or heater hose, a failed intake manifold gasket or cylinder head. THE CULPRIT: Coolant containing sweet-smelling (but toxic) ethylene glycol is leaking from somewhere. WHEN: After the engine has warmed or possibly even after it's shut off for a few minutes.