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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!pyuxww!pyuxii!tw8023
From: tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: catalytic stench
Message-ID: <329@pyuxii.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Feb-86 08:20:24 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxii.329
Posted: Mon Feb 10 08:20:24 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 06:22:56 EST
References: <927@unc.unc.UUCP>, <572@ihlpl.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 32

I hate to disagree with Rich S., but, as I said before, one
cause for the bad smell from Cat converters can be the type
of paint used to cover the rascal.  My Toyota was recalled
once, just to paint the converter.  The smell was so bad
after the painting, we had to drive with the windows down.
The same problem happened to a friend who had the same
year and model of Toyota.  There was no change in the
gasoline brand used and my friend, further, used a different
brand of gas.  My friend took his car back to the dealer to
complain and was told about the paint.  He passed the word
along to me.  The smell finally went away, but it was a
very sickening, rotten food smell for about 2 months.

Now, I suspect that the paint used in this instance was
of U. S. origin and that it is still used in some cases.
As for sulpher in the gasoline, the amount is not enough
to create the "rotten egg" smell to such a degree that it
will make a person roll down the windows.  If that were so,
no amount of catalytic converting will stop the smell, thus,
there would be a fairly large number of folks driving around
with their windows down.  Besides, if the smell is a result
of normal gasses being produced and wafting into the
passenger compartment, I would suggest that you never
drive that car again until you get the exhaust system
checked.  If the smell is coming from the burning of
hydrocarbons, then there is a likelyhood that carbon
monoxide is also getting into the passenger compartment
and you are in mortal danger.  Since the smell is coming
from the heating of the paint on the converter, you will
just have to wait it out.  The smell will go away.
T. C. Wheeler