0
Car Smells
Car smells include gaseous odor, excessive smoke or even steam – all of which indicate a potential problem with your car. Usually, smells are one of the first signs of potential car trouble.
1,402 Questions
What can a urine smell coming from the car vents be from?
someone wetting themselves in the car because they couldn't get to a toilet quick enough
Sweet smelling smoke is coming from under the hood of your car what could cause this?
Probably a coolant leak.
Why do you smell gas on your oil dipstick on 2010 Chevy Cobalt?
The most likely problem comes from the fuel injector seals or the injectors.
Why would your car defroster smell like burning rubber?
Defrost uses the a/c, if it doesn't smell the same with a/c only on. The smell is coming from the blower motor. Bmw's for example have a problem where the blower blade contacts the plastic housing and causes it to rub/melt.
Gas or carbon monoxide.Carbon monoxide is odorless , and if you have a leak, and you windows are up, it can make you sick or kill you. If you feel sick to your stomach, sudden onset headache or nausea ONLY when you are in the car, have it checked immediately. It may also make you drowsy. NEVER keep the motor running in cold weather unless you are SURE nothing is blocking your tailpipe, like snow. Be very careful with babies or small children , as they are most susceptible.
Try hosing it down - and scrubbing - with hot soapy water.
You smell a burnt rubber smell from under the hood of your 2001 Chevy venture what is it?
a burnt rubber ball in the cardorater
What the symptoms of a bad catalytic converter?
The main symptom is a complete lack of power. By lack of power i mean holding the gas pedal to the floor and only going 15 miles per hour. The car will idle well but no power hardly at all.
Another symptom is rattling. If you strike the bottom of the Catalytic Converter wil a rubber hammer you will hear rattling from inside the converter. That indicates that the honeycomb matrix inside the coverter has broken apart.
Finally, if you ignore the loss of power (it gets progressivly worse) eventually the car will not even start.
Please keep in mind that the converter does not instantly go from good to plugged. It takes time. Mostly you notice the power loss on top speed first.For example only being able to go 50 m.p.h. . Then later on only 40...Again, the power loss gradually gets worse.
If you really think the converter is plugged then you can disconnect the exhaust in front of the converter and see if the power returns.
Also please keep in mind that some cars have "pre-cats" or "mini-oxidation" converters. Thay are a small catalytic Converter in front of the main converter. They go bad as well.
Matter of fact, the last car i had with a bad "cat" it was one of those pre-cats. It was on a Toyota.
One last thing...Mercedes Benz has a recall on the Converters on some models. You can get it replaced fo free. (normally $800) About a year ago i had a Mercedes come in with a top speed of 5 MPH. I removed the cat and the guts of the converter poured out like coffee grounds. Free replacement from the dealer
Some cars have up to 4 cats so keep that in mind also.
best of luck
^_^
Your car smells like antifreeze but its not leaking?
Could be that your head gasket is beginning to go. Does it smell strongest when you first start the car, then go away? Look for excess steam coming out the tailpipe when you first start it.
What is the Burning oil smell coming in through vents in the van?
An engine oil leak that drips or runs onto the hot exhaust and the fumes find their way into the fresh air intake under the cowl area.
Make sure you use antifreeze, then after it's had a chance to leak a little, examine the underside of the water pump. If the pump is leaking you'll see a trace of green deposits where the coolant has been leaking.
If the water pump is ok, examine the radiator. If there is green around the edge of the tanks of the radiator, you need to repair or replace the radiator.
Same with the hoses.
Check the coolant overflow/reservoir tank - they develop hairline cracks and leak very slowly.
Also, a radiator shop would be able to pinpoint your problem with pressure testing the system. Takes all the guesswork out of the problem/fix.
you have blown a head gasket
Change your oil one, sputtering could also be a clogged fuel filter have your vehicle serviced
Any exhaust smell in a car cab indicates an exhaust leak somewhere along the line. Th reason you don't smell it while driving is because the air flowing air under the car is blowing the exhaust gasses away before it can rise into the cab. After the car sits for a while, the gasses seep out of the leak, and up into the cab.
Why does the air conditioning smell in 2003 Chevy venture?
There are two small cabin air filters that are located behind the glove box and are accessed through the glove box. There is a small access door that can be removed and then you can pull out the filters. If these have not been changed, it could cause the air to smell from the air conditioner. These are expensive to replace (around $55.00 each). Try removing them and cleaning them as best you can before buying new ones. That might help reduce the smell when the air conditioner is on.
Replacing a battery in a 1996 Honda passport the Positive and Negative posts unlabled?
I'm not familiar with your vehicle, and I've never seen a battery that did not have the terminal polarity marked.
There are 4 ways [to my knowledge] to determine the polarity of an auto battery's terminals:
1. Most batteries will have a plus symbol [+] embossed [molded/raised] on the plastic of the battery case top panel next to the Positive terminal, AND a Negative [minus] symbol [--] embossed next to the Negative terminal.
2. Or there may be the abbreviation for Positive [ POS] embossed next to the Positive Terminal, and the abbreviation for Negative [NEG] next to the Negative Terminal. Some batteries may have both the symbols AND the POS and NEG abbreviations.
3. On all auto batteries I've worked with, the Positive terminal is SLIGHTLY larger in diameter than the Negative terminal. Thus, the Negative [black] cable clamp should only fit easily onto the Negative terminal, and either NOT FIT on the Positive terminal, or be way to tight to install by hand. And, the Positive cable [red] terminal clamp will fit way too loose [sloppy] if installed on the Negative battery terminal. It should fit "just right" on the Positive terminal.
ONLY use this "trial fit" method with ONE CABLE AT A TIMEuntil you are absolutely certain of which cable fits onto which terminal, because IF you touch both cables to the terminals AT THE SAME TIME, and they are reversed, you will get one hell of an arc [sparking] which could cause the battery to explode, and will probably ruin much of the electronics [computers, etc.] in your vehicle.
4. Another method of determining battery terminal polarity is to use a Volt-Ohm Meter [VOM], with the selector switch set to the DC 50 Volt scale. There are two types of meter: An Analog type [has a needle and voltage scales on the face], and there is a Digital type which uses an LED readout display with numerals to indicate readings.
With either meter, touch the red and black test probe tips to the two battery terminals only momentarily while watchingthe needle, or the digital readout.
IF the Analog meter needle moves to the right, and shows about 12 Volts, then the terminal to which the RED test probe is touched IS the Positive terminal. BUT... IF the needle bounces to the left, then the polarity is reversed, and that means that the BLACK test probe is on the Positive terminal, and the red test probe is on the Negative terminal.
With a Digital meter, the polarity is indicated in the display readout as a plus [+] symbol, or a minus symbol [--]. IF the symbol is +, that indicates that the red test probe is on the Positive terminal and the black test probe is on the Negative terminal. This is as it should be.
IF a minus symbol [--] appears next to the voltage indication, then that means the red test probe is on the Negative terminal, and that the black test probe is on the Positive terminal.
It would be an immense help if you could find a friend or neighbor with some knowledge of electrical polarity to help you this time. Once you get the hang of it , this will be an easy determination. Good luck.
Maybe all of your cylinders aren't firing. Raw fuel is being sprayed into one of the piston cylinders but the spark isn't igniting or the timing is off and it isn't igniting at the right time. The above is correct. Ignition module and coil packs are a reasonable suspicion, as well as poor plug wires or plugs. Dont forget your vacuum hose or PVC hose that is a common problem with hesitation It could also mean that the fuel pressure regulator has failed, pumping raw gas into the engine. Check the injectors. If one looks wet it could be the o-rings have gone bad and all you need to do is replace the o-rings or at worse replace the injector. I agree. I have a Cavalier and had the same problems. I eventually needed to get 2 fuel injectors replaced, as fuel was apparently going into my exhaust.
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?UseCase=S001&UserAction=viewSimpleDiagInfo&Parameters=info
Why would a 1992 ford explorer 4.0 motor oil be runny and smell like gas?
It is contaminated with fuel. Change the oil and filter immediately. Take the vehicle to a professional and have them find out why you have fuel in your crankcase. Can be a leaking injector, faulty fuel pressure regulator, misfiring plug, or overly rich fuel/air mixture.
How do you get rid of that new rubber mat smell in your car?
take it to a car wash and i always use febreeze-all which has armor all and febreeze mix ed in with it.
