eLMo

(Here is how eLMo got rid of his smell: http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...5&postcount=49 post#49 of this thread)but it returned: http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...2&postcount=66
another popular theory: http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...&postcount=111
-NM80

Ok, so I have a stock 05 SL and whenever I press the gas a little hard like to go uphill the car starts to smell like fart. I swear to you its one of the worst smells I have smelt. Also if I gas it from a red light and then stop at the next redlight. You think it could be the filter that goes to the cabin? or maybe because it has broken in yet.

blakstarz

I think it's just not broken in yet.....I use to get a similar smell like that with my other car when going up hill (it smelled more like burnt rubber) I think it's the tires myself, probably from the wheels spinning creating friction around the drums........

Zero Deuce SE

What drums are you referring to? The Max has 4 wheel disc brakes doesn't it?Maybe I'm missing something. At any rate, the drums would not come into play unless you were either using your service brakes or had your parking brake partially engaged while driving the car.

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

I have an 05 also, since we dont have hills it happens when I get on in for a bit. I only have 550 miles, and the smell sucks when that happens. What is that smell, and why? does anyone elses do it?

NIKV69

Hey VQMAX05!

You have the same car as me! I love the Max in black. I have to say thank God I don't smell anything with mine. Or get the shimmy that I have read about here at any speed. Knock on wood!

blakstarz

Sorry, I didn't mean drums (thinking about my other car)...........it could be the disc perhaps? I know I use to get something similar to that while driving uphill in my Galant.....the small that is.....and I always thought of it as the drums/rotors since that seems that was the direction the smell was coming from.

jeffd1979

Lol.. some of you guys are so funny with your answers...

What you are smelling in the sulfer in your gas.. It will have a rotten egg smell... A few years back the federal Govt. told automakers that by 03-04 nearly all the sulfer in the gas would be gone. long story short, the cat converters in new cars are not made to handle the amount of sulfer that is in our crappy gas in the U.S ... THat is what you are smelling... and no it will not go away after break in.. We will have to wait until low sulfer gas is a standard in the US.

lowkey122

I had a similar problem, however I smelled something when I hit the brake. Smelled like stagnant water as if when it rained the water channels didn't fully drain properly and bacteria infested water remained in the channels of the car. I figured it must've been somewhere in the door, cuz when I would detail the car and use an orbital on the door, causing vibrations, I would smell something similar. I got into an accident and they replaced the door in question and haven't had that problem since. I'm not sure how to check these drainage passages or how to clean them out, or if that even has anything to do with your situation, but I'm assuming hitting the gas would get the juices flowing in the opposite direction also.

Mike_TX

One other thing to consider on new cars is a light grease-like coating they put on metal parts to protect them from corrosive salt air while being shipped over on the boat. It will stink when heated up, so when you raise the engine temperature by hammering down you may smell it burning off.

The sulphur in gas is being exhausted away behind you, so unless you stop and the wind carries it back up to you, you don't normally smell that. But you might try changing brands of gas to see if that helps.

Otherwise, the protectant will burn off soon and you won't smell that anymore.

Mike

Zero Deuce SE

That coating is cosmoline.

dbvettez06

I have noticed the same..And, after my wife putters around in it, and i wack on it, i get lots of white carbon/crap coming out the tail pipes...Keep telling her to drive it harder!!

Jeffs04SE

i had the same thing with my car... now that i use only premium gas it dont so it anymore. switching to better gas fixed it for me.

ThunderMaxi

Try to put the car to recirculate the air in it at all times. That is something I wish Nissan did with our cars. My old Integra (96) would let me keep things like recir and cruise on all the time. In Max I have to push it all the time and in my 4th gen it is awkwardly behind the steering wheel. My 5th gen is a little easier to put cruise on... that's another topic. Try to recirulate the air b4 you punch it and you may not smell the funk until after you get out of it.

DbK05

So today I was driving really aggresively more than normal and I noticed a really foul smell from the car after punching it a couple times. It wasn't that rubber smell from the tires, but I dont know exactly where its coming from. Has anyone experienced this or has any info?

msoemax

Did it smell like rotten eggs? Sulfur? This usually happens when you push the car hard. It's unspent fuel leaving the system.

SLuxury

I get the smell when pushing the car, also. I see it as a sign to drive more conservatively due to the gas prices, lol.

rabenoja

iTrader: (2)

It's actually a chemical that they use in the cat. It burns when the car is pushed hard and it'll eventually go away, if you push your car that much.

sparq

Only time I got a foul smell in the ride was because my spare tire-well had some water sitting in it...after I drained it and aired that out, smell was gone.

But in the case of punching the gas and it smelling foul...one could speculate if perhaps your passengers got so intimidated by the Max's intense acceleration, they experienced a slight loss of control over their rectal sphincter muslces...and hence allowing a tiny amount of gas to diffuse into the interior of the car.

Or maybe it's what the other guys were saying about exhaust fumes etc etc

Sparq.

bluemaxx

I get the smell too. It reminds me of a beauty shop/permanent solution smell/rotten egg whatever... Now, someone explain to me how that exhaust smell gets in the cabin please.

I don't know if I'm "pushing it" or not. Not a day goes by that it doesn't get treated to a couple of trips to red line. I've now had the car for 2 years. I don't ever remember "the smell" until recently, maybe the last 3-4 months.

Again, if it is from the exhaust system, how is it getting into the cabin? What about tasteless, odorless carbon monoxide?

maximatwo

I know exactly the smell but I never even assumed it was from my car, I been writing it off as the car ahead of me, It does seem to happen more in my 04 then in my 01 though and I "punched" that one too, so im confused, also now that I think about it sometimes when I smell it, there isn't always a car even right ahead of me hmmm! I take my 04 in to deallership today to have mirror fixed, I think I will ask, see if I get an honest and educated answer! lol

DbK05

Thanks for all the info guys I had no idea our car liked to leave its mark like a skunk on other less fast vehicles!

MaxiMiller305

wow i have never noticed that smell in the car before... maybe thats cuz my car is always full of smoke!! one day i will try not to smoke and drive to notice the smell.
maxima + blunt = ????????????????? <-- what should i put there...?

DbK05

Maxima + blunt =

rabenoja

iTrader: (2)

It's a pretty strong smell, it happens with every new car until it's been driven awhile.

bluemaxx

I'm at 30k. What is a while?

95Max

I think he is refering to time not mileage driven. ie driven for a hour vs 10 minutes.

dla

This is probably TMI, but anyway:
Here is a condensed list of chemicals that all fossil fuel burning cars are capable of producing based on fuel type and condition of the vehicle.

Carbon monoxide (CO)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Nitrogen monoxide (NO)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Multiple varieties of nitrogen oxides (NxOx)
Unburned hydrocarbons (HxCx)
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Formaldehyde (HCHO)
Benzene (C6H6)

The unburned hydrocarbons and the nitrogen oxides are the smog forming gases. You know what that is if you live in a large populated area. Benzene when breathed will cause headache, dizziness, fatigue and in very high amounts unconsciousness.

The rotten egg smell is the sulfur dioxide (SO2), which is bad because when this comes in contact with water (H2O) it then forms sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Yuck! Ever heard of acid rain? That’s what is, H2SO4.

The catalytic converter (typically two catalytic stages) is supposed to break down the chemical bonds so that the exhaust produced in the first stage is nitrogen and oxygen and the second stage is supposed to produce carbon dioxide and water vapor. The catalytic converter I believe is supposed to absorb some of the sulfur (could be wrong on that). The sulfur smell is caused by high amounts of sulfur in the gasoline being burned in the vehicle. Sulfur is normally eliminated in the final stages of the fuel refining process, but the EPA regulation of sulfur in the fuel differs from one state to the next. Vehicles using fuel containing high amounts of sulfur will most likely emit sulfur smell from the exhaust system. Here are a few things you can do:

1. Try a different brand of fuel.
2. Avoid aggressive driving (yah right it’s a Max).
3. Avoid short trip driving.
4. Avoid long idling periods.
5. Don’t use fuel additives since they typically contain high amounts of sulfur.
6. Have the catalytic converter checked out, but replacing it will not eliminate the sulfur smell.


dla

bluemaxx

So how are those chemicals (smells) getting into the cabin when I'm driving away from them as fast as my VQ will take me?

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

have you guys replaced your in-cabin filters? (in glove box) I recall 5th genners not knowing about it and their bad smells went away.

replacement is suggested every year/15k miles.

edit**
actually, now I recall smelling something faint for less than a min. when punching it to get on the highway just when temp. got to normal range.
I figured I burned some oil getting the engine hot quickly.

DbK05

I think the smell gets into the cabin simply by coming up from the cat and into an open window. Now if ur windows are closed and u still smell it then I dont know

VTmaximaVT

I usually push my cars pretty hard...and I've never smelt that funny smell before. maybe i should get my nose checked...

Jeffs04SE

yeah i get it too. ive gotten used to it by now though. it used to bother me before but now eh its just another part of the car. im at about 5700 miles and it has gotten better so hopefully it will be fully gone.

eLMo

I get the fart smell also and I just took it to the dealer. They told me to use cheaper gas. I always use super.

maximatwo

Had my 04 at dealership today, I asked about this smell, and funny thing they asked if I was using cheap gas, I said nope always have fed both my Max's premium, they said cheap gas could cause it hmmm, I don't know. I give up.

lightonthehill

I had never smelled a thing until today.

I was following a very slow car on a narrow road with no passing zones. The driver signalled a left turn several times, then changer her mind and went straight. After this went on for about five miles, she made the usual left turn signal (for about the fifth time), then stopped right in the middle of the highway and began dialing her cell phone.

By this time, I was in danger of being late for my doctor's appointment, and there were a dozen or more cars stacked behind me, so I floored the gas, using the half-lane she left on the right and also using the right shoulder. While the left front tire gripped and whisked the car forward, the right wheel spun wildly in the soft grass for about fifty feet. I had my windows and sunroof open, and, at that time, a very strong burning smell (not rotten eggs) filled the cabin. Within a half mile, it was completely gone.

I suppose I never had that smell before because I am inherently a patient and forgiving driver, and had never put the car in such a situation before.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

light how did it feel using all 265? anyone else follow suit behind you? that would be extremely irritating.

so others have detected this smell while hitting high RPM.... well my windows were closed everytime I smelled it.

MaxMus

I smell it every single day.





That smell is called New Jersey.

MEXIDEV

Good one

lightonthehill

NismoMax80 - Sorry for the delayed response. I switched to another site right after my post above.

To be honest, I think the first thing that happened after flooring it was my eyes must have gotten saucer-wide. The Max reached 70 mph within what seemed like five seconds (but must have been a tad longer). This is in a 45mph zone.

The next thing that happened was I could feel my face and neck turning red. This maneuver was not in keeping with my normal style of driving, and being within a mile of the church which I attend, I should have had the 'patience of Job', and just sat and waited for the pestilent car to move.

In thinking back, I am very impressed that the Maxima kept exactly a straight line, even though there was no pulling from the right drive wheel (which was on the grassy shoulder the first fifty to a hundred feet). I also noticed absolutely no torque steer whatsoever. Of course, having driven Maximas for over twenty years, I may be immune from recognizing torque . . .

-AoW-JP

Hehe here's a guy who pushes his ride. :d I get it a lot too. There are 3 ways to avoid it:

1 Slow down.
2 Remove the cat (against the law in the US)
3 drill out the cat.

We did #3 back in the day when cats came out for better breathing on our street rods.

Hey think of it as a fail save the next time your out with a hot chick and have gas. Blame the car!