Plug Your Nose: Five Smells that Indicate Car Trouble

Welcome to springtime, everyone. In all likelihood, your nostrils have been inundated with smells that are special to this time of year–neighbors firing up the barbecue, flowers in full bloom, that sort of stuff. However, these aren’t the smells we’re here to discuss today. Instead, we’re going to deal with smells of a more nefarious nature; namely, smells that indicate car trouble. Your car will sometimes emit odors that make potential automotive hazards obvious, and we’re going to deal with some of the most common.

Gym socks. Yeah, we know, the smell of musty socks isn’t anything to get excited about. But if you’re smelling this distinctive odor, we know the cause: mildew. You’ve likely got a vehicle that hasn’t been run in a while, or specifically hasn’t had the A/C run in a long time. This leads to condensation inside the A/C unit, which in turn gives off the telltale odor. Simply run your A/C on high for a few miles to dry out the unit, and the odor will dissipate.
Rotten eggs. If you smell a pungent odor from your vehicle, you’re likely smelling the sulphur that is produced from the combustion process. This means that your catalytic converter, which turns the sulphur to sulphur dioxide, likely isn’t working properly. For this, you’ll want to visit our service department at Avondale Nissan.
Burnt carpet. Many of us mistakenly singed the carpet at one time or another while growing up, and the smell isn’t one that you forget. Guess what else gives off this odor? Overworked brakes. During constant stop-and-go or stressful downhill driving, your brakes get a workout. Give them a rest for a while, and check to make sure that they’re wearing evenly by finding which ones are hot.
Maple syrup. Not all of the smells, as this entry suggests, are terrible. Some coolants use sweet-smelling compounds in their products, although you aren’t supposed to smell them. If you smell coolant, you’ve likely got a radiator leak, a leaky cap, or a leaky hose. In any case, you’ll need to have it fixed ASAP.
Raw gasoline. You really should only smell raw gas at the gas station itself, since most vehicles have well-sealed gas circuits. If you’re smelling raw gas, you’ve probably got a fuel injection problem or a leak in a fuel hose. As with the others, this will require a visit to the service station at Avondale.
To learn more about the potential hazards that certain smells indicate, we encourage you to visit our service department at Avondale Nissan, where we’ll get you back on the road, smell-free, in a hurry!