Bad smell after starting the car (NHC-2004)

Jaggu · 13th July 2007, 18:49

battery does give smell in some case, but will not be so obvious if the engine bay is closed

my inlaws zen mpfi has the same problem and this car does very less running (5km a week) and generally it gives a foul smell when cold.

its cat con smell for sure and can be due to many reasons:

either cat con not hot enough
bad quality of fuel
injectors giving bad fuel flow
additives in a particular fuel
broken pipe will cause the smell to leak from underneath the car and can be smelt from the inside if windows are down

megger · 20th August 2007, 17:49

Even I have started getting bad smell in WagonR for over a month now. It does reduce for a day or two after vaccum cleaning, but persists.

Very pronounced just after starting the car, specially when I start speeding up.

Check out some reasons for car smells on Car Smells, Fumes and Odors Questions

panky12345 · 20th August 2007, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by megger

Even I have started getting bad smell in WagonR for over a month now. It does reduce for a day or two after vaccum cleaning, but persists.

Very pronounced just after starting the car, specially when I start speeding up.

Check out some reasons for car smells on Car Smells, Fumes and Odors Questions

Replace Floor mats; and check if AC is working fine.

kamy450 · 20th August 2007, 19:47

i heard lot of new car have this problem including mine first i thought some rat or lizard might have been in AC grill but when got it checked in service center nothing found. it went off slowly by itself in few days. Still i am rounded on what it was??

anandpadhye · 21st August 2007, 12:43

Well...no updates from me for a long time...I am simply observing...
I think the smell is from the exhaust and typically for initial few seconds after starting (may be till the cat con has reached it's optimum temp.)...so I guess it should not be "reported" as a problem. Also, the smell comes only (let's say ~40% of the times...may be not detected on the remaining 60 % of the times due to weather conditions, wind direction, surrounding ambient air quality and the fuel being used...I guess)...

Don't know what to do with this thread. Mods?

May be - leave it open for everyone to discuss...the root cause is only guessed till now.

vidurm · 23rd August 2007, 10:50

Well, even I faced a similar problem recently with my zen mpfi(2000) after i got a tacho installed. As soon as i would turn the car on, the smell would come. It also came when the horn was pressed, even when the car was not on. But, after about half an hour...it became history. Convenience, I tell you.

13th July 2007, 18:49	#31
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,383 Thanked: 17,295 Times	battery does give smell in some case, but will not be so obvious if the engine bay is closed my inlaws zen mpfi has the same problem and this car does very less running (5km a week) and generally it gives a foul smell when cold. its cat con smell for sure and can be due to many reasons: either cat con not hot enough bad quality of fuel injectors giving bad fuel flow additives in a particular fuel broken pipe will cause the smell to leak from underneath the car and can be smelt from the inside if windows are down
	() Thanks

20th August 2007, 17:49	#32
megger BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 156 Thanked: 4 Times	Even I have started getting bad smell in WagonR for over a month now. It does reduce for a day or two after vaccum cleaning, but persists. Very pronounced just after starting the car, specially when I start speeding up. Check out some reasons for car smells on Car Smells, Fumes and Odors Questions
	() Thanks

20th August 2007, 19:47	#34
kamy450 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 244 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	i heard lot of new car have this problem including mine first i thought some rat or lizard might have been in AC grill but when got it checked in service center nothing found. it went off slowly by itself in few days. Still i am rounded on what it was??
	() Thanks

21st August 2007, 12:43	#35
anandpadhye Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 3,060 Thanked: 3,346 Times	Well...no updates from me for a long time...I am simply observing... I think the smell is from the exhaust and typically for initial few seconds after starting (may be till the cat con has reached it's optimum temp.)...so I guess it should not be "reported" as a problem. Also, the smell comes only (let's say ~40% of the times...may be not detected on the remaining 60 % of the times due to weather conditions, wind direction, surrounding ambient air quality and the fuel being used...I guess)... Don't know what to do with this thread. Mods? May be - leave it open for everyone to discuss...the root cause is only guessed till now.
	() Thanks

23rd August 2007, 10:50	#36
vidurm BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: mumbai/delhi Posts: 26 Thanked: Once	Well, even I faced a similar problem recently with my zen mpfi(2000) after i got a tacho installed. As soon as i would turn the car on, the smell would come. It also came when the horn was pressed, even when the car was not on. But, after about half an hour...it became history. Convenience, I tell you.
	() Thanks