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Sulfur Smell from Toyota 4Runner

862 messages,  Last post on Aug 20, 2009 at 3:48 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota 4Runner, Engine, Exhaust, Fuel System, SUV

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#41 of 862 taco - no need to investigate. by zueslewis Aug 20, 2003 (2:01 pm)
I never said that tailpipe emissions and other noxious odors weren't bad for you...   I see no immediate cure for the problem of smelling emissions from vehicles as we drive, especially in close-in traffic.   Just like I see no immediate cure for the problem of smelling the guy's cigarette or cigar in the car next to me.   Considering 4 throat surgeries, I'm extremely sensitive to odors like these, often gagging and losing my lunch over tailpipe emissions or a cigarette - believe me, I "get it".   The only fix I see is beating the smoker with a stick so you don't have to inhale their smoke - unfortunately, it's not the right thing to do and I could get into trouble for it.
#42 of 862 zueslewis by tacoviva Aug 20, 2003 (2:40 pm)
Agreed. I too am sensitive to such environments. My son I'm sure is more so than I. The cure in my case is to replace the vehicle thereby removing the immediate danger from my family. Sorry if I sound angry, but I've lived with this for about 8 months. I just want them them to replace it with one that doesn't have this problem. I think we can agree that if you have Sulfur emissions INSIDE the car, it's not a good thing.
#43 of 862 I see it a lot, though - by zueslewis Aug 20, 2003 (2:50 pm)
that's the problem.
#44 of 862 Zues by tacoviva Aug 23, 2003 (12:37 pm)
If you see it a lot it could be a problem.   I just Toyota's official response to the arbtitration. It's their postion right now concerning the problem. I don't think they even understand the problem. They say the smell comes from the fuel. Well, I think we can all agree the Sulfur is in the fuel. I have explained to Toyota no less that 6 times and even had the customer servie rep write it down as I was saying , then repeat it back. The problem is that the smell is INSIDE the vehicle! I can just see it now....we finally get to the day of arbtitration and the Toyota rep says "ohhh, it's inside the cabin". I'm going to request in writing that they bring all my case documents in from all my phone calls so I can show the guy what's been going on . Toyota is being Extremely evasive. I'm never buying another Toyota.
#45 of 862 No, what I mean is by zueslewis Aug 23, 2003 (12:47 pm)
I see it a lot, and not just from Toyotas. Many, many other manufacturers - all, in fact.   It's a fuel/EPA issue, not a Toyota issue.
#46 of 862 you know, the old GMs with the pebble-bed cat never stunk by swschrad Aug 23, 2003 (1:27 pm)
never once. the fuel in the late 1970s, when this was the only cat on the market and everybody else had to buy them from GM to meet emissions, could not have been cleaner than we get today.   so how is it, then, that we have regressed to bonehead technology that accumulates sulfur from the exhaust and stinks it away under load?   maybe E V E R Y T H I N G !! ought to be recalled that was made with the current technology to be destunk.
#47 of 862 I was wondering that, too - by zueslewis Aug 23, 2003 (1:34 pm)
I first noticed the sulphur smell when my right side upstream 02 sensor went bad on my 1992 GMC Yukon - changed it under warranty, fixed the problem.   A few years later, it seems like 1 in 10 cars smells like that - weird, and nasty.
#48 of 862 yep by swschrad Aug 23, 2003 (2:08 pm)
granted, the 70s GM cats could melt down inside, too, in which case you were out over $1000 for housing, shield, and catalyst beads. nowadays it's around $100 for a flat-bed cat.   but I don't think they're doing the job based on the amount of stinkers on the road.   which means they were improvidently approved based on insufficient testing. specifically, the old GM jobs were probably sniffed on the test track, and the new ones aren't. just like the Mack diesel engines about 5 or 7 years ago that were faked up to pass EPA bench testing, and they all blow black clouds like exploding volcanoes when you accelerate under load on those things. it was tricky programming on the injector computer that did it. Mack had to pay a dinky-ass fine (some dozen millions or so) and promise their next engines and subsequent rebuilds would pass.   surprise, there was no next engine, they have outsourced engines in the new trucks.
#49 of 862 just purchased new 03 v6, 17xxx build # in CA by rensho Aug 23, 2003 (4:02 pm)
driving thing home from the dealer, i had the rear window down for the dog. I noticed a strange smell and wasn't sure it was the sulfur. I rolled the front passenger window to get more ventilation. That made it a LOT worst smelling inside. My poor GF following me, immediately smelled the horrible odor, but she didn't know what it was or where it came from. Boy that sucked for her the whole 11mi home. This was a 3mi new car. In no way was I driving it fast. I was a granny the whole way home. I'm really hoping this is going to go away soon. I bought the V6 thinking that everyone said the CLEAN CA gas was not causing sulfur smells. No quite the case.
#50 of 862 Sulfur smell is doing you a favor... by mhallack Aug 23, 2003 (6:25 pm)
I've thought a lot about this discussion, and what I realized is that the sulfur smell is actually doing you a favor. If you smell sulfur inside the vehicle, then I think its very likely that you have other, dangerous exhaust gasses inside the vehicle. The question is, what is not working? Certainly, if you have your rear window open while the vehicle is running, you are going to have an issue with exhaust gas (I have had this issue on at least two other vehicles, so my feeling is, you should never have windows open in the area of your exhaust output).   However, if your windows are up, your air-system is on recirculate and you still have the odor issue, then something is wrong, beyond the presenting symptom.

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