dsi@unccvax.UUCP (Dataspan Inc) (12/26/85)
> My '82 Celica has this wicked rotten-egg smell as the engine is warming up. > It only seems to happen on days that it snows, other (cold) days the smell > is there but it's not so pungent. Obvious choice was the catalytic > converter, so I dumped some C.C. cleaner in it. That didn't seem to help > it. > I thought only old Buicks smelled like rotten eggs. Your catalyst is working great, unfortunately for your nose. There are three causes to the el-stinko problem: 1) (assuming it is carbureted) The vacuum break in the carburetor (it's a little vacuum motor which holds the choke partially open once the engine gets running) is misadjusted binding or broken. Since it is a vacuum motor, the possibility of a torn rubber part is not unreasonable. Similarly, anything which makes the engine run unbelieveably rich will result in impressive odors. Some cars have air injection downstream of the LOC (lightoff catalyst), a malfunction here can cause excessive odors and underbody temperatures. "Tune-Up In A Can" won't work here (or anywhere); the only solution is to check the obvious stuff (filters and so on) and then bench the carb and test it using the manufacturers set up procedures....AFTER you inspect the emissions control system to make sure all the little hoses are going to all the correct vacuum motors, solenoids, vacuum resistors, check valves, and so on. Every hose should be reasonably soft and free from cracks and leaking. Many vacuum breaks and enrichment valves are connected to so much other junk that a leak in a place halfway across the car will pull the vacuum break or other devices off spec. (assuming it is fuel injected) I'm not familiar with the EFI system used in Toyotas. The car may default to the "rich" side of the map if the oxygen sensor fails. Air injection difficulties also apply here. Some EFI equipped cars have a cold enrichment device which require adjustment. 2) Fuel Disgusting, sulphurey smells can be caused by refiners who ignore ASTM/API methods for verifying the sulphur content of gasolines. Try a few tanks of real gas if you think the stuff at the local Hop-In or Seven-Eleven is more akin to industrial waste. Smell the gas you are purchasing (don't get down and sniff at the nozzle, but try to get a whiff of the lighter vapours). Heavy mercaptan (sulphur) content is obvious because the gas will smell patently awful. 3) Ignition timing. Yes, Ignition timing. My parents had said aforementioned Buicks which stank to high heavens, and (reportedly) a resetting of the ignition timing resulted in more palatable smells. I can't verify this, though. Check it anyway, using the manufactuer's procedures (particularly true for EFI equipped cars). If the distributor behaves in any weird way, have it serviced at a competent distributor shop. Dealers will be notoriously unsympathetic to these causes, and it will be rather expensive to have them investigate all of 'em. Since nasty cold startup smells are common complaints, though, the Toyota dealer may have some service bulletins on them. -dya-