I threw this out in the Explorer forum, but no one relpied. You guys seem far more receptive and prone to answer questions.
Although this is about my wifes sport trac, i hope you guys will help (I do have a superduty myself)
At an idle I have noticed a rotten egg smell from the tailpipe, the vehicle is a 2002 Sportrac w/ 4,000 miles on it. Will probably go back to the delare, but was wondering what some might think the problem is so I dont get fed a line of garbage @ the dealer.

 

Generally a rotten egg smell is due to the presence of sulphur. (sulfur for you Yankees) Modern gasoline should be sulphur free, but maybe you got a bad batch?

Most likely you're just noticing the byproducts of the catalytic converter. Most Fords do have a pretty foul smell when idling, especially if it's cold and the converter isn't functioning at %100.

You may want to take it to the dealer and have him check it out just to be safe since it is emissions equipment, but he's gonna tell you it's normal.

Waxy

 

They told us way back in Automotive class in high school... that the sign of a bad Cat was the rotten egg smell at idle.

Matt

 

I was always under the impression that a sulphur smell was cat converter. Every time I smelled rotten eggs in a tailpipe, the cat was blocked, broken up, or bad. I would definitely have the dealer check this out. My new F250 smells like exhaust, not rotten eggs. I had to run out and check. Any excuse you know.

Jimmie

2003 F250SD SC SB XLT 4X4 ESOF

 

GOLDMEMBER(RE_SPEED_FAB / YETI)... the mrROTTNdog egg smell you have is from your new woman....

 

I would guess it's a problem with the cat converter also. Years ago, as a kid, I worked in an oil refinery. That lovely aroma was quite common around the area of the cat cracker and the tank farm.

 

ABENDX,

He now has a bouquet of aroma's to choose from. There is a honey for each of his new personalities. View the image of the MONSTA family sista's... This is the image posted in the stars thread that was moved to feedback where it didn't survive.

Behold the 'Three Faces of EVE-L!

Quite a bevy of beauties YETI... I mean RE_SPEED_FAB... I mean GOLDMEMBER has garnered in his short career as a bachelor!

 

Before you go throwin $$$ at a cat you probably would be wise to have it 'scoped' and find out how the 02 sensor is workin!

My wife's Chebby Astro was fartin out that AW-W-WFU-L-L stank and my mechanic hooked up the computer scope to it and it showed a "lazy 02 sensor" (that's what he called it!).

He told me that cats aren't normally the culprit - he said it's usually a fuel mixture malfunction (unburned, raw fuel).

Just my .02