Very strong smell

Car is in shop over weekend having work done for the disastrous idle.
But I did forget to mention the strong smell the car has. I mean, everyone comments on it.
It's not exhaust, it's not gas(but it must be combination of the two right? I don't smell it on my polluting, carbed, 914)
I don't know what it is. (It's not burnt plastic or anything like that...it almost smells like I don't really have gas in my car, but moonshine or something)
No smoke at all after startup. Compression,leakdown apparently okay.
It has it after the car's has been driven around a while, and people can smell it for blocks.
Does this have anything to do with the Cat converter? I've been told that the car ran rich...

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Kurt B
1984 911 Carrera Cabriolet
75 914 1.8

OK,

I have been around Porsches with bad catalytic converters, that after warmed up smelled like dirty socks (bad eggs, etc.).

Another bad situation I had with regard to bad smelling Porsches was a few years back. A guy in New Jersey had an early Speedster for sale and I went to look at it. He said the car was in storage for quite some time and he had done all the work to preserve and store it properly. Before I got there he changed all of the fluids, installed a new battery, etc. When I showed up what I saw was a spectacular car. When it was started it ran a bit rough and then a bit rougher. Then it started to smell... like something was cooking. We were afraid to take it out for fear of getting stuck somewhere. The owner revved the car and we heard a loud pop and the car smoothed out. It appeared as though a mouse had made a home out of the early car's exhaust and when the thing heated up he was "Cooked". When enough pressure built up, the rodent became a projectile. I didn't buy the car... the smell just wouldn't leave my sinuses.

Last experience with a bad smell in a Porsche was in an 89 Carrera. My wife and I took a friends car out for a drive and i was taking off my shoes(coincidentally)while filling up the tank and the car started to smell just awful, but not a smell from gas or oil. We drove a bit further and the smell got worse. We headed back home and I dropped her off. I made it to the garage, but the windows were fogging up and I was getting a terrible taste in my mouth. I opened the hood to find the battery had exploded (hence the smell and the windows fogging up). The alternator had blown, overcharging the battery and the smell went through the ventilation system. Everyone commented on it, but it was quickly fixed and back to normal.

Hope these stories helped... I never get to tell them anymore!

Be sure to open up the hood and check for possible battery overcharging damage, and then check battery Voltage at the terminals while the engine is running. Anything over 13.8 Volts is abnormal.

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Thanks for the posts. Um, interesting mouse story.
I don't think any animals have made a home in my exhaust.
No, it's from the engine somehow. Not the battery. We'll see. Maybe after they fix the Sieve that is my vaccum system, the smell will go away.

Just had the same problem today.My 88's been smelling bad too.Smelled a little like battery to me, for whatever reason. Changed my batt. to a new Optima after ordering the carrier from AJ in San diego. Got it installed and checked the output.High, well above 13. That is the reason for the smell. Alternator overcharging, $450 plus labor.Don't run it far like that ,fries the battery and who knows what else.The gas is also poison and FLAMMABLE, for sure don't smoke around it or let off sparklers.

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Wild Willie 88-911

Warren,
can you check voltage output at the battery terminal w/a simple multimeter like you'd purchase a Radio shack? Please reccommend something good and fairly priced to check out all these different electrical situations, por favor.
Thanks,

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Wild Willie 88-911