Something's burning...

[mike f]

After I drive my '86 930 for about an hour or so I smell this awfully strong sulfur(rotten eggs) odor. There are no leaks evident on the garage floor, and no smoke. It is hardly noticeable from outside the car, only inside. It does not smell like oil, and oil consumption is normal. I searched around and discovered that a phosphorous/sulfur compound is added to gear oil to combat breakdown. I bought the car 2 months ago, and this has been going on about 3 weks. It shifts ok(except the typical 1st-2nd quirks of the 915 tranny). The car has 27,000 miles and I have no idea if the gear oil was ever changed. Could this be a sign of gear oil burning? Time to change it and try swepco 201? I know it's important to recognize all the different smells a car can make, but this one I'm not sure of. Any ideas?

[feelyx]

check your battery, your alt. maybe be over charging

Tim in Sac

[Bo]

Yepp, sounds like something battery-related. I once had that problem in my (ex) -82 SC - the battery was -literally- boiling, and the smell in the car was hideous!

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1972 911S Targa (with 1982 3.0L drivetrain)
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My project!

[Superman]

Yeah. Sniff the trunk.

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'83 SC

[rstoll]

You can make up a nice adapter for your digi-voltmeter out of an old cigarette lighter adapter. Plug your voltmeter into cigarette lighter and check your system voltage.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

[warment]

Either battery related, or catalytic convertor related problems. I would check the battery first, and if this is not the problem, replace the catalytic convertor(I assume that your car has one). These things smell like rotten eggs when they get old.

Bill

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William Armentrout
1973 911T
2.7 carerra rs specs
www.geocities.com/william_armentrout

[Jdub]

Hold on: I thought catalytic converters smelled eggy when they were *new*? That is, as the newness was being driven out of them, the smell would persist then disappear?

Jw

[mike f]

Coincidentally, the battery just went dead. When I checked it, it was bone dry! Looks like it's been cooked. I guess checking the alternator, or more likely the regulator is in order. Thanks for the advice.