2013 Weird smell inside the cabin (not coming from me ;-))
 

I've noticed this smell every morning when I merge onto the highway (picking up speed). I speed up to merge, then once I get on the highway and level off my speed, the cabin fills with a weird smell (almost like sulfur mixed with gas). I thought maybe it had to do with me removing the sound tube (gases escaping into the engine compartment then trickling into the cabin?), but I have the intake hole capped and a rubber plug in the firewall hole. I was going to mention it to the dealership the next time I was there, but i'm about 99% sure they will try to contribute it to the removal of the sound tube or the addition of the oil seperator?!? Anyone else notice or have this smell in the car? It seems like its worse when the car has sat overnight or when I go WOT then slow down????

Sounds like it might be the smell you sometimes get from a new catalytic converter. How many miles on the car?

Hello MADSCOTSMAN,

As per my Technical Subject Matter Expert, exhaust does get hotter under hard acceleration and this odor could be normal. Quality of fuel may also have an effect on the type of odor. However, if anyone does not feel comfortable with it, please bring your vehicle in to a Ford dealer for diagnosis. Then, PM me with your VIN, dealer, full name, mileage, best daytime number, and their resolution/response to see how I can help.

Deysha

Thanks for the replies. Car just rolled 10K. I always use BP 93 octane gas.

Is it the same place on the highway? Could actually be a smell outside the car that gets in through the vents.

I had similar recently. Merging from one motorway to another, accelerating onto the motorway I'd get a nasty eggy smell through the vents. Turns out there's a sewage works near that junction!!!!

Hope it's something as simple as that :)

Don't hold me to it but sounds like it's the cats. I noticed the same thing with my '13 GT and that seemed to be the forum consensus when I looked into it. Mine has gotten better though. I just rolled 10k and only notice it under WOT now.

I have the same smell comming from my exhaust every so often, reminds me of when we switched over to unleaded fuels (back in the old days) and all the cars smelled of sulfur:devil:

you didnt have your seats stuff in Tijuana did you.

How long has this been happening? Does it happen at the same rpm or load condition. Try a few tanks of different gas, maybe it is additive related.

I have a couple od import cars that pass me almost every morning on my way to work and after they accelerate around me I get a strong whiff of the above mentioned converter smell. I live out in the country and travel a major but still rural road to work. Never smell it until they pass any chance you are getting the smell created by the other cars if it is a busy on ramp? Just a thought

Set you venting system to recirculate long before you get to the area of the smell and see if the smell still gets inside the cabin.

My 2013 GT does this only for the first 30 seconds or so on a cold start, if its coming from outside its ironic because I basically have to roll down the windows to let the smell out. I have wondered if it comes in through the OEM intake sound tube, but this thread has encouraged me to do things like try different gas and different ventilation settings and see if that makes a difference. I don't remember it doing this when it was brand new, but when it's cold it idles rough and one morning it idled very rough, then backfired and died, and seems like it has had the startup smell since. Dealer has found no codes or indicators of a problem, but I haven't yet left it to them overnight so they can start it cold in the morning.

Nothing comes thru the sound tube....it is not just an open tube.....

Close your vents to recirculate before the you are in the area of the smell or prior to starting the car......this shuts off the outside air from entering the cabin. Once you move from the offensive odor area, readjustment venting.