Eggy/Sulphur smell...

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Vroom

Member
Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
55
Car
W204
Okay - here’s a weird one.

Whenever I now use my screen wash on my W204 the cabin is filled with a strong eggy/sulphur smell. I’ve checked the screen wash reservoir and there’s no smell coming from that at all.

The only thing I’ve had done in the last couple of days is having a new battery installed. Do new batteries give off sulphur-like smells? I was chatting to the guy installing it and he says they give off gas.

Anyone have ideas on this one?
 
A lead acid battery can give off hydrogen but it has no smell.
 
If the cat is faulty it can smell like that, but if it is only when using the screenwash maybe it's somehow getting onto the exhaust.
 
Eggy smell used to be an indicator of a broken catalytic converter but I guess that would throw a warning light these days
 
it is probable that your washer tubing is contaminated. I suggest either replacing them or flushing with a suitable fungicide.
 
Can you use the washers and try and catch some fluid before it's wiped away and then have a sniff? Might pinpoint whether it's the washer system or not?
 
Okay - I’ve just caught some of the screen wash on a tissue - there’s a *slight* trace of a smell there so perhaps it’s something in the reservoir.

I’d rather try that route first rather than worry about the Cat.

The smell doesn’t appear when the car is running, just when the screen wash is used. Perhaps something has settled in the reservoir as the car has barely moved off the path since lockdown.

So is there a way to drain/flush the reservoir?
 
I had the same issue in summer 2019, I siphoned the fluid out with some fuel pipe I had, then used water purifier (for water butts), refilled and ran it through the hoses. I added a tiny amount of fairy liquid and 50% washer top up, all well since then.
 
That sounds encouraging. What’s fuel pipe? How do I use it to empty the reservoir?
 
I’ve had exactly that smell with a Honda. It happened on engine start and I was convinced it must be catalyst. But Honda drained and refilled the washer reservoir and it went away. It came back after a couple of weeks, so I drained it myself and chucked in some Milton sterilisation fluid. Problem solved and never came back. I’d never encountered it in 40 odd years of driving.
 
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