Catalytic smell

Hey all, got a new 05 Legacy GT wagon in red, and have a couple questions.

 

Also not a total newbie... Ive been on NASIOC for about 3 years and this is my 3rd subie.

 

Anyhow, Im at about 800 miles on the car and have started to push the rpms up to about 5000, last night during a somewhat long drive compared to the distances I driven so far with the car I was getting some pretty noticeable egg smell from the cats heating up... Has anyone else noticed this? I usually notice it when your behind someone going up a hill or whatever, but this was coming from me? Maybe just the catalyst feeling the heat of the higher rpms and breaking in a bit?

 

I figure its nothing to worry about but need piece of mind you know.

 

Other than that I am loving this car, although I cannot get a definite answer on when the first oil change needs to be... and I read all 11 pages of the oil change/ maintenance section...

 

Thanks

 

John D.

That 2nd cat is definitely stinky. I'm getting a high flow one soon so that'll be the cure for mine. I'll bet they'll recall them sooner or later- it seems like they all do it when they're warm and you run the car hard- seems to only take one run through 2nd to get mine stinking.

cool, thats the deal with me. Thanks for the reasurance

 

John D.

I've gotten the smell too. It's part of the break-in process. As for the first oil change, service manager at my dealership has been working on Subies exclusively for 15 years. He says to keep in under 4K RPM for the first 1K miles and to change oil for the first time at 3K miles.

That 2nd cat is definitely stinky....I'll bet they'll recall them sooner or later- it seems like they all do it when they're warm and you run the car hard- seems to only take one run through 2nd to get mine stinking.

 

+1

That nasty bad egg smell is what people are complaining about with the clutch stink too.

 

At first, I thought it could be the converter, but why would I get the smell when backing up a hill?

 

Catalytic converter or clutch, it is a god-awful smell that I hope Subaru takes seriously. Maybe we should start a "Fix the Smell" campaign. It is easy to get the smell; make Subaru figure out where it is coming from.

Yes that sounds like a good campain...

 

The smell Im smelling is def the catz. I know the clutch smell is whorendous, and has not been a problem yet with my car, but I did have the problem with my WRX... mainly to avoid the "clutch shutter" id have to slip it you know... oh well. So you all think 3000 for the first oil change or 1500miles?

 

John D.

Everyone has their own tastes, personally i changed at 1500, 3000, then at 6000, i went with full synthetic Mobil 1....

 

Just going from what my oil looked like at 1500, i wouldn't want to wait untill 3000 to change the first time. Everyone has different results and experiences though.

Yea I think Ill do it around 1500.

The clutch smell is not the same as the rotten egg smell from the cat. The cat smells very much like rotten eggs or a nasty beer fart. The clutch is indescribable to me- just horrible. Not like tire smoke, which I enjoy for some reason, just makes me want to vomit.

Clutch stink= burnt wet dog in a field of decaying grass.

clutch stink is worse than...

 

standing downwind while pumping fresh diff fluid into a rear diff at shoulder height?

 

diff fluid ... yuck. and if you get it on you by accident.... =(.

Clutch stink =worse than RE92's!!!1

Pulled my car up on ramps in the garage to change the oil, slipped the clutch a little to get up on them, clutch stink kept me out of my garage for a half hour...

HI GOT SUBARU LEGACY GT 2.5 L AND HAVE NOW 10,500 MILLES IT DOES SMELL I ALREDY DID 3 OLE CHENGE IN I PUT synthetic oil from subaru ...........

I have this problem in trafik only if car at front me !!!!! I think it's bad air filtration

Smelly Cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you?

As you run the GT in more and more, the actually smells will disappear. Unsure why the MY05GT is so different to the other models lineups. Dont seem to have this problem in Australia.

Adam.

Yea, the smell was really noticable the fist few times I got on it, but its not bad at all now, have not noticed it recently. I think it was just the first few times the cats really had to work casued the smell. Still a wonderful car... aside from a few minisqueeks (steering wheel, clutch), perhaps those to will resolve themselves overtime.

 

John D.

Has any 5EAT owner had the rotten egg smell? I have got the smell a few times, not very strong, but noticable.

 

Thanks.

Has any 5EAT owner had the rotten egg smell? I have got the smell a few times, not very strong, but noticable.

 

Thanks.

 

I'm using a loaner LGT auto right now while they prep my new ride and through 2 days driving it I have smelled this "egg" smell around 4 times... and the car has 5500 miles on it.

8500 miles here.

1600 miles and I get it from my AC. jesus..

14k miles EAT here; can still reproduce smell on hardish xway run. This is a safety issue that SOA needs to address ASAP.

 

Fumes entering the cabin defeats the exhaust plumbing.

Hey all, got a new 05 Legacy GT wagon in red, and have a couple questions.

 

Also not a total newbie... Ive been on NASIOC for about 3 years and this is my 3rd subie.

 

Anyhow, Im at about 800 miles on the car and have started to push the rpms up to about 5000, last night during a somewhat long drive compared to the distances I driven so far with the car I was getting some pretty noticeable egg smell from the cats heating up... Has anyone else noticed this? I usually notice it when your behind someone going up a hill or whatever, but this was coming from me? Maybe just the catalyst feeling the heat of the higher rpms and breaking in a bit?

 

I figure its nothing to worry about but need piece of mind you know.

 

Other than that I am loving this car, although I cannot get a definite answer on when the first oil change needs to be... and I read all 11 pages of the oil change/ maintenance section...

 

Thanks

 

John D.

 

John, and everyone,

 

Much of the rotten egg smell comes from the high sulfur/sulphur content in US and Canada gasoline formulations.

This high sulfur content reduces the cats ability to lower emissions.

Thus, help and low to no smell is on it's way!

EPA (US and I think Canada as well) has mandated low sulfur gasoline nationwide by 2006, diesel by 2007.

 

So, those of you who have this sulfur/rotten egg smell should get some relief on every gas station very soon. However, if you want to try and stop the smell now then change where you get gasoline and try a different brand. BP/Amoco started implementing low sulfur gasoline in a few larger markets quite a few years ago. Chevron/Texaco are also reported to have lower sulfur gas. Shell is questionable as they are a higher sulfur gasoline, although a lot of people like their fuel.

It seems that Suby cats are more susceptible to high sulfur fuel than other cars, and this does happen from time to time as certain cats constuction leaves it more susceptible to rotten egg/sulfur content.

 

Switch to another brand and see if it helps. And, be patient as by 2006 we should all see low sulfur fuels which will help give us cleaner air and better gasoline. Excellent!

 

There is another thing and that's that your emissions system may have a problem. Considering how widespread this issue is, it is not likely that there is an emissions system problem but you never know. Try a different brand of fuel or a couple different brands. If the smell is still there take it in to dealer and have them take a look. From the research I've done it seems that it's possible for a cat. to become damaged with continued high sulfur fuel use. In the US. the federal emissions warranty does cover the cat. I believe for a period of 8 years.

 

Try a different brand and report if it helped.

I prefer Amoco or Mobil.

 

TT

Shell is questionable as they are a higher sulfur gasoline, although a lot of people like their fuel.

 

i used to get teh smell until i switched to shell.