I recently just purchased a 1998 240 and it only had 68,000 miles when i got it, now it has around 70,000. The engine is in perfect condition, under the hood it looks brand new, no leaks, no nothing. Drives purrrfect. Only thing is, when I really get on it from lower speeds a funny smell appears, it happens more often when people ride with me, and usually the more people the stronger the smell, guess it makes the engine work harder (that'd be 3 people btw, haha). There no excess exhaust smoke, engine oil is perfect color, so is transmission, and all at proper levels. I have no clue where this smell is coming from, its kinda sweet smelling, and its not the coolent. Only thing i can thing of is that its dumping too much fuel?!?!?!

any ideas???

 

A sweet smell? lol. I have a 98, mine is running rich because im getting bad 02 readings. Are you getting a sulfer smell?

Robbie

 

Not a sulfur smell, the smell is quite different then anything other smell. To me it resembles fuel the most. It never happens if I accelerate normal. But as soon as i get on it, the smell appears, not so much when im by myself but with 2 people in the car its quite noticeable.?????????????????

 

Maybe your passengers are passing gas Naw JK i have no clue

 

Yes, recently i have payed a little more attention to it, and it indeed is a sulfur smell, what does this mean . I got in a parking lot and gave it a little ummmmph, then got out and smelled all around my car, and definately a sulfur smell.
If anyone can help me, feel more than free!!
Thanks

 

check your 02 sensor it is most likely covered in soot and that yould mean you gotta replace it. i have no idea if it is not that
anyother ideas anyone

 

Could you have a rusted exhaust pipe, lettiing gases leak back into the car?

Could be the power steering fluid/pump burning out.

Could it be your alternator? Electronics make a sweet smell when they wear out.

 

what does it mean if there is a sulfur smell?

 

i think i have a similar problem...i have a 95..but it is kinda like an electronics-are-burning type smell...i have no idea what it is either...

 

So does anyone have an answer if the engine is producing a sulfur smell??

 

anyone????
Anyone???????

 

did you do anything they suggested? Saying something smeels like sulfur doesn't narrow it down much. Check your O2 sensor and your alternator and all your basics. The most important thing will be to determind the source of the smell, why not try that first? Sounds like something that gets worse with more workload on the engine, so try and determine what it could be, you're sure it's not a burnt oil smell? Track it down and we'll go from there.

Dr.

 

I just needed some kind of suggestion or idea to where the smell might be coming from. Seems to me, that a specific smell like sulfur could be caused from a small number of things, being that sulfur is a chemical and not any ol' thing will smell like it. I know its not the alternator because I have absolutely no electrical problems, and i know what a dieing alt. smells like. And its kind of hard to look under the hood and give it a sniff when im driving. I have tried stopping and getting out and seeing what it could be, but no luck. I was wondering if someone had this similar problem and new what it was, and or how to fix it. It would make it a tad bit easier to fix that way, instead of replacing every possible culprit.

 

have you tried opening the hood.. revving it thru the engine and try to narrow it down from there? i didnt read any posts saying you did...

 

I've had the same problem, I imediatly thought it was coming form the o2 sensor, i passed emmisions and have noticed to problems exept for the smell. I haven't done anything about it, so im really not sure what it is, but i would put money on it its something in the exhaust.