Sulfur smell after an auto stop?

[Cobb]

I have had 2 times now that I was sitting at a light after driving 70 miles with hvac set to auto. When the car refires I smell like a burning sulfur smell. The smell goes right away with hvac turned off, you cant smell it outside the car and I get no idiot lights or any changes in performance.

Any ideas?

[JimJohnD]

After doing a quick search it looks like it might be coming from the exhaust. If you only smell it on the restarts I'd guess there is just a 'puff' of it. That would be why you don't smell it outside the car, by the time you check its gone. If the engine gets fuel before it starts firing properly there would be an instant of a rich burn condition. If this exhaust gas passes by the fresh air intake it would be drawn into the cabin. If this is the case, it too would clear quickly.

Here is a link that sums up what everything else I have found says. Most of my trips are short, so far I have not noticed any smell yet.

My car's exhaust smells like rotten eggs

[Piano Tuner]

What have you bean eating?

[MN Driver]

I don't know if I agree with the convertor aging and it going away, I've gotten it from driving 3 different cars too gingerly and then one day I notice it when merging into traffic and it sticks around usually until I give it a few good "wide open 0-60 runs", this sort of thing happens with my 213k mile Prizm occassionally, which is why I doubt it decreases with the age of the Cat. It likely stems from the gas you are using combined with how hybrids operate with auto stop letting the cat cool off a bit.

[8thcivic]

same here. i dont know if its a skunk or sulfur like smell but its like something went burnt. but this only happens to me when im going into my garrage which has a steep hill leading up to the drive way. the car hangs and then i give it some gas. i m not sure if this could be the clutch burning.

[Cobb]

Its either the brakes or cat, we dont have no stinking clutch or torque converter.

Originally Posted by 8thcivic

i m not sure if this could be the clutch burning.