# Sulfur smell during spirited driving
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [May 7, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609 "2010-05-07T10:35:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MazerMadness](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MazerMadness)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/1 "2010-05-07T10:35:37Z")
So I’ve got a 2002 maxima and during normal driving conditions is runs perfectly fine, however, when I get on it, and rev it up, passing on the highway, etc, a relatively strong sulfur odor fills the cabin…any ideas on what could be causing this?
I’ve heard rumors that it could be the O2 sensor, air/gas mixture is off and resulting combustion odor is sulfur…also heard something to do with the Catalytic converter…
Any info is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
---
### Author:  [@d240](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/d240)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/2 "2010-05-07T10:45:16Z")
hey man ive got a 2003 max 3.5l does exactly what yours does…no matter what fuel grade i run
---
### Author:  [@MazerMadness](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MazerMadness)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 10:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/3 "2010-05-07T10:46:30Z")
Yea, I run 93 100% of the time.
---
### Author:  [@d1kingz1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/d1kingz1)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/4 "2010-05-07T11:23:40Z")
> [@MazerMadness"](#):
>
> So I’ve got a 2002 maxima and during normal driving conditions is runs perfectly fine, however, when I get on it, and rev it up, passing on the highway, etc, a relatively strong sulfur odor fills the cabin…any ideas on what could be causing this?
>
> I’ve heard rumors that it could be the O2 sensor, air/gas mixture is off and resulting combustion odor is sulfur…also heard something to do with the Catalytic converter…
>
> Any info is greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks
It smells like that because you have a cat. My 180 did the same thing when i would drive it harder until i put a test pipe on it. Now since the cat isnt there, the fumes just come out smelling rich. Your speculation is exactly right.
Don’t be scurred:) Just smells like shit.
---
### Author:  [@crow](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/crow)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/5 "2010-05-07T15:38:33Z")
2002 altima 3.5 does it too.
---
### Author:  [@Mysterious\_240](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mysterious_240)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/6 "2010-05-07T15:45:22Z")
it means that you need a new cat…catayltic converters start to smell like that when they are no good anymore…
---
### Author:  [@Inn-Tune](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Inn-Tune)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2010, 7:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/7 "2010-05-08T07:53:16Z")
The cat is being overheated and damaged if it gets hot enough to stink like that. If the cat is getting that hot, your engine is taking a beating as well.
---
### Author:  [@Gl1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Gl1)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/8 "2010-05-08T08:05:19Z")
my moms minivan has always done this ever since it was new.
---
### Author:  [@crow](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/crow)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2010, 8:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/9 "2010-05-08T08:45:44Z")
I rented a brand new cvt altima 2.5. it did the same thing. even with a cat back and a cat delete Y pipe altimas gets some exhaust fumes under full acceleration. other cars do it to. I smell it when other cars try to speed past me when they are merging onto the highway. I also passed emissions with very low readings, and I still get that smell, i dont think it has any thing to do with the cat being bad.
---
### Author:  [@d1kingz1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/d1kingz1)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/10 "2010-05-08T14:30:50Z")
> [@Mysterious\_240](#):
>
> it means that you need a new cat…catayltic converters start to smell like that when they are no good anymore…
That can’t be true…The cat i took off my 180 is a high-flow HKS cat in pretty much brand new condition. And i passed the e-test with flying colours soooo I don’t think you’re right.
---
### Author:  [@MazerMadness](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MazerMadness)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2010, 9:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/11 "2010-05-10T09:43:50Z")
Appreciate the responses…It appears the consensus is that he Cat is the source of the problem…I guess I’ll just deal with it beacuse an OEM cat is $600+. I dont necessarily agree that the cat is being damaged…this smell has been occurring for some time now and my car just passed emmisions inspection with no issue, so its clearly still functioning properly from an emmissions standpoint…no indications that my engine is running hotter than normal either.
---
### Author:  [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/12 "2010-05-10T10:26:35Z")
Try getting your gas somewhere else.
[http://www.delphifaq.com/faq/f1188.shtml](http://www.delphifaq.com/faq/f1188.shtml)
---
### Author:  [@MaximaSE98](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MaximaSE98)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2010, 11:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sulfur-smell-during-spirited-driving/154609/13 "2010-05-10T11:09:34Z")
Damn Phil I told you cat at work last friday…as Mike said from Inn-Tune…ur engine could be running a bit hotter…even though you have no code a primary o2 could be on its way out too