Posted on 12/19/2025

A rotten egg smell coming from your car is hard to ignore, and for good reason. That sharp sulfur odor usually hints at a problem with fuel, exhaust, or even the battery, not something that will clear up on its own. It may show up only after a long drive at first, then start appearing sooner and stronger until it follows you everywhere. What That Rotten Egg Smell Usually Means Most of the time, a rotten egg odor points to hydrogen sulfide gas tied to sulfur in fuel or battery acid. Inside the exhaust system, the catalytic converter is supposed to turn that gas into something harmless. When the converter is overloaded or damaged, it may let more of that smell out the tailpipe. In other cases, an overcharged battery can vent a sulfur smell under the hood. Common Sources Of A Rotten Egg Smell In Cars A few trouble spots show up again and again when drivers complain about sulfur odors: Engine running too rich, dumping extra fuel into the exhaust and ... read more