Bad or Burnt Exhaust smell in cabin during hard acceleration.

[dragonexplorer12]

Oh great...

Regional service manager suggested that I let my dealer perform that TSB to see if it had any effect on the sulphur smell. Right after they performed it, a Ford Tech just happened by on an unrelated call and told my service tech, "Yeah... that's not going to fix the sulphur smell, we're still working on that one". That was a month ago.

SO...was the smell resolved 100%, decreased or no significant difference after they performed the TSB -12-8-8 on your unit? Just curious even if the Ford Tech said the above...

Thus far, I haven't been using the rear A/C that much since the front A/C is already enough to cool the rear area (I had dealer installed tints for windshield and front windows).

I'm just worried that once I turn on the rear A/C more often then the smell will get worse than the first time I noticed it coming from the front vents.

Here's to hoping and praying...

 

[FordService]

For those who missed my previous post, it’s important that I escalate this up to your regional Customer Service Managers. So I can do this, please send me a PM with your contact information (including VIN, approximate mileage, and dealer name/state).

...I know FORD will fix the problem...but when is the question...

Have you tried calling the Middle East Customer Relationship Center @ +971 (0) 4 3326084 for help yet?

...I've read about the burnt oil smell before and unfortunately, when I punched or floored the Ex to get up to speed after the toll booth, the burnt smell was there...

dragonexplorer12,

Because you live outside the United States, I suggest calling the Philippines CRC @ +63 (49) 541 5000 for further assistance.

Cory

 

[gpzrider]

SO...was the smell resolved 100%, decreased or no significant difference after they performed the TSB -12-8-8 on your unit? Just curious even if the Ford Tech said the above...

Absolutely no change. Smells exactly as it did before the TSB. I'm sure my service guys were really happy to charge Ford for the needless replacement of cooling parts. I guess you can call me a "job creator".

 

[tjEXPLORER11]

Why has this BURNT OIL SMELL thread turned into a SULFER SMELL thread? The two issues do not appear to be the same thing at all.

FORD has no idea what to do about the BURNT OIL SMELL, accept to say, "Bring it in, we'll look at it".....been there done that, nothing was solved. The only solution I can find is trade it off, buy a different brand.

 

[gpzrider]

Why has this BURNT OIL SMELL thread turned into a SULFER SMELL thread?

Mine originally smelled like burning oil after hard acceleration but after 9 months it has become more of a sulphur smell. :roll:

 

[JCat]

In an attempt to fix this problem, I am curious if anyone has tried gutting their CATS or replacing them with something different ????

(Dear Ford, I am waiting for you to fix this problem before purchasing an Explorer.)
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[MikeTheExplorer]

In an attempt to fix this problem, I am curious if anyone has tried gutting their CATS or replacing them with something different ????

(Dear Ford, I am waiting for you to fix this problem before purchasing an Explorer.)
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me too, Im subscribed to this thread and check it constantly, and although I like the explorer, I am waiting for them to fix the problem before I even buy it

BTW I read about a guy that installed a Air Intake and got rid of the problem, however, it made his engine slightly louder... not sure if that's the route I would take if I buy.

 

[dragonexplorer12]

Just noticed the smell again during our travel today. The smell is like a combination of burnt oil and electrical. As much as I wanted to avoid hard acceleration, I had no choice today since I had to pass a truck and a bus.

Smell comes in the cabin through the front and rear vents even if the RECIRC is on when I've hit the 5500-6000RPM range. Had to open the window til the smell dissipated. *sigh*

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

Wow now its electrical also, people are just going crazy. I had a 2008 cts that did the same when gunned, this thread is a laugh !!! Sorry but that is my opinion !!!

 

[peterk9]

Wow now its electrical also, people are just going crazy. I had a 2008 cts that did the same when gunned, this thread is a laugh !!! Sorry but that is my opinion !!!

I fully agree that it isn't unusual to have that sulphur smell after a burst of acceleration forces more exhaust through the catalytic converter. It happens in many vehicles but I don't think you should be pulling your own exhaust gases into the cabin while you are driving. Smelling it from a vehicle ahead of you or while you are standing next to yours is one thing. Actually pulling the exhaust fumes into the cabin while driving down the highway is quite another issue.

Peter

 

[JCat]

In a surprising about-face, Ford Motor Co. dropped to nearly last place in Consumer Reports auto reliability survey released today.

 

[dragonexplorer12]

Wow now its electrical also, people are just going crazy. I had a 2008 cts that did the same when gunned, this thread is a laugh !!! Sorry but that is my opinion !!!

Please read my post carefully and particularly note the "The smell is like a combination of burnt oil and electrical." I never wrote it is electrical alone.

Anyhow, I agree with Peter that when any vehicle is gunned, that type of smell or fume from the outside shouldn't be entering the cabin especially while RECIRC is ON otherwise it could prove to be futile for the driver and passengers.

I've pushed different cars (i.e. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and even '03 Ford Expedition) before but never did I encounter a smell entering inside the cabin and immediately after a few seconds for that matter. Hitting the 5k-6.5k RPM then there goes the smell.

By the way, try to laugh when you encounter that smell while riding with a 4-month old baby and your wife in the car. :

 

[CajunFordEx]

In a surprising about-face, Ford Motor Co. dropped to nearly last place in Consumer Reports auto reliability survey released today.

Sorry JCat but anything coming from an ABC blog is biased as is Consumer Reports.

ABC stands for Anything But Correct.

My wife is the main driver of our Explorer and is a speed maniac sometimes and has never encountered the "smell". I have drove it hard on occasions and never encountered it also. It doesn't happen to every Explorer it seems.

 

[willyexpy]

Wow now its electrical also, people are just going crazy. I had a 2008 cts that did the same when gunned, this thread is a laugh !!! Sorry but that is my opinion !!!

I just can't seem to understand why American car buyers are "okay" with stupid things like this. Really, my CTS smelled like crap and that's "normal". WTF...?

I'm so blown away with how much is "acceptable". Sorry, but buying a new vehicle, I expect to turn the key, go, and not have issues. I don't want to smell exhaust in the car with recirc on, I don't expect to be changing a battery when the vehicle has 6K miles. I don't expect the car to idle rough. I don't expect a shudder in the tranny. I'm really trying to be a fan, but at this point, in 11 months, there will be another "foreign" vehicle in the garage unless things are all up and up from here. Sorry, I expect more.

 

[VinceL]

Drove an Escape 2.0ecoboost loaner car yesterday. Of course, I had to test its acceleration. Doing so, I noticed something - the sulfur smell. It wasn't as strong, but it was there. The Ex isn't the only car doing it. A/C running with recirc on.

 

[peterk9]

Drove an Escape 2.0ecoboost loaner car yesterday. Of course, I had to test its acceleration. Doing so, I noticed something - the sulfur smell. It wasn't as strong, but it was there. The Ex isn't the only car doing it. A/C running with recirc on.

This isn't unusual. Many vehicles will do the same under 'stress'. There is suphur in the gasoline you buy and some gasoline brands have higher levels of it than others. Most of the sulphur is trapped in the catalytic converter but a sudden burst of exhaust through the converter can expel some of it.

Peter

 

[dragonexplorer12]

So there is a high correlation between the smell coming in particularly during hard acceleration and while A/C or heater is on and in RECIRC ON MODE. Hmmm...I wonder why the smell is sucked in even if RECIRC is ON.

I remember reading a post from a forum member who modified his air intake and reported a decrease in the smell. It might be since he gained more torque from his mod then he didn't have to step on the gas that hard any longer thus avoiding the HIGH RPM range.

 

[VinceL]

This isn't unusual. Many vehicles will do the same under 'stress'. There is suphur in the gasoline you buy and some gasoline brands have higher levels of it than others. Most of the sulphur is trapped in the catalytic converter but a sudden burst of exhaust through the converter can expel some of it.

Peter

While you may be correct Peter, I have never owned nor ridden in another car that has shown this behavior. This includes many brands, both foreign and domestic, and in different regions of the US with all of their various emissions requirements. My parents have owned several Fords in the past and none of them did this. Also, if it expels the sulfur odor, that is not a problem. The issue is that it is finding its way into the cabin of our vehicle. I find this even more curious as the car is accelerating and any odor should be left in the dust, so to speak. It's not like we are punching it while in reverse and driving through the cloud of exhaust.

In regard to the sulfur content, we have sampled gas from dozens of different gas stations, brands, and octane levels in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. I think that is a pretty good sample size to evaluate. Since the car has always produced this smell in the cabin, it would seem that all of those gas stations have high sulfur content in their gasoline. My reasoning is that the sulfur content shouldn't matter, the fact that we smell it in the car is the problem. It's like if the car was burning oil and blue smoke is coming out of the tail pipe. There is a reason for it, but you shouldn't be able to see blue smoke coming out of your A/C vents. That would illustrate a problem going way beyond a smoking engine.

 

[zed512]

All,

I was just informed by Ford Customer Services that a TSB will be released in 2 weeks time to fix this problem.

I will let you know if I hear anything further.

 

[FordService]

I want to see this concern taken care of, guys. In case you haven’t already done so, please PM me your contact information via PM (including your full name, daytime phone number, dealer name/state, VIN, and mileage) so I can forward this up to your regional customer service managers.

Cory