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Smell under WOT?

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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 12:53 PM
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Default Smell under WOT?

I was a little hesitant to even start this thread, but here goes.

Yesterday, I did a 0-100 run on a nice empty road. My friend, driving his Subaru WRX, was behind me. I had the top off and could smell a very strong odor while I was accelerating. Not electrical, not burning rubber...I'm not sure how to describe it. I have not smelled this before, but I usually have the top on when I'm running at higher speeds. My friend actually commented on the smell when we stopped.

There was no smell at all when the car was stopped, so whatever it was dissipated quickly. I had the TC engaged and did not burn rubber. Any ideas? And no....I did not cr*p my pants.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 01:33 PM
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Pheromones?
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by StanNH
I was a little hesitant to even start this thread, but here goes.

Yesterday, I did a 0-100 run on a nice empty road. My friend, driving his Subaru WRX, was behind me. I had the top off and could smell a very strong odor while I was accelerating. Not electrical, not burning rubber...I'm not sure how to describe it. I have not smelled this before, but I usually have the top on when I'm running at higher speeds. My friend actually commented on the smell when we stopped.

There was no smell at all when the car was stopped, so whatever it was dissipated quickly. I had the TC engaged and did not burn rubber. Any ideas? And no....I did not cr*p my pants.
Stan, i get this smell also when heavy on the pedal. Most people are going to tell you that it's just part of "break in". I tend not to believe this since my car has just about 18,000 mi. on it and does it every time under WOT. I have an auto, it almost smells like a mixture of clutch and something else but i don't know why there would be some clutch smell in an auto trans. I'm not sure which trans. you have or how many miles but i get this smell and have no problems whatsoever with my car. It runs just like the day i got it. Hope some others have an explanation for this smell ?
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 02:27 PM
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Stan, My C-5 did this under WOT and so does my C-6. I believe it to be exhaust. Probably coming from the donut gasket that mates the exhaust manifold to the exhaust. It's not that bad that I can't live with it. Funny, neither of my older Vettes do this. Progress I guess!!
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 02:28 PM
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Originally Posted by chris36053
Stan, i get this smell also when heavy on the pedal. Most people are going to tell you that it's just part of "break in". I tend not to believe this since my car has just about 18,000 mi. on it and does it every time under WOT. I have an auto, it almost smells like a mixture of clutch and something else but i don't know why there would be some clutch smell in an auto trans. I'm not sure which trans. you have or how many miles but i get this smell and have no problems whatsoever with my car. It runs just like the day i got it. Hope some others have an explanation for this smell ?
I also thought it might have been a clutch smell, but I'm really not sure what it is. I wonder if it might be related to the TC pulsing the brakes to avoid wheel spin? My car is a 6 speed manual and has over 4,000 miles on it, so break-in is not an issue. All gauges showed normal values and the smell was definitely in the rear of the car. Very odd.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 03:01 PM
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Just sulfur burning in catalytic converters ?
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 03:40 PM
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Repeat with TC off. Possibly brake dust from the TC trying to hold back 400 hp.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by StanNH
I was a little hesitant to even start this thread, but here goes.

Yesterday, I did a 0-100 run on a nice empty road. My friend, driving his Subaru WRX, was behind me. I had the top off and could smell a very strong odor while I was accelerating. Not electrical, not burning rubber...I'm not sure how to describe it. I have not smelled this before, but I usually have the top on when I'm running at higher speeds. My friend actually commented on the smell when we stopped.

There was no smell at all when the car was stopped, so whatever it was dissipated quickly. I had the TC engaged and did not burn rubber. Any ideas? And no....I did not cr*p my pants.
Stan,
Gun powder residue. You were probably going faster than a speeding bullet. How the hell are you?
Regards,
Al
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 05:23 PM
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Originally Posted by FinnVette
Just sulfur burning in catalytic converters ?
Sulfur or a slight rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulphide is what I get.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by c6vette
Stan,
Gun powder residue. You were probably going faster than a speeding bullet. How the hell are you?
Regards,
Al
Hey Al. Still kickin'. I won't ask you why your car smells...I already know the answer.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 06:30 PM
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Stan, my first C6 did it as well. I don't notice is as much on my new one, but that could be just a coincidence, as I don't have a very good nose anyway. I have seen this mentioned before, so I thinks it's just something that a lot of them do, but no harm seems to come of it.

Tell your buddy in the WRX that you have a special container of "fart pipe" smell that you turn on when you are "having fun" at the expense of certain nationality of cars
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 06:33 PM
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Always heard that the "rotten egg" smell is the catalytic converter. Get a set of hi-flos from Random
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 08:03 PM
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Was it a sulfur type smell?
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by EB20003
Was it a sulfur type smell?
Absolutely not. My guess is it's either in the brakes or the exhaust manifold. I don't seem to be alone in this, so it's apparently not isolated. It also doesn't appear to be functional in any way, since the car runs great and feels very strong under full throttle.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by StanNH
Absolutely not. My guess is it's either in the brakes or the exhaust manifold. I don't seem to be alone in this, so it's apparently not isolated. It also doesn't appear to be functional in any way, since the car runs great and feels very strong under full throttle.

OK, OK, just asking. Just asking....The reason why I asked is because I have noticed that particular smell on one or two occasions with my own car after running it hard.

Hope you get it figured out.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 09:22 PM
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Must be the cats,I've got Headers and free flo cats on mine and there's no smell even when I redline to 6800 uh rpm...
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by StanNH
Absolutely not. My guess is it's either in the brakes or the exhaust manifold. I don't seem to be alone in this, so it's apparently not isolated. It also doesn't appear to be functional in any way, since the car runs great and feels very strong under full throttle.
Run it hard til it smells, stop real quick and pop the hood and start sniffing/looking around. Also sniff the brakes and tail pipes. You should learn quickly just what that odor is.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by StanNH
I was a little hesitant to even start this thread, but here goes.

Yesterday, I did a 0-100 run on a nice empty road. My friend, driving his Subaru WRX, was behind me. I had the top off and could smell a very strong odor while I was accelerating. Not electrical, not burning rubber...I'm not sure how to describe it. I have not smelled this before, but I usually have the top on when I'm running at higher speeds. My friend actually commented on the smell when we stopped.

There was no smell at all when the car was stopped, so whatever it was dissipated quickly. I had the TC engaged and did not burn rubber. Any ideas? And no....I did not cr*p my pants.
If there is a passenger in the car, maybe he crapped his pants. Or, maybe there was a ghost and he said Holy S**! Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll controll myslef for the rest of the week.

Last edited by 05_C6Z51; Aug 16, 2005 at 09:59 PM.
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 10:29 PM
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Originally Posted by EB20003
OK, OK, just asking. Just asking....The reason why I asked is because I have noticed that particular smell on one or two occasions with my own car after running it hard.

Hope you get it figured out.
Nice picture in your signature!
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Old Aug 16, 2005 | 10:47 PM
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I have had this happen before it is the smell of you smoking a wrx
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