I don't know if anyone else has this problem. When I start up my xB in the morning, the exhaust smells really strong. I've owned and driven plenty of cars, and none of them smell this bad at startup. Is this something that needs to be looked at?

 

Seems normal to me.

 

Is your car brand new? Has it been broken in?

 

My xB does the same. I really notice it when the morning temps are below 40 deg. Probably has something to do with the Variable Valve engine?

 

I believe there is a TSB about this issue...

 

for what its worth, mine does the same.

 

It's incompletely burned fuel you're smelling, most likely. Unless it is a sulfur/fart like smell, in which case, its the catalyst.

Either way, if you just take it down for an emissions test, that will tell you if something is wrong. It's not unusual for exhaust to smell stronger when the car is cold though.

 

It's not unusual to have exhaust smells when you start the car, I now.... but mine is a lot stronger than any other new car I've driven. I mean it smells like a 20 year old car when you start it.

 

Ok, so is it more of sharp exhaust odor, or does it smell like rotten eggs?

 

In the morning...if I have my windows down, I smell burnt gasoline when I back out of my parking space.

 

Yup, and I have to wonder if this is why I see lousey gas milage. It's running WAY too rich when it's cold. Smells like a 72 Dart that needs a tune up or something.

 

yea. i can see my gas guage needle move down when i warm up my car in the morning. i think i burn more gas in idle than driving.

 

Not rotten eggs. It just smells like sharp exhaust smell. The other guys are prolly right- it smells like it's running way rich.

Actually it smells kind of like my old civic when it had an exhaust leak in the header before the cat.

Have anyone brought it in for service? This seems to be a common problem.

 

Do you know which TSB this is? I checked alldata nad the NHTSA, and I don't see anything like this.

I see something about zero point calibration. But I don't know what that is.

 

Anyone else has this problem? I really want to find a fix for this problem.

Running overly rich is bad for engine wear (and bad for gas mileage of course)

 

With my limited knowledge, it sounds to me like the catalytic converter is not doing its job. This is normal, because the cat is designed to work at the normal operating temperature of your car's exhaust. It doesn't work as efficiently -- or at all, as it seems in this case -- until your car is warmed up. I've noticed that all cars in my area behave in a similar manner that you described.

So, to answer your question, it's nothing to worry about at all.

 

I dont have any problem.

But I did notice that my new muffler needed breaking it. Smelled like new exahaust.

 

you have to keep in mind when your car starts computer dumps a lot more gas into the engine...it is just not using it all and the cat is not warm enough to work yet....they never emission test a cold car

 

mine does same

 

i've noticed it too, mainly on really cold days. but it always goes away once the car is warm.