Test drove a Jeep with rotten egg smell

[svtrit]

I’m shopping for a pre-owned Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Having finally found one worth actually driving after looking it over, I was almost through the test drive when I started to smell a rotten milk smell. I had been driving with the window down to listen for noises, and rolled it up for the last half of the drive.

The Jeep was fantastic in every way but that smell. Of course the salesman smelled nothing bad. The smell was faint, but if I could smell it, my wife would definitely smell it. I told him no thanks and walked away. He offered a full detail, but I didn’t “feel” it was the right car.

What would cause that smell? It had been detailed. AC was on as it was 83 degrees outside. Was something rotten in there?

When you all buy a car, do you ever just know it’s the right one? My gut was saying walk away even though it was a nice Jeep.

 

[fantastic]

Plugged/damaged catalytic converter

EDIT: You said rotten milk smell, I thought you said rotten egg smell. Rotten egg smell would point to plugged catalytic converter.

 

[Chris142]

You should hace hooked a scanner up to it and looked at the monitors. If they were just reset then they are clearing codes right before you got there.

 

[AZjeff]

One or the other, sulphur egg smell or spoiled milk? No idea what a rotten egg smells like.

 

[eljefino]

Smells come from inside the guts of the AC-- mildew, mold, disease... Pass on this thing, could be a flood car.

 

[Junk]

Short trips can cause the cats to get loaded up with fuel and stink like sulfur once they get hot. May just need a couple hours on the interstate to clear it up. I agree with Chris though too, seeing if the monitors have all run is a good idea too.

 

[wings&wheels]

17 year old Daughter of the seller spilled her Acai smoothie or Lord knows what from Starbucks which never leaves the carpet no matter how hard you work the Bissell?? Ask me how I know.

 

[dishdude]

Always trust your gut.

 

[svtrit]

It was definitely rotten milk, not egg. Flood car was my thought too.

 

[dishdude]

It was definitely rotten milk, not egg. Flood car was my thought too.

It's a Wrangler, could have taken in rain if the previous owner left it out in a storm with the roof off.

 

[Lyman]

When buying used, you will always have something that needs to be taken care of. It's pretty much a given. It's up to you how much and what issues you want to deal with.

 

[ripcord]

You didn't by chance notice any stray Cheerios in the back seat, lol? At one time in our lives my cars smelled of sour milk.

 

[Nick1994]

Was it after heavier acceleration? My 2014 Grand Cherokee did that. No codes or CEL.

 

[daves87rs]

Pass….and quick!

 

[vavavroom]

Smell the driver seat cushion very carefully. You could be dealing with a prolific egg suffering from flatulence.

 

[vavavroom]

Short trips can cause the cats to get loaded up with fuel and stink like sulfur once they get hot. May just need a couple hours on the interstate to clear it up. I agree with Chris though too, seeing if the monitors have all run is a good idea too.

In older vehicles the exhaust often smells like rotten eggs/sulfur until the cats warm up. By older vehicles I mean vehicles made before 1990 or so. I think more modern cats warm up much faster and avoid the stench for the most part.

 

[billt460]

Smell the driver seat cushion very carefully. You could be dealing with a prolific egg suffering from flatulence.

This whole thing is starting to go south.

 

[Pterostylis]

Of course the salesman smelled nothing bad

Maybe the smell was the salesman?

 

[Egg_Head]

Probably spilled something into the dash from the Kum & Go.

 

[D60]

My SuperDuty smells of crayons every time the heat is on.....

Doesn't bug me but I'd love to get a look down the defrost vents

OP, you said it didn't feel right and I agree you should trust your gut. Just keep looking.