Propane smell????

Bondage · #1 10-19-2005, 03:01 AM

After having a full service done a couple of weeks or so ago on my '03 H2, I began to notice a strange odor - kinda like propane or natural gas - while driving with the windows down. I asked the tech about it, and he said it was just diff fluid that probably spilled a little when they were filling it. He seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and I bought the explanation. BUT - it has been a couple of weeks now, and the smell is stil present. Does this sound familiar or right to you guys? There is nothing leaking - at least not to the point of dripping in the driveway or being noticeable when I get down and look under the rig. With the recent rains, anything there should have been power washed away! So why the hell does my sweet looking rig smell so sour???
Anybody?

Sean

Bondage · #2 10-19-2005, 03:01 AM

After having a full service done a couple of weeks or so ago on my '03 H2, I began to notice a strange odor - kinda like propane or natural gas - while driving with the windows down. I asked the tech about it, and he said it was just diff fluid that probably spilled a little when they were filling it. He seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and I bought the explanation. BUT - it has been a couple of weeks now, and the smell is stil present. Does this sound familiar or right to you guys? There is nothing leaking - at least not to the point of dripping in the driveway or being noticeable when I get down and look under the rig. With the recent rains, anything there should have been power washed away! So why the hell does my sweet looking rig smell so sour???
Anybody?

Sean

rodster · #3 10-19-2005, 03:22 AM

You have a clan lab in the back of your truck? Assuming no, this was posted by partsguy in another thread. .

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">brand update -july1,2004
03-04-05 H2
propane odor in the vehicle
cause could be a sealer skip in the
rear wheel house area that could let the
rear axle vent vapors find their way into
the passenger compartment.
your dealer will have this update. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Also see this thread.

DennisAJC · #4 10-19-2005, 03:36 AM

STOP EATING HARDBOILED EGGS.

DRTYFN · #5 10-19-2005, 04:09 AM

2 lbs of sunflower seeds gave me perma-nerve gas.

Dan · #6 10-19-2005, 10:16 AM

Sunflower seeds are great! It's a snacktivity you know.

VTSTOMPER · #7 10-19-2005, 10:18 AM

I will smell it some times with my back window all the way down at low speeds. (IE:20-30mph) I think is smells like gear oil though....but if you are not sure what gear oil smells like, I guess i see how people can get propane out of it.

Bondage · #8 10-19-2005, 11:47 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rodster:
You have a clan lab in the back of your truck? Assuming no, this was posted by partsguy in another thread. .

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">brand update -july1,2004
03-04-05 H2
propane odor in the vehicle
cause could be a sealer skip in the
rear wheel house area that could let the
rear axle vent vapors find their way into
the passenger compartment.
your dealer will have this update. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Also see this thread. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks! Now what the hell is a "sealer skip"????? I'll take it in today, but I'd like to have a better idea of what I am discussing with my tech!

Thanks again

Sean

Arizona Hummerboy · #9 10-19-2005, 01:24 PM

It could be your Cadelliac Convertr going out.
I had the same problem and smell, and the Dealer replace the Cadelliac Convertr, and the smell went away.

Bondage · #10 10-19-2005, 01:48 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DennisAJC:
STOP EATING HARDBOILED EGGS. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Aha! While that was not the problem, Dennis's witty flatulance post forced me to think about "non-mechanical" sources for the smell..AND I FOUND IT! His girlfriend left her damn panties wadded in my back seat. Removed. Smell gone. Thanks.

Sean

Dan · #11 10-19-2005, 01:53 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Arizona Hummerboy:
It could be your Cadelliac Convertr going out.
I had the same problem and smell, and the Dealer replace the Cadelliac Convertr, and the smell went away. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

you mean Catalytic?

KenP · #12 10-19-2005, 04:45 PM

Most likely your converter. It should go away. How many miles are on your truck?

Bondage · #13 10-19-2005, 10:37 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by KenP:
Most likely your converter. It should go away. How many miles are on your truck? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

37k!?!?!? It only started after the last full service (several hundred miles ago). I'm taking it in tomorrow to have it checked out. I'll let you all know what they say. They are a Caddy dealer too, so if it IS the Cadillac Converter, they'll be able to take care of it.

Thanks for the suggestions - let's see who is right!!

Sean

PARAGON · #14 10-19-2005, 10:53 PM

Quite interesting, especially considering that neither propane nor natural gas has a perceivable odor.

The "rotten-egg" smell from both propane and natural gas is from an additive called mercaptan that is there just to let you know there is a leak. Otherwise, there is no other odor detection.

Now, to the smell from the H2. Do you notice it more when you let off the throttle and are slowing down? This is a good indicator of the converter. I will tell you that diff fluid smells nothing like the sulfurous smell you are talking about. Believe me, the smell is still in a couple of my shirts from Moab.

rodster · #15 10-19-2005, 10:57 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bondage:
Now what the hell is a "sealer skip"? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Go here and search for sealer skip and here's what you'll find. (I'm guessing this is a transcript of a training session since it's a GM training site.)

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

All right, now, our next issue we have on the H2 is an odor.

Customers may be concerned with an odor inside of the vehicle.

Now, that customer concern may be a propane smell in the vehicle.

Possible cause of the issue is a sealer skip in the rear wheel well that allows odors form the rear axle to vent through the passenger area.

Now, to resolve this issue, we want to remove the rear wheel house liners and reseal all of the seams.

I want you to pay close attention to the cavity in the front upper outer corner under the fender flange.

So, here's our tire here and we are looking forward here.

And this is the area that we want you to pay special attention to.

Got a exploded view here.

And you can see we've got some sealer down here but this area in here has been missed.

We want to make sure that we fill that entire cavity with the sealer to help prevent this concern.

But, again, make sure you go over all the seams in that rear area.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

DennisAJC · #16 10-19-2005, 10:58 PM

So I'm correct???

It's from eating eggs????

rodster · #17 10-19-2005, 11:49 PM

If you go to the GM training site, there's video but you can only see it if you use Internet Explorer and disable pop-up blocker. Look for the video icon in the top right of the search results.

There's lots of info there. Might be an interesting place to explore.

Bondage · #18 10-20-2005, 03:24 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DennisAJC:
So I'm correct???

It's from eating eggs????

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It obviously is.

Two techs spent abut an hour under my rig this morning checking EVERYTHING. They found NOTHING! Good news - I have no leaks or problems under there. Bad news, they have no idea where the smell is coming from. However, they report that the majority of these complaints seem to come right after a major service (as is the case with mine) and that the smell goes away in a few weeks. Weird, huh? I will say that either I am getting used to your girlfriend's foul panty smell,

or it IS getting to be less noticeable. If it's gone soon, I guess it'll be forgotten!

Sean

Dan · #19 10-20-2005, 03:34 PM

Didn't this problem have to do with the rear axle vent tube?

Bondage · #20 10-20-2005, 05:03 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dan:
Didn't this problem have to do with the rear axle vent tube? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That was one of the possible problems. But my rear tube is clean. Eeeeew. That just don't sound right.

Sean

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