michele Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Can anyone tell us why is stinks so strongly of eggs. We are in the french Alps and if the heating is on it stinks . It stinks so strongly of eggs that it actually makes you want to vomit . Does this M/Home have a catalytic converter? Can anyone suggest anything to help please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b6x Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 When you say "heating on" - do you mean the cab heating or the van heating? I assume the smell is whilst you are driving along with the cab heating on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapide561 Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 I used to work in the rail industry and the bad egg smell was often a sign of gassing batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Tip some bleach down the plug holes and shower pan waste. Flush it into the grey tank with a little water and put the plugs in. That is almost without doubt the origin of the problem. (Or last nights curry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Michele: Diesel motors with catalytic converters don't produce that sort of smell, though petrol engines with 'cats' often do. So I believe you can rule that one out. I tend to favour Clive's explanation as a polluted waste-water tank can produce a horrid pong inside a motorhome. If you haven't got any bleach available, try draining the waste tank, then tip a healthy dose of toilet chemical down each plug-hole (sink, wash-basin and shower-tray) followed by a litre or so of water, then keep the plugs in. The vehicle's interior is likely to end up smelling of toilet fluid, but that will be better than rotten eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted December 24, 2007 Author Share Posted December 24, 2007 We found the smell thank you very much it is coming from the battery . It is so strong that as I say it makes you feel sick. My friend was trying to look out of her window to the mounatins behind and as she opened the window the smell was stronger she then realised that it was coming from the compartment under where the battery is. A nice french man came over and had a look . he shone he torch in and apparently there is three colours Grren White orange green being the best the battery is showing orange . The guy who owns the place is taking us for a new battery on wednesday. I would like to thank you all for suggestions it is appreciated. Merry Christmas all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp002c784tp002c784tp Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Hi Michele It sounds very much that your battery is over charging it might pay to check the Alternator as well. Terry (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Rapide561 - 2007-12-24 3:37 PM I used to work in the rail industry and the bad egg smell was often a sign of gassing batteries. Well spotted Rapide ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Yes well spotted. Check the battery terminal volts with a digital volt meter with a The engine running at fast tickover (14 volts or prety damn close) b The hookup connected ( may go a little above 14 for a little while but should come back to around 13.8 ish) To be sure which charging system is causing the overcharging. I suspect that the battery(both if its the alternator) will be cream crackered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted December 25, 2007 Author Share Posted December 25, 2007 had to take the battery out of the compartment . We have left it outside of there M/Home standing on a pallet you could not live with that smell it is hurrendos . The chap who owns the campsite here is taking friends in the morning to buy a new one . Thanks very much for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 25, 2007 Share Posted December 25, 2007 Michelle, Does the battery put out this emall when connected to the hookup or just when you are driving?. Its important that you identify the cause and rectify the problem, the battery smelling is very likely just a symptom. See my previous post. Take care my loverly! C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Cole Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Hi michele, sounds as if your friend had a a cell shorted out in the battery this would cause the other cells to overcharge causing excessive gassing and the subsequent pong (not nice) a quick look in the battery cells with the vent caps removed will confirm this. the faulty cell/cells will probably be low or dry and there will possibly be bits floating around, also the fact that you had a low voltage reading( orange)after comming of charge would rather confirm a dead cell. the new battery should rectify the problem. good luck with the rest of your trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted December 26, 2007 Author Share Posted December 26, 2007 Clive the battery stinks when on hook up only . We couldnt get a battery today the guy had an emergency but 10 am they will call for my friends and take them to collect it . Thanks again guys for all the help much appreciated . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi, This is probably OT....but worth knowing about. My wife had a brand new Yugo. After a couple of months it developed a very strong "fishy" smell. A couple of weeks after that, it developed a coolant leak. She managed to get it home, and phoned the main dealer. He came round immediately (only 15 miles) with a new radiator, which he fitted there and then. When he removed the old radiator, I was surprised to see the hose stubs were corroded away "Did they fit an old rad in a new car?" I asked. He showed me that the battery lead was clamped to radiator housing, and the insulation was rubbed away, so the battery was shorting to Earth thru the radiator. Only the radiator was rubber mounted, so the current had to flow through the coolant. Presumably the copper(brass?) radiator stubs were being electroplated onto the inside of the engine, and being eaten away. I assume this produced a gas which smelt of fish. Yugo changed the starter cable to an armoured version. Don't laugh, that particular car was crazy fast....change up into 5th gear at 100mph and gave 40mpg. My son has not yet forgiven me for trading it in against a Honda CRX. Er....I have know two car have their batteries EXPLODE when the key was turned to start the engine. Battery gasses are not nice things. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi Michelle, Well, that points to the main power unit. Does it look like the one on page 213 of the January 2008 MMM? If so the number to ring is on page 214. If you connect a new battery I suspect it will quickly suffer the same demise as the first one until the power unit is replaced / repaired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted December 27, 2007 Author Share Posted December 27, 2007 Clive , Do you get MMM so early because you are privelidged . stuck here in france so no chance of getting it here . :D will be reading it when we get back though. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 michele - 2007-12-27 11:31 AM Clive , Do you get MMM so early because you are privelidged . stuck here in france so no chance of getting it here . :D will be reading it when we get back though. ;-) Er, I don,t think so. MMM was late for us last month, most had recieved thers well before we got ours. The data you probably need is the number for Sargent Electrical as I guess your van has their kit. I have a 2 page write up on them following a visit after the York show. Thought I might as well pop in as its round the corner! Their help line is 01482 678981 Good luck, let us know how you get on. XX C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 This post brings back really bad memories - we purchased our 1st motorhome and took delivery in September 06. After a 2 week trip to France we were told that the cure for the leisure battery failing to keep its charge was that it hadn't been charged fully before delivery, so to put it on continuous charge for 3 days at home. On the 2nd day our neighbour called the gas board just before we came home from work, because he thought there was a gas leak in the road! They confirmed to me that it was coming from the motorhome and after opening it up (very carefully unlocking from a distance!) found the MH full of noxious gases. (Faulty battery had been installed). The result of this was that everything - & I mean everything - that had originally been white had turned beige and the orange hook up lead in the locker above the battery locker, had turned dark brown. As the vehicle was only a few weeks old and we had been following the dealer's directions we rejected the vehicle as "not fit for purpose". After several quick telephone calls, e-mailed photos of damage and visits from dealer and manufacturer, it was agreed to take it back and we had to re-order (another year before the new van was collected!). The damage and fumes were so bad that it had to be taken back to the factory by low loader. Nothing but praise for the way the situation was dealt with BUT what would have happened if we had been sleeping in the van when charging the battery? That "bad egg smell" is never to be forgotten so I am glad to read your friend's are now getting it sorted Michelle...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted January 2, 2008 Author Share Posted January 2, 2008 Ok now they are back in England obviously we had to drive all the way back with no battery connected . The guy at the campsite couldnt aquire a 110ah for us at christmas time . Anyway we drove all the way back with out it . It wasnt to bad as we drove until late at night and they only had to hop into bed we coulnt hook it up it was overpowering and made you vomit plus it stuck the place out you coulnt sleep with that . It goes to brownhills on saturday for its hab & its second service they have owned it two years now so I dont think its anything to do with the fact that it wasnt charged in the first place properly. The M/home is now for sale they have had enough shame really it hasnt been for them so they will lose quite a bit of money its only done 4,800 miles and its going lock stock and barrel snow chains cutlery the lot £30,000 been excelently lokoed after as it has lived its life in storage .. Very sad :-( Any buyers out there ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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