engine smells like burnt gunpowder

**V8MUSCLE** · 06-10-2009, 11:36 AM

alright, the other night whenever i hit WOT i start to get the smell of burnt gunpowder coming from my engine. you can smell it inside the car aswell as out of the car. a buddy of mine was standing at his mailbox so i went wot past him. passed him around 40 and kept goin. when i got home he called me saying all he could smell after i went by was burnt gunpowder. so apparently its either a very strong smell, or something in the exhaust. i pulled in my garage and reved a few times to see if i could locate the smell and it stunk up my whole house.

any ideas?

i did find a small burnt spot where some pipe comes of my passenger side header at the front.

**0rion** · 06-10-2009, 11:47 AM

mods and do you still have cats? Cats will usually have a strong sulfer smell to them like rotten eggs though.

**6.0LiterImportEater** · 06-10-2009, 01:02 PM

Burnt gunpowder is a new one.

Do you have a catch can? You could be sprayin a good amount of oil in your intake at WOT. Check your oil to see if it starts disappearing more frequently. I'm not sure burning oil though compares with burnt gunpowder though...

**V8MUSCLE** · 06-10-2009, 04:32 PM

only mod is a slp cat back. still have cats. i have all emission and air stuff hooked up.

**0rion** · 06-10-2009, 04:50 PM

the only thing I can think of in the exhaust that would make a smell similar to that are the cats.

**V8MUSCLE** · 06-10-2009, 07:03 PM

could that mean the cats are going bad?

**6.0LiterImportEater** · 06-11-2009, 06:40 AM

Not usually. I still have cats and if I let her sit for a few days it smells like rotten eggs cause of the cats. If your cats go usually you will get a CEL from the rear O2 sensors.

**NoscamaroSS** · 06-11-2009, 08:14 AM

My vote is for your cats.

**GULLETT17** · 06-11-2009, 09:12 AM

my guess is just something touching the exhaust and melting/burning. . . if not, i agree, cats are also a suspect.

**astyles** · 06-11-2009, 09:14 AM

mine smell like that too...i have random highflow cats and after a wot run it stinks!

**V8MUSCLE** · 06-11-2009, 09:53 AM

i picked up a plastic bag the other week on the highway and it melted to my y pipe. it left a little on there but i zapped it with a torch and melted all i could see off. im getting new headers and ypipe and will try catless for a while.

**V8MUSCLE** · 06-11-2009, 09:57 AM

im probably gonna get it tuned after the headers and y pipe. i live next to frosts shop, hopefully he will be able to tell if somethings way out of whack.

**99 Formula** · 06-11-2009, 02:26 PM

i hate plastic bags...grrr... but my vote is to check your wiring next to the passengerside headder and then ditch the damn cats and run her see if it makes any difference..