Rotten Egg Smell

Busnut83 · January 11, 2012, 11:40:08 PM

Its not my tanks... I run the 20k genset for hours with the compartment door closed... Trying to find where or what this could be.. mostly in the front of the bus... 98 prevost entertainer?

Ace · January 12, 2012, 02:45:14 AM

Sounds like a or some batteries are being overcharged!

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · January 12, 2012, 03:06:43 AM

Like Ace said...

I'll bet you find one of your batteries has a top either cracked or blown off completely.

The smell is one or more of your batts sulfafing and it's getting into your coach.

Good Luck
Nick-

JackConrad · January 12, 2012, 04:35:43 AM

As was mentioned, probably battery overcharging, another possibility is LP leak. Since LP is odorless, Mercaptin is added to LP to give it a rotten egg smell. The rotten egg smell from a battery will usually create more of a burning sensation in your nose from the battery acid than an LP leak. Jack

white-eagle · January 12, 2012, 05:21:07 AM

i had a similar problem a few months back. i kept looking for the gray water tank leak because it was a similar smell and i thought the wind was catching it just right. one day, it was particularly strong, so i really followed it. My center 31 on my bank of 3 starting batteries was just spewing battery acid spray out the top. as i tried to unhook cables and get it out, i had to get a rag to lift it becuase it was too hot to hold.

go out and find it now, before you have a huge mess or a small explosion. batteries that explode can be dangerous, and so is a potential fire from a shorted out battery.

robertglines1 · January 12, 2012, 05:42:24 AM

I wrote a long explanation computer dumped post: On my 98 the gen set is left rear driver side compartment. In roof of that compartment id exposed ducts/maybe covered with sound deadning. going length of coach . There were batteries there also. slots for wires etc are cut in them fumes enter there and travel in open ducts to front they dump out un capped just to right of driver seat behind top step landing fumes of any kind can get in any of the bays and travel. Bob

junkman42 · January 12, 2012, 07:38:15 AM

Have to tell this story! I have had the Parallel battery meltdown and overcharge blues more than once. About an hour into the trip to Arcadia I smell strong rotten egg smell! I pull over and check coach battery's, house battery bank box and no odor, no heat all is well. First thought is why Me but I decided not to ask the question for fear of a frank answer. Hours later the same thing again, same check again. Get back in bus and decide to get Myself a drink before proceding and upon opening the frig was bowled over by the smell. A dozen hard boiled eggs some with broken shells prepared by My loving wife!!! I will let You guess at the ensuing conversation. Should have realized that smell was after wife got up to get drink! All is well that ends well. John L

Busnut83 · January 12, 2012, 08:02:19 AM

You all have done it again... THANKS THANKS yes its my batteries... I have been charging them excessively.... They charge up but 4 hours latter they are dead.... Now i will remember a post a few weeks back about label the cables... 4 31 batteries are new to me.... mci-9 had 2 8Ds... less cables and cheaper too... thanks I thought this was a DUMB question and would get some silly replies... Thanks

robertglines1 · January 12, 2012, 08:05:40 AM

no dumb questions except one not ask!!! let you think thru it..rite! Bob

Runcutter · January 12, 2012, 12:16:51 PM

Back when I was a kid, I started in this business as a cleaner/fueler. We had a fleet of secondhand transit buses (old looks), and several times they came back to the garage at night with overcharging -- cooking batteries. It is a unique smell that I remember 40+ years later. I also remember the battery acid burning holes in my dungarees (we didn't call them "jeans" then). So, your experience is also beneficial. If it ever happens again, to you or someone around you, you'll know right away what it is. Good for you, in finding the problem.

Arthur

gus · January 12, 2012, 01:20:57 PM

Tom,

Another example of the need for a separate manual battery cutoff switch on each battery. Ganged battery cutoffs don't help when one battery decides to blow up because the other batteries feed power to it.

chev49 · January 12, 2012, 02:45:08 PM

i will have to add individual ones, i guess. I use the equipment battery cut off switches cause thats what i work on sometimes... they are expensive, but i get the point.. thanks for the information.

Bill 340 · January 13, 2012, 04:29:06 AM

A starting capacitor in a roof A/C will also smell that way when its starting to go, Mine smelled like a dead animal , took me a few days to find it, Easy and cheap fix if thats it

gus · January 13, 2012, 02:33:52 PM

'49,

You can buy "green knob" battery cutoff switches at WM for around $7, these are the ones I use.

chev49 · January 27, 2012, 01:13:38 PM

I stopped using the green knob battery cut-offs because they can have contact problems, and i only use master disconnect switches now - like the ones i have to buy for equipment. I did start using the knob ones many years ago on street rods but had some problems with them. Have had no problems with the others.