How bad smells in your car like rotten eggs, burnt paper or maple syrup could be a sign of trouble under the hood

WE all love the new car smell, but what if your car stops smelling so new? There could be something wrong under the hood.

If you go out to your car in the morning and notice odd smells like rotten eggs or or burning paper, it could be a sign that you need to see a mechanic.

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But you might be able to diagnose the problem depending on the specific odor, according to engine specialists Cenex.

Here's some of the common issues that might cause a stink in your car:

Your car smells like a musty basement

A musty odor in your car could mean mold, mildew, or excess moisture is accumulating in the A/C system.

Try rolling the windows down, turning the A/C off, and blasting the fan, as this will help dry the system out.

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If that does not work try replacing your cabin air filter.

If neither of those worked, take it to a mechanic and have them deal with it.

It smells like maple syrup

A sweet, maple syrup smell indicates that your car is leaking coolant that contains ethylene glycol.

It could be coming from the intake manifold gasket, radiator, or cylinder head.

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Regardless of where it is coming from, make sure to have a mechanic look at this.

It could be a serious issue that you do not want to tackle yourself.

Your car smells like gasoline

Don't panic right away, if you spilled some gas on your shoes or pants then the smell will go away in no time.

However, if the smell is persistent then drive to a mechanic shop as soon as possible to get it looked at.

The source could be a broken fuel filler cap, a wonky fuel injector or a leaky fuel line or fuel tank.

If you are smelling gas, then that is gas not going into the engine.

You really do not want these issues, especially with todays gas prices.

You can smell rotten eggs or exhaust fumes

The stench of rotten eggs can indicate something is wrong with your car's exhaust system.

If you just smell exhaust fumes, then it could be a leak anywhere in the exhaust, or the door and window seals could be old.

Rotten eggs could also mean a problem with your catalytic converter.

Your catalytic converter is a part of the exhaust full of rare metals that react with the gasses produced by internal combustion engines, making them less harmful to the environment.

Rotten eggs could mean the catalytic converter is not properly processing a form of sulfur gas. Either way, quickly take your car to a mechanic

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Smell like burning paper

If you smell burning paper that is likely an issue with the clutch, if you have a manual gear box, or the torque converter, if you have an automatic.

You could be "riding the clutch" or depressing it as you're driving along.

If it is the torque converter then it is old or needs new fluid.

Car smells like burning carpet or rubber

A burning carpet smell would imply your brake pads are over-due for a replacement or you left the parking brake on.

Burnt rubber could mean a belt is loose and is slipping so bad on the pulleys it is attached to it is actually burning or it is coming into contact with hot engine components.

It could also come from old hoses that are being subject to higher than normal temperatures, in which case, you could be low on coolant.

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Burning oil smells

Burning oil could mean you are low on engine oil and/or transmission fluid. Get under the hood and check their respective dipsticks.

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If the amount of oil and fluid is normal it could be the wrong kind of oil and fluid.

If that is the case get the wrong oil and fluid out and get the right kind in ASAP. Maybe double check your car's owners manual this time though.

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