Could this be the head?

[TurboBird]

Ok, at first I thought I had 3 problems, but I am beging to think it may just be one problem w/ the head.
(1) I thought I had a bad/clogged Cat b/c I was getting this really bad smell , I mean it was like the sewers had backed up. I took it to a shop to get new bolts on my cat and we looked at it no bad cat, but alot of carbon build up. The guy said it didn't have anything to to with the cat then, but, I don't remember exactly what he said, I believe he said it may be something with the head.
(2) If my car was not being a stinky DSM the engine would heat up really bad. So I took it to Speedy, told the dude how when I would be stopped at a light my engine would be cooler then when I gave it gas and would move the engine would tart to heat up. The dude there said that the problem may just be a thermostat or a clog, but that something like that sounded more like it may have to do with the head. So I changed the thermostat and it still over heated, but then it stopped over heating and it was stinky agian.
(3) I have been having problems with keeping good power. My light will dim, head lights and gauges, and my radio will turn off and on.
The first two never happen at the same time, but the last happens all the time.
This is wierd. Can anyone help me?

 

[xcelr8n]

ummm im only familiar with your last problem, similar thing happened to me, lights would dim, car would loss ALOT of power and a CEL would come on.
believed it was my ecu caps, pulled it apart, sure enuf green crud had leaked out!!
problem no longer exists, and for the smell, i dont know, do a compression test though, that should tell you if your head is fubar or not

 

[midnght]

Are you having any white smoke coming from your exhaust?

Is there any oil in your coolant (vice versa)?

 

[qwall]

Originally posted by xcelr8n
ummm im only familiar with your last problem, similar thing happened to me, lights would dim, car would loss ALOT of power and a CEL would come on.
believed it was my ecu caps, pulled it apart, sure enuf green crud had leaked out!!
problem no longer exists, and for the smell, i dont know, do a compression test though, that should tell you if your head is fubar or not

I doubt it's the ecu, more likely to be bad alternator

 

[midnght]

Yeah, I was thinking Alt. aswell, but I have never heard of the sewer smell coming from that.


It might be a combination of things happening at once. I would say head (smell) and alt. (dimming accesories).

 

[qwall]

doesn't it smell sometimes when your cat is going bad?

 

[midnght]

Not like a sewer, but everyone's nose is different.

 

[-GSX-Falcon]

I have heard that a leaky ECU can smell like rancid fish. Might want to have that looked at, as it can cause some of the electric problems you have stated,

 

[midnght]

Originally posted by -GSX-Falcon
I have heard that a leaky ECU can smell like rancid fish.

Yes, this is true. Smells like a pack of sardines.:thumbdown

 

[TurboBird]

Ya, I had the alt checked out when the dimming first started happening they could find anything wrong with the alt. So this one still stumps me.
I have not yet checked the ECU, but I will check that next as well as have some done to a test on the head.
I don't have not noticed any white smoke or anything coming out the exhuast.
Thanx for all the help

 

[Damn 2nd Gear]

did someone pour something stinky into yer freshair vents? my buddy mixed urine and eggs in a pickle jar and let it sit in a sunny spot for a lil over a week then poured it in his exgirlfreinds fresh air vents