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when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

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14 captured repliesPartial discussion capture · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW

Discussion summary

YOUR RESEARCHwhen I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

Leading reported evidence

Replace air cabin filter

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

No successful repair reported for this finding.

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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

My air cabin filter has been changed, so it seems to come in through the vents.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds
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Leading evidence: 'Replace air cabin filter' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'cabin filter or a clogged condensate line' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace air cabin filter' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.

Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.

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1 matching discussions · 14 captured posts examined · 1 partial discussions

Compare 4 other evidence results

Replace cabin filter my car had

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

I couldn't help but notice when I last changed my cabin filter my car had that new smell again.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

cabin filter or a clogged condensate line

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that suspect a cause
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suspected cause

Probably the cabin filter or a clogged condensate line.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

Replace cabin filter

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

You probably need to replace the cabin filter.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

Replace every year or 12k miles

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

In those early cars the service schedule says replace every year or 12k miles and on the later cars its every 2 years or 20k miles.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds
Frequently discussed actions (4)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

Replace air cabin filter

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

My air cabin filter has been changed, so it seems to come in through the vents.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

Replace cabin filter

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

You probably need to replace the cabin filter.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

Replace cabin filter my car had

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

I couldn't help but notice when I last changed my cabin filter my car had that new smell again.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds

Replace every year or 12k miles

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion

In those early cars the service schedule says replace every year or 12k miles and on the later cars its every 2 years or 20k miles.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds
Reported and suspected causes (1)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

cabin filter or a clogged condensate line

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Discussions that suspect a cause
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suspected cause

Probably the cabin filter or a clogged condensate line.

Original post Read captured discussion
when I start my car I smell a stinky smell for like 5 seconds
Coverage and how to read this overview

Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.

14 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

  • Planet-9: 1 discussions

0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.

0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.

Generation: 20261026T191851Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1Original post

My car currently has 15000 miles on it. When I start my car from cold. Occasionally I smell this stinky smell but it disappear quite quickly. I have a 2006 CS without climate control.

POST 2Original post

You probably need to replace the cabin filter. Cabin Filter Replacement

POST 3Original post

Darn, Nick beat me to it. I couldn't help but notice when I last changed my cabin filter my car had that new smell again.

POST 4Original post

I agree. Probably the cabin filter or a clogged condensate line.

POST 5Original post

I get the smell some mornings also when I start the car in the garage. My air cabin filter has been changed, so it seems to come in through the vents. If the car is started outside, I don't get the smell.

POST 6Original post

Similar problem too........ ...Then I realized the neighbor's cat hasn't been around for a while....:hilarious: .

POST 8Original post

I have the same problem occasionally. Can the air filter be reused by removing and vacuuming, before being reinserted again?

POST 9Original post

Sometimes this problem happens due to mildew in the lines/condensor/filter... especially happens if you run it in recirculation mode all the time... which you have on in the pic. I suggest this product http://www.detailersdomain.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=41

POST 10Original post

Its probably worth noting that the Pollen filter (as we call it in the UK) is the same part in the earlier 986 and 996 cars as the newer 987 Boxster and Caymans. In those early cars the service schedule says replace every year or 12k miles and on the later cars its every 2 years or 20k miles. The filter isn't any better so for the sake of roughly £20 (sorry not up to date on USD exchange rate) and approx. 15 mins of time its probably worth switching over sooner.

POST 11Original post

Cat pissed on my car the other day and it took me a bit to figure out what the "smell" was when I first started up. Turns out he pissed on my driver's side exhaust and rear bumper.

POST 13Original post

Does it smell like sulfur? When your engine first starts (esp when it is cold outside) the fuel injection system will run in open loop mode which will often cause the fuel mixture to be a little rich and thus produce alot of unburned air-fuel mixture and hence a stinky sulfur smell. This will last for 1 to 3 minutes until the various sensors warm up enough to switch over to closed loop mode which focuses on emissions and fuel efficiency.

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