Weird/bad smell
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Joined: Apr 2018
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Weird/bad smell
Here's one for ya...
My car is a 96 been sitting for 11 years. I finally got it running a few weeks ago and I only drive around my neighborhood right now on short burst while still figuring out some things. 11 year old cars left for dead have lots of problems but that's expected. When we, me and my son, drive the car after just a few minutes there is a very bad smell in the cab its like a dead animal. At first I thought it was the clutch because when the car is sitting running or not you dont smell it. But after a few minutes of driving there it is. Its really bad. The more you smell it the more it smells like a dead animal.
Any ideas on where to look? I have had the motor and trans out and been under that car for endless hours and never smelled anything.
My car is a 96 been sitting for 11 years. I finally got it running a few weeks ago and I only drive around my neighborhood right now on short burst while still figuring out some things. 11 year old cars left for dead have lots of problems but that's expected. When we, me and my son, drive the car after just a few minutes there is a very bad smell in the cab its like a dead animal. At first I thought it was the clutch because when the car is sitting running or not you dont smell it. But after a few minutes of driving there it is. Its really bad. The more you smell it the more it smells like a dead animal.
Any ideas on where to look? I have had the motor and trans out and been under that car for endless hours and never smelled anything.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 181
Likes: 104
Most likely mold, poop, or an actual carcass of something inside the ventilation system, probably near the heater core or AC evaporator. You can remove the blower motor and take a look but unfortunately anything beyond that is a real PITA.
I recently acquired a '91 that I suspect had been sitting for years and it had a similarly awful smell. There was some evidence of mice droppings elsewhere. I tried leaving the windows open and the blower on high while spraying Lysol into the system. After a while the smell subsided and is pretty much gone now. Whatever was inside may still be inside but I figure that if I can't smell it anymore it isn't bad for me! Or at least not bad enough for me to be ripping open the HVAC. Did I mention PITA?
I recently acquired a '91 that I suspect had been sitting for years and it had a similarly awful smell. There was some evidence of mice droppings elsewhere. I tried leaving the windows open and the blower on high while spraying Lysol into the system. After a while the smell subsided and is pretty much gone now. Whatever was inside may still be inside but I figure that if I can't smell it anymore it isn't bad for me! Or at least not bad enough for me to be ripping open the HVAC. Did I mention PITA?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,724
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From: Fairfax Virginia
After owning my C3 for a few years I opened up the air circulation system and was grossed out to find a mummified mouse laying in the middle of the air flow. The whole time I was using the Fan to provide air in the cabin in rainstorms the mouse was stinking up the air. Mice happen....
While working on a C4 I discovered a 4 foot long snake skin behind the dashboard. No snake so I hope he was long gone. Where there are mice the Snakes will be close behind at least here in Virginia that is the way it works.
While living in Ethiopia my Mom got a 300 lb tortoise and we had to get it home. My parents borrowed a VW beetle from some friends and put the tortoise in the hood with a rope holding it closed as much as possible. Nobody ever told them that tortoises don't like Car rides, the tortoise pooped about five gallons worth of green STINKY poo. Years later the smell was still there.
While working on a C4 I discovered a 4 foot long snake skin behind the dashboard. No snake so I hope he was long gone. Where there are mice the Snakes will be close behind at least here in Virginia that is the way it works.
While living in Ethiopia my Mom got a 300 lb tortoise and we had to get it home. My parents borrowed a VW beetle from some friends and put the tortoise in the hood with a rope holding it closed as much as possible. Nobody ever told them that tortoises don't like Car rides, the tortoise pooped about five gallons worth of green STINKY poo. Years later the smell was still there.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 181
Likes: 104
While living in Ethiopia my Mom got a 300 lb tortoise and we had to get it home. My parents borrowed a VW beetle from some friends and put the tortoise in the hood with a rope holding it closed as much as possible. Nobody ever told them that tortoises don't like Car rides, the tortoise pooped about five gallons worth of green STINKY poo. Years later the smell was still there.
At least it then probably weighed a bit less to help get it off the hood!
