Peculiar smell
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 306
Likes: 133
From: Raleigh, NC
Peculiar smell
Thanks to the weatherman I got caught in a rainstorm a few days ago and the roads were really wet from a downpour and started to pond a little and when I got home noticed when I got out there was this smell you get from tires when you let the air so to speak. It seems to have lessened quite a bit but is somewhat still noticeable when I get outside of the car. I figured it was the leftover moisture from the rain but should have gone away by now. Any idea?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 178
From: Jacksonville, NC
So probably not related to your issue but when I washed my vehicles I would get the exact smell you are talking about. I could not figure out what it was, for years. Recently changed the resin in my rinseless wash canisters and it hit me that was what I was smelling, the resin. I only mention this in case you washed your car afterwards with a filtration system that had resin in it. Smells like old hose or inner tube tire smell?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 306
Likes: 133
From: Raleigh, NC
So probably not related to your issue but when I washed my vehicles I would get the exact smell you are talking about. I could not figure out what it was, for years. Recently changed the resin in my rinseless wash canisters and it hit me that was what I was smelling, the resin. I only mention this in case you washed your car afterwards with a filtration system that had resin in it. Smells like old hose or inner tube tire smell?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 178
From: Jacksonville, NC
My next suggestion is to pull the cabin filter and 1) see if its wet or damp and 2) see if it has the smell you are describing.. If so, replace. Otherwise, I am at a loss. Some people have found dead mice/rats in this filter.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 306
Likes: 133
From: Raleigh, NC
Thanks for the suggestion but I only smell it outside around the car.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 719
From: Northeast MA & Mad Beach FL
Happened to me driving 2 hours straight in torrential rain in Florida.
After driving another 2 hours after the rain ended, we stopped to rest, and the smell was very noticeable when exiting the car, like fish smell.
Thought it was in the air from the area we were at until after another 3 hours drive, the smell was there again after stopping and only outside the car.
It was coming from the back tires/wheel wells and took another 2 days drive before it went away.
One reason mentioned in some of the threads was it's from rotting vegetation along the road side and heavy rain flushing the plant juice onto the road.
Again though, others have mentioned this and it always seemed to be coming from the tires, and wheel wells.
