Ever since I got the car the interior smells. Ive tried multiple different ways to get the smell out and all of them work for a few days but eventually it starts to smell again. Everything from Febreze to scrub in carpet cleaner. The scent is something like old McDonalds french fries.
Anyone have any suggestions for something to try?
lol, i know the feeling ive been cleaning up a 2000z for a buddy and he has the same smell, i have tried everything, the thing that seems to make the biggest impact is to take an entire bottle of deoderizer and spray down everything fabric till its almost wet, then close up the car and let it bake in the sun...its been slowly making a difference but the smell still comes back...it might work for you though...
u should get ur carpet shampood
Can you find the part where it smells heaviest?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Saturday, April 03, 2010 11:24 PM
Kris Brickman wrote:Can you find the part where it smells heaviest?
Thats the thing thats confusing me. I cant isolate the smell anywhere. Its just like if I close the car up over night and go to bed and I come back and it smells.
Billy Mays would tell you to what odor it up!
Odor is caused by bacteria you should kill them. Steam clean all fabric mainly the carpet and seats(hot carpet extractors will kill bacteria) also check for wet spots the A/C may be discharging inside the car or water may be getting inside by a faulty seal on front or back windshield, check under the seats front and back and try to locate the source of the odor and remove it, remains of food, a dead mouse or whatever. After cleaning and disinfecting you could drop an old loaf of bread under the seat and replace it every week for 2 or 3 weeks they will absorb the remaining odor or bacterias. If you can get an ozone generating machine after all is dry drop it in the cockpit for as long as you can, ozone also kills bacteria, ventilate the car after ozone treatment or you will get a headache.
My 2 cts.Good luck
Change ur cabin air filter. Had a problem like urs and a guy at autozone suggested it. When I took the wiper cowl off and saw the filter I about gagged. There was rotting leaves and who knows what stuck on it. Hope this helps.
Jaysona1(Drag it to death) wrote:Change ur cabin air filter. Had a problem like urs and a guy at autozone suggested it. When I took the wiper cowl off and saw the filter I about gagged. There was rotting leaves and who knows what stuck on it. Hope this helps.
I was thinking that too since my dad did that on his Honda but all of the searches I found said that Js did have one.
Didn't know that, car I hadbproblems with was a neon. I'll have to pop the wiper cowl off the cav later and check.
There is no cabin filter on J´s
lol, change the cabin filter on a j...maybe later someone can help me change the radiator on my 1940 vw beetle...lol
Another place to check is the spare tire well. I had a car that got bumped from behind and it broke the seal around the rear window, which I didn't know about. Water was getting in and it settled in the spare tire well. I had an unknown smell too, and I found it by chance on a hot summer day when I opened the trunk and noticed water droplets on the inside of my trunk lid. I lifted the cover for the spare and there was about 6 inches of stagnant water in there. Just a thought.
binzer wrote:Another place to check is the spare tire well. I had a car that got bumped from behind and it broke the seal around the rear window, which I didn't know about. Water was getting in and it settled in the spare tire well. I had an unknown smell too, and I found it by chance on a hot summer day when I opened the trunk and noticed water droplets on the inside of my trunk lid. I lifted the cover for the spare and there was about 6 inches of stagnant water in there. Just a thought.
Haha yes I remember back in auto shop a kid brought in a car he just got and the thing reaked, stank somthin awful..
Interior was fairly clean, I pop the trunk to take a look around, same thing a little nasty pond had accumulated in the spare tire well.
I always check now before buying a car or helping a friend pick one out, pond stink is an obvious hint.
Clean the cabin air filter & shampoo the interior.. maybe go to the extent of replacing the carpet in the cabin & trunk.
binzer wrote:Another place to check is the spare tire well. I had a car that got bumped from behind and it broke the seal around the rear window, which I didn't know about. Water was getting in and it settled in the spare tire well. I had an unknown smell too, and I found it by chance on a hot summer day when I opened the trunk and noticed water droplets on the inside of my trunk lid. I lifted the cover for the spare and there was about 6 inches of stagnant water in there. Just a thought.
BINGO!
I had the same problem but it was caused by a leaking tail light seal. I drilled a couple tiny holes to drain the water, removed the tail lights and cleaned the seals and haven't had an issue since.
The funny thing is that when my ex drove this car, I used to blame the smell on her being a slob and filling the car with crap!!!
2.2 97 Cavalier......the "Crapalier"
