de-stinking a car interior

"m6onz5a" > wrote

snip>
> --
> aem sends...

Check behind the dash, in the ducts as well.

Boy this reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry's car got
some BO and he couldn't get it out. He wound up giving the car away
after he couldn't sell it.



Yeah, the valet. That was a funny one.

On Mar 19, 10:25*pm, aemeijers > wrote:
> I'm sure this has come up on here before, but I can't remember what the
> best recommended product was. I think something died in my van, and I
> need to de-stink it. I pulled the *removable seats loose and did an
> eyeball inspection, but found no little corpses. Not yet desperate
> enough to pull the carpets and interior panels. Used up my remaining
> quarter-bottle of Febreeze, too soon to tell if it helped. As usual with
> these things, smell is worst after van has been sitting closed for
> several hours. Smell arrived with the warm spell a couple days ago.
>
> Will it dry up faster if I leave it parked in sunshine with windows up,
> or windows down? And what is best product to saturate the suspect part
> of carpets and end of floor heater ducts with? (No stink apparent from
> the dash ducts, or seating surfaces, or underside of the seats I flipped
> over)
>
> Does simple mold ever smell like decomp?
>
> If I leave it parked outside for a month and drive the spare car, will
> the problem eventually solve itself?
>
> --
> aem sends...

You likely have a dead mouse in the heating ductwork or blower. Used
to be a common problem in our shop when the sports car owners brought
their toys out of storage in the spring. Datsun 240/260Z's were the
worst, Triumph's right behind. Keep looking and good luck.

Joe

On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:25:25 GMT, aemeijers > wrote:

> Smell arrived with the warm spell a couple days ago.

I bet if you used a dog, it may locate the odor. "Willow", a chocolate
Lab visited our house recently. She dug up some of my dog's toys -
buried rib bones and raw hides

Watch the dog when in the van and observe where she may focus and
smell.

Baking Soda on the carpet, a sitting bowl of vinegar will also take
out some orders.

Oren wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:25:25 GMT, aemeijers > wrote:
>
>> Smell arrived with the warm spell a couple days ago.
>
> I bet if you used a dog, it may locate the odor. "Willow", a chocolate
> Lab visited our house recently. She dug up some of my dog's toys -
> buried rib bones and raw hides
>
> Watch the dog when in the van and observe where she may focus and
> smell.
>
> Baking Soda on the carpet, a sitting bowl of vinegar will also take
> out some orders.

We had a bird fall down our chimney last evening, thankfully before it was
too dark for my aged eyes to cope. Oh blanketty blank, thought I. I've been
here before several times. I got all the kit together to remove the gas fire
and the blanking board around the chimney. Flutter, flutter as I was trying
to help the poor beastie escape.

Here on the Right Side of The Pond there is now some doubt as to whether I
should have legally disconnected the gas pipe prior to lifting the fire off
the wall ( but blow that, I shall). I was about to remove the sealed backing
plate (which would have caused serious hassle in reinstallation, when the
bird flew out through the small ventillation gap and went directly out of
the previously opened patio door. No mess or crap in the house! Success.

Job done, fire reinstalled and gas reconnected.

Our wolf was then allowed into the room and immediately focussed upon the
fire and knew there were odd issues that he should resolve. I smiled
watching him in puzzlement.

On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:25:25 GMT, aemeijers > wrote:

>I'm sure this has come up on here before, but I can't remember what the
>best recommended product was. I think something died in my van, and I

I wouldn't waste my time cleaning things until I found where the smell
was coming from. Airing it out that someone said is agood idea. If
you can't find any smell after that, put your nose really close to
things, a half or a hundredth of an inch, and also come back in 10
minutes, 20, 30 until you do start to smell it and then follow the
smell to the source.

They did some game somewhere where they had people acting like dogs
and tracking down chocolate syrump or soemthing on the ground,
invisible, and they quite good at it. Following a trail, left here,
right there. Just random people. You can do it too.

Joe wrote:
> On Mar 19, 10:25 pm, aemeijers > wrote:
>> I'm sure this has come up on here before, but I can't remember what the
>> best recommended product was. I think something died in my van, and I
>> need to de-stink it. I pulled the removable seats loose and did an
>> eyeball inspection, but found no little corpses. Not yet desperate
>> enough to pull the carpets and interior panels. Used up my remaining
>> quarter-bottle of Febreeze, too soon to tell if it helped. As usual with
>> these things, smell is worst after van has been sitting closed for
>> several hours. Smell arrived with the warm spell a couple days ago.
>>
>> Will it dry up faster if I leave it parked in sunshine with windows up,
>> or windows down? And what is best product to saturate the suspect part
>> of carpets and end of floor heater ducts with? (No stink apparent from
>> the dash ducts, or seating surfaces, or underside of the seats I flipped
>> over)
>>
>> Does simple mold ever smell like decomp?
>>
>> If I leave it parked outside for a month and drive the spare car, will
>> the problem eventually solve itself?
>>
>> --
>> aem sends...
>
> You likely have a dead mouse in the heating ductwork or blower. Used
> to be a common problem in our shop when the sports car owners brought
> their toys out of storage in the spring. Datsun 240/260Z's were the
> worst, Triumph's right behind. Keep looking and good luck.
>
> Joe

But the air coming out of the ducts doesn't stink! That is what has me
confused. I only suspected ducts because there are floor ducts that come
out under the front seats. I think more likely the damn thing crawled
down one of the various slits where the hardpoints come through the
carpet, and got wedged in.

--
aem sends...

mm wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:25:25 GMT, aemeijers > wrote:
>
>> I'm sure this has come up on here before, but I can't remember what the
>> best recommended product was. I think something died in my van, and I
>
> I wouldn't waste my time cleaning things until I found where the smell
> was coming from. Airing it out that someone said is agood idea. If
> you can't find any smell after that, put your nose really close to
> things, a half or a hundredth of an inch, and also come back in 10
> minutes, 20, 30 until you do start to smell it and then follow the
> smell to the source.
>
> They did some game somewhere where they had people acting like dogs
> and tracking down chocolate syrump or soemthing on the ground,
> invisible, and they quite good at it. Following a trail, left here,
> right there. Just random people. You can do it too.

Easy for a non-allergy-sufferer to say! :^/

My sinuses have been acting up for a month, so it is a damn miracle I
noticed the stink at all.

--
aem sends...

aemeijers wrote:
> Joe wrote:
>> On Mar 19, 10:25 pm, aemeijers > wrote:
>>> I'm sure this has come up on here before, but I can't remember what
>>> the best recommended product was. I think something died in my van,
>>> and I need to de-stink it. I pulled the removable seats loose and
>>> did an eyeball inspection, but found no little corpses. Not yet
>>> desperate enough to pull the carpets and interior panels. Used up
>>> my remaining quarter-bottle of Febreeze, too soon to tell if it
>>> helped. As usual with these things, smell is worst after van has
>>> been sitting closed for several hours. Smell arrived with the warm
>>> spell a couple days ago. Will it dry up faster if I leave it parked in
>>> sunshine with windows
>>> up, or windows down? And what is best product to saturate the
>>> suspect part of carpets and end of floor heater ducts with? (No
>>> stink apparent from the dash ducts, or seating surfaces, or
>>> underside of the seats I flipped over)
>>>
>>> Does simple mold ever smell like decomp?
>>>
>>> If I leave it parked outside for a month and drive the spare car,
>>> will the problem eventually solve itself?
>>>
>>> --
>>> aem sends...
>>
>> You likely have a dead mouse in the heating ductwork or blower. Used
>> to be a common problem in our shop when the sports car owners brought
>> their toys out of storage in the spring. Datsun 240/260Z's were the
>> worst, Triumph's right behind. Keep looking and good luck.
>>
>> Joe
>
> But the air coming out of the ducts doesn't stink! That is what has me
> confused. I only suspected ducts because there are floor ducts that
> come out under the front seats. I think more likely the damn thing
> crawled down one of the various slits where the hardpoints come
> through the carpet, and got wedged in.

I've not followed this from the start. Are you certain that you did not
carry something into the vehicle on your feet during the freezing period?

Clot wrote:
> aemeijers wrote:
>> Joe wrote:
>>> On Mar 19, 10:25 pm, aemeijers > wrote:
>>>> I'm sure this has come up on here before, but I can't remember what
>>>> the best recommended product was. I think something died in my van,
>>>> and I need to de-stink it. I pulled the removable seats loose and
>>>> did an eyeball inspection, but found no little corpses. Not yet
>>>> desperate enough to pull the carpets and interior panels. Used up
>>>> my remaining quarter-bottle of Febreeze, too soon to tell if it
>>>> helped. As usual with these things, smell is worst after van has
>>>> been sitting closed for several hours. Smell arrived with the warm
>>>> spell a couple days ago. Will it dry up faster if I leave it parked in
>>>> sunshine with windows
>>>> up, or windows down? And what is best product to saturate the
>>>> suspect part of carpets and end of floor heater ducts with? (No
>>>> stink apparent from the dash ducts, or seating surfaces, or
>>>> underside of the seats I flipped over)
>>>>
>>>> Does simple mold ever smell like decomp?
>>>>
>>>> If I leave it parked outside for a month and drive the spare car,
>>>> will the problem eventually solve itself?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> aem sends...
>>> You likely have a dead mouse in the heating ductwork or blower. Used
>>> to be a common problem in our shop when the sports car owners brought
>>> their toys out of storage in the spring. Datsun 240/260Z's were the
>>> worst, Triumph's right behind. Keep looking and good luck.
>>>
>>> Joe
>> But the air coming out of the ducts doesn't stink! That is what has me
>> confused. I only suspected ducts because there are floor ducts that
>> come out under the front seats. I think more likely the damn thing
>> crawled down one of the various slits where the hardpoints come
>> through the carpet, and got wedged in.
>
> I've not followed this from the start. Are you certain that you did not
> carry something into the vehicle on your feet during the freezing period?
>
>
Not absolutely, and that is my game plan for tomorrow, if it gets above
50 degrees- coin-op car wash the removable mats, and get a large spray
can of the vacuum-out shampoo for the non-removable carpet. If that
seems to help, take the car to a detail shop and get the interior
steamed, or whatever.

Old cop cars and old pickup trucks had it right- anything other than a
rubber floor in a work vehicle is a mistake...

--
aem sends...

stan wrote:
> Here, the cost to a single 20 pack/day smoker is now
equivalent to a
> car payment. Or one could be driving a BMW or Mercedes instead of a
> Chev. So smoking makes no sense.

400 cigarettes a day does seem excessive.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971