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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
  
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| SMELLS LIKE A DEAD MOUSE IN MY HEATER SYSTEM |
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Has anybody had this problem. Had the car for 4 years, suddenly over a couple of days, it has developed a very strong horrible dead rate/mouse smell which I am certain is coming from the heater system. Already had the pollen filter out from behind the the glove comp, and checked top of fan. Nothing there. Checked the rest of the car interior, nothing found. No evidence of any droppings or chewing. The smell is overpowering. I can still taste and smell it when I'm not in the car. I also set off an aircon bomb in it last night and it did nothing except mask the smell for a very short time. Its back with a vengeance this morning. I had to come to work with all windows open and its freezing.
Does anybody have any suggestions where else I might look. I suspect it could be in the actual heater box, but how did it get in there?
Basko.
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 17th Dec 2013 11:14 am |
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Woolmeister
Member Since: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Chandler's Ford
Posts: 3463
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Have a look under the plenum chamber trim/scuttle trim (the bit of plastic at the bottom of the windscreen where the wiper arms come out).
Mice have also been known to make a home between the bonnet insulation and the bonnet but am not sure this smell would come through the vents.
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| 17th Dec 2013 11:21 am |
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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
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Hi Steve,
No its not in there. I checked that last night. The bonnet insulation is sound too, and I agree the smell probably wouldn't permeate into the cabin from there, but I will take another look at lunchtime to be sure.
Bryan.
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| 17th Dec 2013 11:28 am |
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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
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Further to this, I have now used an aircon cleaner foaming agent down the vents. It seems to have got rid of the smell coming from the vents, but the smell of dead rodents persists in the car albeing not quite as bad as yesterday. I am starting to wonder if it might be under the centre console. Anybody tell me how to remove it to take a look? Its a HSE auto so has the integral refrigerated cubby box. I tried to slide out the cup holder at the back but can't see how to remove it. If I could remove it, then perhaps I might get to see under without having to remove the whole thing. Anybody got any ideas?
Basko
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| 18th Dec 2013 12:53 pm |
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MarkOne
Member Since: 23 Jul 2011
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 3345
  
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Try another tin as the system is that big, had to use two on an Audi A4 I had a similar problem with. It will be bacteria build up in the aircon system, it is not a pleasant smell.
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| 18th Dec 2013 1:53 pm |
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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
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Hi, yes I will have to try another tin I guess. Just had the centre console off and nothing under there. Been all over the car again and nothing found. The smell is definitely not as bad as before, but still there. So far I have had the foaming agent down all 4 dash vents. I am reluctant to try and push it through the roof vents in the back. Will see how it goes for a another day or so and then if necessary try put another tin through the system. Thanks for the advice.
Basko
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| 18th Dec 2013 2:09 pm |
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MarkOne
Member Since: 23 Jul 2011
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 3345
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Try the tin that you release with the door closed and the aircon on full, there about £10-13 a tin but worth it. As I think this will cure your problem.
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| 18th Dec 2013 2:39 pm |
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Markmein
Member Since: 07 Jul 2012
Location: Chester
Posts: 181
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Have a look to see if any of the valeting places by you offer fogging, it like a smoke machine and they put anti bacterial stuff in it with the ac running it comes out of every where but much better than the ac dosing sprays
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| 18th Dec 2013 3:33 pm |
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linxray
Member Since: 21 Nov 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 10
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Hi, Could it be that the drain hose from the aircon is blocked?
Check to see if any of the carpets are damp. We had this in our old Jaguar XF, none of the dealers could find the problem until we suggested the drain hose.
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| 18th Dec 2013 7:03 pm |
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caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
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Have you looked at the pollen filter? “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
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| 18th Dec 2013 11:26 pm |
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MarkOne
Member Since: 23 Jul 2011
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 3345
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Yes forgot to say a new pollen filter is a must, replace it before cleaning the system 
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| 18th Dec 2013 11:33 pm |
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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
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Thanks. I will check the drain at the weekend when I can get to see it in daylight. Yes, pollen filter was only changed about a month ago on service. We took it out before we put the bombs through the system the other night, so that the treatment could get round without being filtered out. Pollen filter back in now.
Got in it again this morning and once again stinking. However once running and the heater is on, the smell seems to deplete a bit, but its still there despite a very strong air freshener in place. I am beginning to think it might be the drain blocked because there was a small amount of moisture in the carpet along the sill in the front passenger footwell last weekend which I assumed was from me washing the car because I always open the doors and wash the sills. Watch this space and I will let you know Monday how things go. If its not that, the whole interior of the car is coming out until I find the cause.
Bryan.
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| 19th Dec 2013 10:13 am |
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F355GTS
Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
Location: North Hampshire
Posts: 849
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You mentioned you didn't want to put the foam in the rear vents but do you have the separate rear system with the roof controls, if so maybe the problems in that half of the system not the front?
(excuse my ignorance if the above can;t be the case  ) Mark
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| 19th Dec 2013 10:17 am |
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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
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Hmmm, good point Mark. Yes it does have the rear system with roof controls. I will check that out too, although my gut feeling is the problem is somewhere nearer the front of the car, but I could be wrong. Thanks for the suggestion.
Bryan.
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| 19th Dec 2013 10:22 am |
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Basko
Member Since: 17 Dec 2013
Location: HUDDERSFIELD
Posts: 23
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Good news. Found it. After eliminating the aircon condenser, we searched the car and decided that the smell was emitting from somewhere in the area of the boot, albeit we couldn't pinpoint it. So we started to dismantle the car. We took out seats, flooring, side panel of the boot on the near side of the car. On removing the door seal around the rear passenger door near side and prizing the boot panel away, we got the smell big style. So we continued to remove seat belt, door sills, lower panel on door post,, and exposed the big main wiring loom which runs along a trough in the floor under the door sills. Bingo, a white residue was apparent on the floor under the carpet, and in the wiring loom trough. Stinking so bad at this stage it was making me wretch. Further removal of the front passenger seat allowed us to roll back the carpet into the front passenger footwell and taking further door sills out to expose the wiring loom right to the front passenger footwell. This was still wet, with a brownish coloured liquid in the trough and in the wiring loom. Absolutely minging. I think it may be milk but it certainly doesn't smell like it. so we washed out the trough and I sprayed copious amounts of brake cleaner into the loom to flush it through without disturbing it. Its about 2 inches diameter. Must over 50 wires in it at least. So now its doused with talc. Might still have to clean again yet, because albeit not as smelly now, its still there just. Although when we put everything back together it may be ok. It looks like the wife may have had a carrier bag on the floor in the back that leaked. But not directly into the carpet. Looks like straight into the cut out where the seat bolts to the floor, then straight under the carpet, across the raised floor pan and into the loom trough where it travelled forward and back. Because it wasn't actually in the carpet but under it, that's why we couldn't figure out where it was. Also the aircon takes air from the passenger footwell so hence the reason that was smelling, because it was taking smelly air from the area above where it was lurking. Booked a spot for the wife under the patio shortly lol.. 
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| 23rd Dec 2013 11:08 am |
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