Something in my car stinks

[postjack]

I checked under the hood for dead animals, I looked under the seats and in the trunk, I don't see anything. also it doesn't smell bad under the hood, only inside the car and in the trunk. It smells like something dead and has grown stronger throughout the day. suggestions?

[Voltron]

Were you in the car each time you smelled the smell . . . ?

One thing I would recommend against is using Lemon Pledge to cover up the odor. A friend of mine had some neighbors who managed lose a package of ground beef between the seats in their car, and only found it after it had turned into a horrible, horrible rotting stinking mess. As part of the cleanup, they sprayed a large amount of Lemon Pledge and then left the windows open to air out. Hours later they came out to find a swarm of bees had moved in and taken up residence in the lemon-meat mobile.

[postjack]

I definitely checked a bunch to see if I smelled. I notice it as soon as I sit down in the car. at first I thought maybe I pooted, but I kept noticing the smell. after work I opened the trunk and the smell hit me.

I'm wondering if I could have somehow left some meat in the car. I'll get some kanye west glasses and lemon pledge and try the Voltron Meat Search Method. I didn't read your post very closely but that is what I inferred.

[Grahame]

I opened the trunk and the smell hit me.

Was there a Trunk Shot?

The Tarantino trunk shot

Trunk Shot – Tarantino's Trademark Camera Angle | frgdr.com

[deepak]

Fungus in the AC/heating system? Car talk said that is a common cause of an "unknown odor that just won't go away"

[Salt Peanuts]

Fungus in the AC/heating system? Car talk said that is a common cause of an "unknown odor that just won't go away"

This was my thought as well.

[The Monkey]

My bet is on the AC/vents, too. Although I also wouldn't give up on the missing meat theory. In college, I left a delicious Italian sandwich in the trunk of my car during a hot summer. It started to smell real bad and I couldn't figure out why. For some reason, I didnt think to look in the cooler for a couple of days. It wasn't pretty. But I'm sure glad it didn't turn into a bee meat mobile.

[luvdunhill]

Mildew?

[deepak]

My bet is on the AC/vents, too. Although I also wouldn't give up on the missing meat theory. In college, I left a delicious Italian sandwich in the trunk of my car during a hot summer. It started to smell real bad and I couldn't figure out why. For some reason, I didnt think to look in the cooler for a couple of days. It wasn't pretty. But I'm sure glad it didn't turn into a bee meat mobile.

That poor tasty sammich

[mypasswordis]

Looks like Reks is running out of space in his basement.

[Grahame]

When there's no more room in the 'Fridge, (Zombie) Sandwiches will walk the earth?

[Fitz]

I think it's ghost farts.

[Salt Peanuts]

I think it's ghost farts.

Ghost of Pussywillow Past?

[GPH]

If you haven't done it already, cleaning the carpets in the car might help.

Looks like Reks is running out of space in his basement.

[manaox2]

I pissed in your radiator. There. Whew that's a load off of my conscience.

[Augsburger]

If it truly smells like a dead animal I doubt that it is mildew or a fungus. Is the smell localized in the car? Try checking under the seats, especially the rear ones. Is the smell stronger when the engine/vents are running? Not to be a smart ass or anything but do you know the difference smell-wise between a dead animal or rotten fruit? They both smell bad but rotten carcass smells mustierishly.

We once had a squirrel sneak up into the engine compartment of our Volvo and die there creating a major mess. We had to have the car detailed and the engine steam cleaned to make it serviceable. For that reason I will never buy a Volvo again, they are suicidal squirrel magnets for sure.

[deepak]

And deer like to jump in front of Mercedes. Animal car biases = :'(

[aardvark baguette]

There should be a B.O. squad that patrols the city like a "Smell Gestapo". To sniff 'em out, strip 'em down, and wash them with a

big, soapy brush...

spray everything with Ozium-D, let it de-ionise, vacuum the spray out with a de-ionising machine. Hit it with high-pressure

compressed air, and wet-dry vac it to extract the remaining

liquids. Top it off with one of our seven air-fresheners, in

your case, I would recommend the Jasmine, or the Potpourri.

[n_maher]

Don't rule out something stuck to the undercarriage of you car, like fragments of road kill. Otherwise a bad Catalytic Converter can smell an awful lot like rotten eggs or sulfur although it sounds to me like you are describing something else.

[swt61]

Did you let Dexter borrow your car?

When I was a menace to society, we used to take off someone's tail light, then stick a small fish behind it. Re-install the tail light, then wait a few days. The smell wafts through into the interior, but nothing is found to the uneducated victim's eyes.

[Knuckledragger]

[Dusty Chalk]

Stinkbugs. We got a small infestation of them at our place, too.

The ventilation problem is an easy one to solve -- thought it takes a little time. Every time you park your car, turn the intake to outside (I.E. recycling off), turn the fan on full, and the temperature at the halfway point. Eventually it'll die and go away.

[postjack]

Stinkbugs. We got a small infestation of them at our place, too.

The ventilation problem is an easy one to solve -- thought it takes a little time. Every time you park your car, turn the intake to outside (I.E. recycling off), turn the fan on full, and the temperature at the halfway point. Eventually it'll die and go away.

^^^ill try this, thank you.

and thanks everyone for the suggestions and tomfoolery. I'll be sure to keep this thread updated with to the minute coverage.

[Uncle Erik]

I'll wager that some small critter died in your HVAC system or near the air intake.

One time, I had to swerve on a country road to avoid an accident. That took my car right over a dead raccoon in the road which not only took out my speedometer cable, but splattered all over the exhaust. I ran it a few times through a carwash that sprayed the undercarraige. Helped a little, but the smell of death lingered for a few weeks.

Speaking of tomfoolery, back in undergrad, we picked up a fish at the market and put it between the mattress and boxspring of one of my fraternity brothers. It was hellish and he went nuts, but he never found the fish until the end of the year when he moved his bed out.

[Augsburger]

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\

That is also a type of Sicilian warning to the recipiant, cement shoes and such.