smell

Gil Cleeton said

Try cleaning and shampooing the car too. Maybe it's the car that stinks?

Sorry, you left the door wide open. ;-)

Perhaps there is a dead animal somewhere in the car?

what kinda schmell is is ?

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3800 V6 ( C ), Black/Slate Grey _~_~_~287,664 miles_~_~_

~_~_~_~_U.S.A._~_~_~_~_~_

~~~The Former Fleet ~~~

89 Cavalier Z 24 convertible 78 Holiday 88 coupe 68 LeSabre convertible 73 Impala sedan

One of our AC techs found a mouse/rat/rodent in the hampster cage styled A/C blower of some vehicle once, fan wouldnt work, and the car smelt kinda funny.

Some of the follow-up posts got some grins. A couple of questions. Has it ever been in a flood or had the interior thouroughly wetted (windows open, heavy rain)? Do you have any buddies who are practical jokers? If the interior has been wet you may have rot in the padding under the carpet that a shampoo job won't get out. If you have practical jokers as friends start looking for the fish.

FBR said

I had a 92 S10 which leaked water UNDER the carpet, so it was not noted for perhaps months. I only noticed it after the insulation has molded and the car taken on a permanent stench. Even a complete r/r of the interior with a bleach wash didn't solve it. A subsequent trade-in did, however. ;-)

Greetings, Group. I realize this is an old thread, but I hope you're still reading and can help.

My secretary has an immaculate 2002 Bonneville. It gets washed and waxed more than I eat breakfast. In the past couple weeks there is an intense smell, like mould. It's strongest inside the trunk area, but permeates the cabin. She has to drive with the windows down. The interior has not gotten wet. I pulled up the trunk liner and it's not damp. Nor does it look like it's ever been

She has a leather interior, if that makes any difference.

It doesn't really smell like a dead animal - more like mildew. Doesn't have the "sharper" stench that a critter might give off. But it's really, really bad. She was hoping she wouldn't have to take it to the dealer and pay to find out what it is.

She's not pulled up the carpet inside, but nowhere is it damp. The smell is not in the engine area.

My only theory, at this point, is that it's under the rear seat - which hasn't been pulled up yet. I've not looked under a car seat the past 2 decades, but there used to be plastic plugs to fill various bodymold cavities. I'm thinking that perhaps a plug came out somehow, or is defective, and moisture has gotten into the floor - where the heat has caused mildew.

FBR's post below is exactly what I fear for her - if there's mold in something, you pretty much have to burn it to get rid of it.

So (sorry this is so long, but I wanted to give details), does anyone know of a vulnerability or tendency for 2002 Bonnevilles to get mildew?

Thank you VERY much! ~ Scott > FBR said