Interior odour that would gag a maggot

Hi,

I have a 2011 GU Patrol ST wagon. I purchased it new and I am vigilant about no food or drinks being open in the car. Since new, it has developed an odour that takes your breath away. It is nearly impossible to locate, but may be in the mouldings around the wheel wells or rear carpet - it's definitely not the seats or the AC. At first, it smelled a little like diesel spilt onto new upholstery and has gotten worse with time. I tried to raise the issue with the dealer, but was told there is no history of smells developing.

The car has not been wet, nor has it carried pets. I have tried deodorisers, steam cleaning and even domestic deodorisers like febreese.

I am one step away from dismantling the car a section at a time to see if I can eliminate the smell.

Has anyone had similar issues? Or........ how do I remove the upholstery clips to remove the interior.

Thanks

Beware: You are about to be bombarded with lots of cut and paste comments!!!!

In the meantime, it could be a snake that has crawled into a cavity and died. They smell bad and the smell lasts for a long time.

Ring the previous owner
But Pop over to the intros and tell us a bit about yourself and your Patrol.
Just something the forum asks of us all, polite and all

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Originally Posted by threedogs

Ring the previous owner

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I think he says he purchased it new TD.

Ask an auto detailer. My son is a detailer and they have quite a bit of experience in identifying odors and whre they are coming from. I mean an experienced detailer, not Fred's car wash at the local shops.:biggrin:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by threedogs

Ring the previous owner
But Pop over to the intros and tell us a bit about yourself and your Patrol.
Just something the forum asks of us all, polite and all

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OP states he bought from new TD.

Its taken 3 year to smell ??
where are you? as in what state

i would be checking as previously advised the wheel arches and stick your nose in and if it stinks remove the inners to see if something has died, also crawl under and check on top of the chassis and gearbox etc.

Sorry Threedogs - My manners are poor - Intro completed.

Stropp - It's definately inside the car - No smell outside. The trimmed wheel arch covers inside that the carpet butts up to seem to be quite smelly.

Im in Brisbane. The smell has 'developed' At first I thought that the diesel filler neck was spilling into the cabin ever so slightly, but the smell has just gotten worse. Given that there are some replies and no one has gone - "Oh yeah - they all do that", I think it might be time to do some investigative work and remove some of the rear interior. It doesn't smell like rats and doesn't seem to be in the headliner. Definitely nothing dead either.

............where you married just before the smell started.

The old prawn heads down the air vent trick comes to mind, best man could be the culprit :)

Also, have you taken my Mrs for a run, her farts will haunt your upholstery for years ;)

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Originally Posted by TimE

............where you married just before the smell started.

The old prawn heads down the air vent trick comes to mind, best man could be the culprit :)

Also, have you taken my Mrs for a run, her farts will haunt your upholstery for years ;)

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Good thoughts timE - But sadly no.

Is there any way it could be diff oil smell? Diff oils stinks to high heaven and maybe you've got a leak somewhere and the smell is entering the cabin.
I remember Bloodyaussie had an issue with a seal going on the gearbox that was putting a horrible smell through the interior of his GQ....

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

And if it's a new car don't let the bastards off so easy. They do have a responsibility to you.

Ive heard of snakes in the "A" pillar,
does your Patrol have aftermarket diff locks as in ARB ??

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Originally Posted by threedogs

Ive heard of snakes in the "A" pillar, does your Patrol have aftermarket diff locks as in ARB ??

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Is that like "Snakes on a Plane". LOL

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

Nah mate used to service AVIS rent a cars and often found snakes in the "A" pillar
from cars that had been hired out from QLD
Do factory diff locks have issues with breather hoses???

You said a diesel smell. Funny the dealer did not investigate. Be checking the filler area, is it worse after filling up?

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Originally Posted by BillsGU

Beware: You are about to be bombarded with lots of cut and paste comments!!!!

In the meantime, it could be a snake that has crawled into a cavity and died. They smell bad and the smell lasts for a long time.

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My parents prado has a dead mouse in it somewhere. Omg it's bad. It's un-drivable on a 35+ degree day.

I know your pain.

But I'd say you'd have to start pulling it apart

repco have an inspection scope in their latest catalogue thats prety cheep
and could do the trick without having to pull ecery thing off

Thanks for the ideas guys. Its definatly not diff oil, but youre right - that stuff stinks. It's not dead either. I got an unsuspecting victim to come for a ride in the car with me - her first reaction was - 'wow this car smells like manure or rotten flowers'.

I've been smelling around like a crazy guy. (Anyone watching on would think I've lost my mind - I even look like that pollie that was a chair sniffer). I think the smell is coming from the upholstered inner wheel well linings that go from the carpet to the buff covered trim. They are not carpeted, but are covered in a furr like fabric. I wonder if I pull them out and give them a good scrub with laundry soap??
Any tricks or special tools needed to remove the interior trim that you guys know about?

Burning insulation smells something like rotten onions...

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Originally Posted by Automan

Thanks for the ideas guys. Its definatly not diff oil, but youre right - that stuff stinks. It's not dead either. I got an unsuspecting victim to come for a ride in the car with me - her first reaction was - 'wow this car smells like manure or rotten flowers'.

I've been smelling around like a crazy guy. (Anyone watching on would think I've lost my mind - I even look like that pollie that was a chair sniffer). I think the smell is coming from the upholstered inner wheel well linings that go from the carpet to the buff covered trim. They are not carpeted, but are covered in a furr like fabric. I wonder if I pull them out and give them a good scrub with laundry soap??
Any tricks or special tools needed to remove the interior trim that you guys know about?

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supercheap or somewhere like that they have trim remover kits for about $15 or so dollars

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Originally Posted by kevin07

supercheap or somewhere like that they have trim remover kits for about $15 or so dollars

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Got the trim removal kit and a camera for cavities. I'll dismantle after work tomorrow.

Thanks for the tips guys - I'll update as soon as I find something.

I'm really looking forward to driving with the window up this summer :)

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Originally Posted by Automan

Thanks for the tips guys - I'll update as soon as I find something. :)

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Well? Or are you cruising with the windows up?

waiting,,, waiting,,,, waiting.
Maybe he passed out from the stink

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Originally Posted by threedogs

waiting,,, waiting,,,, waiting.
Maybe he passed out from the stink

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Just about passed out from the stink.

Started the dismantling - the camera on a stick shows spotless cavities.

By process of elimination, I'm Pretty sure it's the felted interior wheel well arch mouldings. They seem to be the only thing giving off a smell when I put the car in the sun and close it up.
I've taken out everything that was added after the car was assembled.

I'll remove the arches next and update y'all, as soon as the missus gives me a break from the Christmas chores.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Automan

Just about passed out from the stink.

Started the dismantling - the camera on a stick shows spotless cavities.

By process of elimination, I'm Pretty sure it's the felted interior wheel well arch mouldings. They seem to be the only thing giving off a smell when I put the car in the sun and close it up.
I've taken out everything that was added after the car was assembled.

I'll remove the arches next and update y'all, as soon as the missus gives me a break from the Christmas chores.

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be interested to find out what it is, wet underfelt does give off a rotten smell but not that bad !

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Originally Posted by Stropp

be interested to find out what it is, wet underfelt does give off a rotten smell but not that bad !

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I forgot about a packet of bait once......that was rank,especially on hot days for months..all the bi carb in the world didn't make it any better

i left a packet of cheese in the harley saddlebags once, omfg what a putrid mess after a week in the shed during summer :(

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Originally Posted by Stropp

i left a packet of cheese in the harley saddlebags once, omfg what a putrid mess after a week in the shed during summer :(

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Sell the bike and buy a new one did you? hahaha

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Originally Posted by Stropp

be interested to find out what it is, wet underfelt does give off a rotten smell but not that bad !

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Yep, the smell in my cab was pretty rank because of this. The felt, hidden underneath it’s vinyl covering, was truly soggy & stank. Like driving around in a stagnant swamp. Took around 10 days hanging in the air to dry out once removed (& the source of the leak which had wet it blocked off). Once dry no more smell. But the smell could no way be described as ‘diesel-like’.

If the source of the maggot gagging smell is not found you could always pour a litre or two of milk into the car somewhere & leave it out in the sun for a week. It’ll still stink, but you’ll probably not notice the current smell any more! :)

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Originally Posted by wa 489

I forgot about a packet of bait once......that was rank,especially on hot days for months..all the bi carb in the world didn't make it any better

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I agree - About a year ago, I tried the bicarb option. Still stinks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cuppa

Yep, the smell in my cab was pretty rank because of this. The felt, hidden underneath it’s vinyl covering, was truly soggy & stank. Like driving around in a stagnant swamp. Took around 10 days hanging in the air to dry out once removed (& the source of the leak which had wet it blocked off). Once dry no more smell. But the smell could no way be described as ‘diesel-like’.

If the source of the maggot gagging smell is not found you could always pour a litre or two of milk into the car somewhere & leave it out in the sun for a week. It’ll still stink, but you’ll probably not notice the current smell any more! :)

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True!

It's raining in Brisbane today. I've just open the car (That has been in the garage) and it smell like wet dank ass today!

Never spilled anything in the car. It's so disgustingly clean you could eat off it - except for the smell.

34 post and no closer to finding this smell, haven't got a dead cat in the engine bay have you
They have been known to climb in for a warm nights sleep

No dead cat.

You're right - many posts in an still looking. It's been driving me crackers for a couple of years now.

When the car was 2 months old, my neighbour did his annual mow (no joke) and removed some old truck bodies. A small plague of rats infested my garage and nibbled on 3 cars. Before they took the bait they took a little nibble out of the firewall insulation. For a while, I though they could have taken up residence in the headlining, but it's not a ' rat like' smell, nor has the smell ever gotten any less strong - infact its worsening. I now have bait boxes everywhere that are checked monthly - so perhaps rats are off the list. Furthermore, no more rat damage since the plague of '11.

I've cleared a space in the garage - I think I am going to completely remove the interior - headliner and all.

Sorted!

Turns out it was off-gassing in the adhesive of the felting around the wheel arches. (Photo attached of the finished job)

An expert in the matter told me of similar isolated cases that he had dealt with.

It may be said that I was overstating the intensity of the odour (by those who inspected it), however, I am fastidious about my rig and wont tolerate anything less than perfect.

Thank for the advice and tips. Here's one for the books.