Odor From Air Vents

[lowatts]

I noticed this the first time when the car had a few hundred miles on it. I backed my V6 4M into the driveway and noticed a pretty strong odor. Not sure how to describe it, but it's like something went bad, not anything else I can compare it to. At first I thought maybe Ford still had issues with rotten egg odor from the catalytic converters like they had for a while in the '80s, though this wasn't the rotten egg smell that plagued some '80s cats.

But after checking some more, as far as I can tell the odor isn't coming from the exhausts. I only smell it now when I have the air vent blowing in air from the outside. Strange thing is you can't smell anything from the outside. And if I turn on Recirculate so that the vents are only blowing back the air from the inside, there is no smell at all. Another thing is the smell is worse sometimes than others with no noticeable pattern like temperature or time of day. And as far as I can tell, the strongest smell was that first time I backed into the driveway and first noticed it. It came on pretty strong and pretty sudden. I didn't smell a thing, that I can recall now a few months ago, until I backed into the driveway.

Does anyone know what might be causing this or how I can fix it? I search this forum and Googled it but didn't find any case like mine.:help:

Sponsored

 

[paul123]

cool sig

what's the nature of this smell? Something died? chemical smell? musty / mold? auto exhaust smell?

 

[IvanCRF]

Have you checked around for dead rodents?

 

[jasonstang]

If it only happens when you back into drive way, its your exhaust fumes.
If it's in the vents, you would smell it all the time regardless going forward or backward.

 

[lowatts]

Thanks for all the replies.

If it only happens when you back into drive way, its your exhaust fumes.
If it's in the vents, you would smell it all the time regardless going forward or backward.

I thought the same too at first. That was only for the first time I noticed the smell. I don't get it just from backing in now. I even tried smelling the exhaust but it smelled normal, but maybe I need to have someone rev it up when I do this instead of just letting it idle. The only time I smell it lately is by turning the fan on and drawing in air from the outside. Another reason I'm thinking it's probably not the exhaust is the smell comes in even when I'm doing 70 - 80.

cool sig

what's the nature of this smell? Something died? chemical smell? musty / mold? auto exhaust smell?

I would say it part chemical and part like food that went bad. I don't think I've ever run into this same smell before with anything else.

Have you checked around for dead rodents?

I'm not sure where to check, at least I don't see anything under the hood. But once, way after I first started getting the odor, I did find a little bit of nesting material and a nut shell probably left by a squirrel on top of my intake manifold. I've live here for over 25 years with different cars and have never had this happen before. The Mustang was undriven for only 3 - 4 days when this happened. I cleaned it out and put some peppermint oil at that area and haven't had them come back.

 

[jasonstang]

I'm not sure where to check, at least I don't see anything under the hood. But once, way after I first started getting the odor, I did find a little bit of nesting material and a nut shell probably left by a squirrel on top of my intake manifold. I've live here for over 25 years with different cars and have never had this happen before. The Mustang was undriven for only 3 - 4 days when this happened. I cleaned it out and put some peppermint oil at that area and haven't had them come back.

Pull the cabin air filter see if there is a dead body in there.

 

[CompO5.sl0w]

Pull the cabin air filter see if there is a dead body in there.

I'd do this. May find Aaron Hernandez's shank there as well.

 

[paul123]

I'm not sure where to check, at least I don't see anything under the hood. But once, way after I first started getting the odor, I did find a little bit of nesting material and a nut shell probably left by a squirrel on top of my intake manifold. I've live here for over 25 years with different cars and have never had this happen before. The Mustang was undriven for only 3 - 4 days when this happened. I cleaned it out and put some peppermint oil at that area and haven't had them come back.

:shocked:

how long as the smell been happening? You might just swing it by the dealership. If they can reproduce the problem, they will know where to look.

 

[Chameleon]

I noticed this the first time when the car had a few hundred miles on it. I backed my V6 4M into the driveway and noticed a pretty strong odor. Not sure how to describe it, but it's like something went bad, not anything else I can compare it to. At first I thought maybe Ford still had issues with rotten egg odor from the catalytic converters like they had for a while in the '80s, though this wasn't the rotten egg smell that plagued some '80s cats.

But after checking some more, as far as I can tell the odor isn't coming from the exhausts. I only smell it now when I have the air vent blowing in air from the outside. Strange thing is you can't smell anything from the outside. And if I turn on Recirculate so that the vents are only blowing back the air from the inside, there is no smell at all. Another thing is the smell is worse sometimes than others with no noticeable pattern like temperature or time of day. And as far as I can tell, the strongest smell was that first time I backed into the driveway and first noticed it. It came on pretty strong and pretty sudden. I didn't smell a thing, that I can recall now a few months ago, until I backed into the driveway.

Have you showered lately? JK

 

[MikeD1]

Aftermath of a Taco Bell run ??

 

[lowatts]

Pull the cabin air filter see if there is a dead body in there.

I'm going to do that, sounds like a good idea. I ordered a filter yesterday but it won't be her for up to two weeks--figure I'd better just replace it while I'm in there, and if there's a body there I don't want the old filter back in
I'll report back here in a couple of weeks on what I find. Thanks.

Aftermath of a Taco Bell run ??

I'm pretty sure I got most of that in my wet vac. :barf:

Have you showered lately? JK

For sure never miss one on the rainy days.

:shocked:

how long as the smell been happening? You might just swing it by the dealership. If they can reproduce the problem, they will know where to look.

I first noticed it in October, but at the time I thought it was probably from the catalytic converter like my '86 Mercury from back in the day where there wasn't much I could do about it and it got a little better with time.
I can notice this smell almost all the time, but yesterday while moving the car in the driveway to get ready for the snow here, there was not smell at all anywhere--none in the exhaust, none inside with the fan blasting, none from the exhaust pipes.

I'd do this. May find Aaron Hernandez's shank there as well.

Would that make my pony a collector's item? :first:
Or maybe it'd get locked up as evidence :doh:

 

[lowatts]

Finally got a chance to pull the cabin filter, but it was clean as new and had no odor. I'll change gas station in case it is the gas acting on the cat like some posts I found Googling suggests. Either that or I'll start getting Channel No. 5 in bulk LOL

 

[jdoug]

Hmm, my guess going in was something in the air filter. Replace it anyway in case it's something microscopic you can't see.

 

[Cueball]

I would guess some condensation giving off a mildewy smell. Run the heat on high temp and fan for 8-10 minutes to dry it out and it will clean itself out. I get this occasionally on different cars.

Sponsored