Help in diagnosing bad smell please?

Manuel

Hi,
I drive a '04 Seat Cordoba with 125,000 miles. For a week now there is an awful smell in the car. The closest thing I can think of to describe it is like old cheese, or a bad milk spillage.

The thing is, I'm the only one driving it, and there hasn't been any spillage, and the smell is in the air, rather than any particular location in the car. It is constant, in that it doesn't matter whether the car is being driven or stationary. I got into it this morning after it sat idle over the weekend and it's just as bad. I have checked all over in and out for a dead animal and there is nothing ...

I did a bit of googling and I see references to a rotten egg smell from a blocked cat or something related to the cat.

The only other piece of info I can offer that might be relevant is that a year ago, I had the engine light on and when the garage checked it, what came up was a problem with a lambda sensor. I was getting a few jobs done at the time and the garage said I didn't need to worry about this warning ...

Finally, the car appears to be running 100% fine. No apparent problem other than this awful smell.

Anyway, any help/suggestions appreciated, thanks!

thalia_13

I had similar problem with a Seat Ibiza. Water was stagnating in the wash wells, even though they were used frequently. I put milton into the water wash solution and that solved the problem. I think the way tubes are laid, either it degrades or blocks easily.
The smell was foul at times, and I had checked for dead mice /rats, damp spots etc, to no avail. I tried the Milton as a last resort and it worked. A few long squirts of the screen wash and the smell dissipated

Manuel

That's very interesting, thanks. Hard to believe it could be the cause of this awful smell, but worth a try. Cheap too ;-)

TwoShedsJackson

Yeah we had the same thing on an Astra, it's probably bacteria building up in the windscreen washer - the smell was beyond putrid.

Toyotafanboi

check for water in the spare wheel well. a car of mine had maybe 50mm of water in the wheel well, the car stank really badly like feet until i found it :pac: particularly if it wasn't used for a day or two.

arthur daly

Pollen filter?maybe

Manuel

Thanks folks.

I actually found a lot of water sitting in the spare wheel well, but when I stuck my face in it, it didn't smell at all, so I don't think that was it.

I will actually root out the pollen filter as well ... don't think it's been replaced since I bought the car.

I'll update tomorrow.

Thanks again for the tips ...

Gazzmonkey

Had the window washer problem on an old civic years ago, every time I would spray the windscreen I got hit by a smelly fart about 10 seconds later.

was woeful

biko

An old cabin filter can give symptoms like this so start there,even if to just remove it for a few days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STTPQXAS0iY

Manuel

Update:
I tried the Milton in the washer, but no great improvement yet ... I'll give it another 24 hours ....

I might go after the pollen filter next, though looking at that youtube clip, it's a bit of a b*tch to get at .... and this smell isn't coming from the vents ... it's just in the air.

Am I right in thinking that an emissions test at my local garage will confirm whether or not it's the cat converter?

And if it was the cat, would it not be more pronounced when/after the car is driven? As I said, the car sat idle all weekend and the smell was just as bad on Monday morning.

Thanks again.

joujoujou

Maybe some small poor animal died somewhere inside? Seriously.

bladespin

joujoujou wrote: »

Maybe some small poor animal died somewhere inside? Seriously.

Have you checked around the engine bay? particularly places accessible from the ground, animals have been known to seek warmth during cold weather under cars.

Toyotafanboi

Manuel wrote: »

Update:
I tried the Milton in the washer, but no great improvement yet ... I'll give it another 24 hours ....

I might go after the pollen filter next, though looking at that youtube clip, it's a bit of a b*tch to get at .... and this smell isn't coming from the vents ... it's just in the air.

Am I right in thinking that an emissions test at my local garage will confirm whether or not it's the cat converter?

And if it was the cat, would it not be more pronounced when/after the car is driven? As I said, the car sat idle all weekend and the smell was just as bad on Monday morning.

Thanks again.

sarcasm aside, a blocked or damaged cat usually smells like a very extremely eggy fart, a very very strong uncomfortable smell. if you are able to drive the car happily it probably isn't the cat. that said, if you are worried it's an emissions leak, best to get a professional second opinion.

Manuel

I've had a look around myself, but I haven't had it up on a lift. I dropped it to a local garage for the day last week, but the c**t didn't get around to it. So I just had to collect it again :mad: ...

celica00

A bad smell (like rotten eggs etc) normally appears if the clutch is gone or something wrong with the clutch. See if the smells seems to get stronger while driving/changing gear.
could be a burnt clutch, smells awful!