Dead animal in rear (literally)
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 352
Likes: 12
From: Worcester, MA
15' CLS400
Dead animal in rear (literally)
Ok, I've got a real big problem. Recently I've got a really bad smell coming from the rear.... (of the car) 
. It smells like something died and is getting worse each day. It really smells like a dead animal. Good thing I also own a motorcycle 
Anyway, I've checked the trunk (which is now empty) and i've checked the spare tire compartment (nothing). I know its the back of the car cause thats where it smells worst. If i put the vents on there is good air coming from the front. I try looking under the car but there doesn't seem to be anywhere for little critters to get up under there. I'm about to take the plastic trim off the back edge of the inner trunk compartment to see if there is anything under there (not sure if its just frame under there or if it actually goes through to the undercarrage yet).
Has anyone else ever had this problem? Any ideas where to try looking? I've tried looking underneight but haven't put it up on a lift yet.
. It smells like something died and is getting worse each day. It really smells like a dead animal. Good thing I also own a motorcycle Anyway, I've checked the trunk (which is now empty) and i've checked the spare tire compartment (nothing). I know its the back of the car cause thats where it smells worst. If i put the vents on there is good air coming from the front. I try looking under the car but there doesn't seem to be anywhere for little critters to get up under there. I'm about to take the plastic trim off the back edge of the inner trunk compartment to see if there is anything under there (not sure if its just frame under there or if it actually goes through to the undercarrage yet).
Has anyone else ever had this problem? Any ideas where to try looking? I've tried looking underneight but haven't put it up on a lift yet.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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I downgraded to a VW, it's still German though
Where do you park the car? Does it sit for any length of time? Maybe a mouse decided to build a new house. You'd see something like a 'coon, 'possum, or your neighbor's cat stuck up in their. Nothing really smells like dead animal unless it's a dead animal. Get a dog. They like to smell things out, especially dead things. I am sure he could find the source in a few seconds.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Boston
2003 C240
LOL I can't wait until you find out what the smell is 
Try looking behind the liner near your taillights like you were gonna take them out, there is a lot of room behind there...so after you take that plastic piece off, you can really push all of the liner back and look underneath ...
Try looking behind the liner near your taillights like you were gonna take them out, there is a lot of room behind there...so after you take that plastic piece off, you can really push all of the liner back and look underneath ...
Last edited by LuxuryC240; Sep 21, 2007 at 02:30 PM.
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From: Long Island, New York
'05 C230SS 6MT, 1966 Triumph TR4a IRS, Shelby Cobra 427 Supercharged
Check under the exhaust system. I mouse or something might have climbed onto it to stay warm on a cold night and then either died or stayed there when you started the car in the morning. It could be worse though... I had a friend who had a cat climb up into his engine bay after he turned off the car one winter night... Well it died and was frozen around his fan belt... they had to pull the car into a garage and wait for it to thaw out before they could start the car!
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From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
Yup, put those Kitty cats to work...they'll sniff it out, maybe.
If they're in the mood too, and it doesn't interfere with their naptime.
After all, they're cats.
Reminds me of my buddy's Caddy he'd had parked a long time.
He decided he was going to sell it.
He's telling me about it, I mean it was a nice car, not exactly my style,
but he only wanted like 5 grand.
So we go to the driveway and he tries to start it.
Nothing.
So we open the hood, and this Opossum
is sitting in there in full attack position hissing at us!
We both jumped back, Oh Sheit! WTF was that???
Man I still remember that. We freakin' laughed so hard.
The damn thing had built a nest in there, and had chewed
a bunch of wires, including the starter wire.
It wouldn't leave, and was under the car where you couldn't get to it.
Damn funny! He finally had it towed to the shop with the Opossum,
had it repaired. Don't know what happened to it....
If they're in the mood too, and it doesn't interfere with their naptime.
After all, they're cats.
Reminds me of my buddy's Caddy he'd had parked a long time.
He decided he was going to sell it.
He's telling me about it, I mean it was a nice car, not exactly my style,
but he only wanted like 5 grand.
So we go to the driveway and he tries to start it.
Nothing.
So we open the hood, and this Opossum
is sitting in there in full attack position hissing at us!
We both jumped back, Oh Sheit! WTF was that???
Man I still remember that. We freakin' laughed so hard.
The damn thing had built a nest in there, and had chewed
a bunch of wires, including the starter wire.
It wouldn't leave, and was under the car where you couldn't get to it.
Damn funny! He finally had it towed to the shop with the Opossum,
had it repaired. Don't know what happened to it....
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 974
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From: Boston
2003 C240
Reminds me of my buddy's Caddy he'd had parked a long time....
So we open the hood, and this Opossum
is sitting in there in full attack position hissing at us!
We both jumped back, Oh Sheit! WTF was that??
Damn funny! He finally had it towed to the shop with the Opossum,
had it repaired. Don't know what happened to it....
So we open the hood, and this Opossum
is sitting in there in full attack position hissing at us!
We both jumped back, Oh Sheit! WTF was that??
Damn funny! He finally had it towed to the shop with the Opossum,
had it repaired. Don't know what happened to it....
Those things are damn ugly too!! I get them in my yard, and believe it or not, they are abundant downtown Boston, so when your out doin 
It's funny to see them run across the street in the middle of the city!
Last edited by LuxuryC240; Sep 22, 2007 at 03:31 PM.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 352
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From: Worcester, MA
15' CLS400
Nope, no food, no anything. My car is clean. There isn't anything at all in the trunk. Yet the smell is more abundant when you open the trunk. Its going up on a lift this week.
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From: Milton/Westport, MA USA
me: 2015 SL400 & 2015 ML400; wife: 2022 GLC Coupe; daughter: 2017 GLC SUV
? I've seen plenty of rats in boston, but no possums! (though some of the rats in the North End are as BIG as possums!)
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 974
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From: Boston
2003 C240
Fanueil hall..but not very often...my girl lives in SB so sometimes i go around there too...I mainly see them when I'm driving....but yes the rats are humungus too....can u believe me and my girl went to a movie at lowes boston common and we had just sat down in our seats and a rat came running under our legs....so we made a huge fuss and got our money back from the manager, lmao gross never go there!!!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 352
Likes: 12
From: Worcester, MA
15' CLS400
Never figured it out. The smell eventually faded away. Either there are some bones in the car somewhere or one of the cats got whatever it was out.
This post sure got plenty of laughs.
This post sure got plenty of laughs.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 219
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From: Markham, Ontario
2003 C230 Coupe
my friend had a banana in his car for like 5 monthes, it smelt like hell,, go grab yourself a kick *** air freshner, one you can stick over your vents.. the refillable ones.. they come in handy
