Funny smell from car
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 486
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From: Melbourne - Australia
2004 E55 AMG
Funny smell from car
After an average day out driving to and from work, occasional spirited bursts etc etc. I find that the car has a funny (unpleasent) smell found on the outside. No I didnt run over poo water, No i dont live near a poo farm, No the dog didnt poo anywhere near the car.
Anyone else had this problem? (if it even is a problem)
Anyone else had this problem? (if it even is a problem)
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 3
From: Sydney, Australia
2017 S63 Coupe Iridium Silver
Originally Posted by chem0
After an average day out driving to and from work, occasional spirited bursts etc etc. I find that the car has a funny (unpleasent) smell found on the outside. No I didnt run over poo water, No i dont live near a poo farm, No the dog didnt poo anywhere near the car.
Anyone else had this problem? (if it even is a problem)
Anyone else had this problem? (if it even is a problem)
I think it's coming from the fuel cap.
If you get cat p**** smell in the car, though, its totally different. You will need your whole dash ripped out by a stealer, heaps of rattles added to a perfectly nice car, then they will put it all together and you will still get the cat p*** smell a day later.This exercise takes about two weeks, and you will be driving an A class in the meantime.
On the other hand, you can try overnight cracking the sunroof and pressing the REST button, and in the morning your car will be fresh like a daisy.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 486
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne - Australia
2004 E55 AMG
No no... I dont go around sniff testing cat poo so i wouldnt know what it smells like (gee we have some weird forum members 
)
even if its the cat poo smell, its not from the interior.. its outside the car.
I sniffed around the brakes but its not that, and its not the exhaust but its coming from the back half of the car... weird
)even if its the cat poo smell, its not from the interior.. its outside the car.
I sniffed around the brakes but its not that, and its not the exhaust but its coming from the back half of the car... weird
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,394
Likes: 6
From: San Diego
2015 S212
Haha, yes i am naughty!!!
Rafal: You get gas smell? I haven't had that. If your gas cap is leaking, get it checked. There is supposed to be a pressure release system within the system to make up for the change in gas pressures with respect to temperature. It is a feedback system that recirculates the fumes. I have seen some MBs start to leak fumes, if you get any hose in there clogged up. There are a number of pressure sensitive points in the fuel delivery system (prior to the high pressure points) that have "safety" releases at them.
Just to clarify the common "smells" (without cat references):
One is a "musty" smell that you get in the cabin. The best way to reproduce it is to run the AC for a bit and just shut the compressor off while still running the system (fan). That is from the rehydration of "crud" that builds up in the system. A change of the passenger cabin air filter can typically remedy it some. Others add their own air freshener, but I love the Benz leather smell, so I do not.
The second smell is from the Catalytic converters getting hot and doing their job. Since you mentioned that the smell was after some spirited driving (i.e. gas punch) and that the smell is outside the cabin, I assumed that is what it was. It is "normal". It is just done for the environment, to minimize the released hydrocarbons. The smell gets less and less intense as the Cats get older and less efficient.
No puddy tat thought, here!!
Rafal: You get gas smell? I haven't had that. If your gas cap is leaking, get it checked. There is supposed to be a pressure release system within the system to make up for the change in gas pressures with respect to temperature. It is a feedback system that recirculates the fumes. I have seen some MBs start to leak fumes, if you get any hose in there clogged up. There are a number of pressure sensitive points in the fuel delivery system (prior to the high pressure points) that have "safety" releases at them.
Just to clarify the common "smells" (without cat references):
One is a "musty" smell that you get in the cabin. The best way to reproduce it is to run the AC for a bit and just shut the compressor off while still running the system (fan). That is from the rehydration of "crud" that builds up in the system. A change of the passenger cabin air filter can typically remedy it some. Others add their own air freshener, but I love the Benz leather smell, so I do not.
The second smell is from the Catalytic converters getting hot and doing their job. Since you mentioned that the smell was after some spirited driving (i.e. gas punch) and that the smell is outside the cabin, I assumed that is what it was. It is "normal". It is just done for the environment, to minimize the released hydrocarbons. The smell gets less and less intense as the Cats get older and less efficient.
No puddy tat thought, here!!
