Help: something dead in my car; cleaning air ducts
09-20-2005, 09:57 AM
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Help: something dead in my car; cleaning air ducts This is kind of ironic, but a few days ago I bought an air freshner for my car at the mall and went to take my girlfriend for dinner and a movie. Only a few hours later after the movie, when I first turned on the car a gust of air came through the front vents which absolutely reeked.
A few days later it is a lot worse. I have the HVAC turned completely off and windows rolled down because it smells so bad. I haven't even had time to take a good look into the problem because basically all I do is get up, rush to school, work, and come home everyday and have been extremely busy.
I did get a chance to take a quick peak under the hood the other day and I didn't spot any dead animals trapped in my engine bay. But I haven't checked underneath the car.
What I would like to know is what do you think my best line of attack for this is? I replaced the dash on my dad's Grand National last summer and it made me realize how much of a p.i.t.a it would be to get something out of the air ducts.
I was thinking of first removing the air vents and just sticking a shop vac hose down there as far as possible and seeing what I could vaccum out. But it's not easy to remove the three vents above the radio; you'd have to remove pull the entire dash, wouldn't you?
Also, and this is a dumb question with an obvious answer, but I've never really taken time to think about it: where does air that is sucked in from outside of the car start at? I'm guessing it comes through the black plastic vents that the windshield wipers rest near or is there somewhere else that I'm overlooking?
I really don't want to take it to a shop to have them do it, but I don't know if I've got time to do it myself right now and I don't want to leave that stentch in there any longer....
A few days later it is a lot worse. I have the HVAC turned completely off and windows rolled down because it smells so bad. I haven't even had time to take a good look into the problem because basically all I do is get up, rush to school, work, and come home everyday and have been extremely busy.
I did get a chance to take a quick peak under the hood the other day and I didn't spot any dead animals trapped in my engine bay. But I haven't checked underneath the car.
What I would like to know is what do you think my best line of attack for this is? I replaced the dash on my dad's Grand National last summer and it made me realize how much of a p.i.t.a it would be to get something out of the air ducts.
I was thinking of first removing the air vents and just sticking a shop vac hose down there as far as possible and seeing what I could vaccum out. But it's not easy to remove the three vents above the radio; you'd have to remove pull the entire dash, wouldn't you?
Also, and this is a dumb question with an obvious answer, but I've never really taken time to think about it: where does air that is sucked in from outside of the car start at? I'm guessing it comes through the black plastic vents that the windshield wipers rest near or is there somewhere else that I'm overlooking?
I really don't want to take it to a shop to have them do it, but I don't know if I've got time to do it myself right now and I don't want to leave that stentch in there any longer....
09-20-2005, 04:27 PM
#2
Does it smell like ammonia, if so that's probably cat ****, the will sometimes pee on the car, and if they pee where the black plastic vents are (that's where the air enters the car) then the smell is HORRIBLE
Another possibility is someone put "doe in heat" (deer ****) in the vents (as a "joke" ) **** anyone off lately?
Not likely any critter got in there and died, mostly that happens if the car sits for quite awhile without moving, yours sounds like a daily driver
Another possibility (if you have headers) is they may be melting the plastic A/C box on the passenger side, put some aluminum tape on it to help insulate it against the heat
Another possibility is someone put "doe in heat" (deer ****) in the vents (as a "joke" ) **** anyone off lately?
Not likely any critter got in there and died, mostly that happens if the car sits for quite awhile without moving, yours sounds like a daily driver
Another possibility (if you have headers) is they may be melting the plastic A/C box on the passenger side, put some aluminum tape on it to help insulate it against the heat
09-20-2005, 06:42 PM
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Well, sometimes critters do get up in there on DD's because of the warmth of the engine. Check down under the car and as 2K2WS6TA (phew) said, someone or something may have pissed or placed **** on your car where the air is coming from.
