Car Smells Like Indian Takeout

[Ruud]

Hi everyone,

My LS (1994) has hardly any warm air coming from the vents and smells like an Indian Takeout when it is warmed up :)

I have been told this could be caused by the heater core/matrix being on it's way out.

Has anyone attempted to replace the heater core?

[yotoy82]

I'm not sure about the core but you could get a charcoal cabin filter, they really help stop smells from coming inside the car!

[Ruud]

I'm not sure about the core but you could get a charcoal cabin filter, they really help stop smells from coming inside the car!

lol..the smell is not coming from outside.

[steve2006]

I'm not sure about the core but you could get a charcoal cabin filter, they really help stop smells from coming inside the car!

lol..the smell is not coming from outside.

Ah but the A/C filter could be clogged causing the poor air flow and the smell

[Ruud]

I'm not sure about the core but you could get a charcoal cabin filter, they really help stop smells from coming inside the car!

lol..the smell is not coming from outside.

Ah but the A/C filter could be clogged causing the poor air flow and the smell

I don't have poor air flow though.

Just to be safe, where is this A/C filer located? Is it the pollen filter?

[yotoy82]

I'm not sure about the core but you could get a charcoal cabin filter, they really help stop smells from coming inside the car!

lol..the smell is not coming from outside.

Ah but the A/C filter could be clogged causing the poor air flow and the smell

I don't have poor air flow though.

Just to be safe, where is this A/C filer located? Is it the pollen filter?

A/C filter, ie Cabin Filter, ie Pollen Filter, is the filter located behind the glove compartment.

[steve2006]

Lay in the footwell and look up behind the glovebox,you should see a black plastic box with 2 wing-nuts,unscrew them and the bottom panel will come off exposing the filter(s).

I actually washed mine in soapy water,rinsed,allowed to dry,sprayed with air freshener and refitted.They are probably $20.00 to you guys but cost over $60.00 in the UK

[Ruud]

Lay in the footwell and look up behind the glovebox,you should see a black plastic box with 2 wing-nuts,unscrew them and the bottom panel will come off exposing the filter(s).

I actually washed mine in soapy water,rinsed,allowed to dry,sprayed with air freshener and refitted.They are probably $20.00 to you guys but cost over $60.00 in the UK

ah, pollen filter was changed earlier this year.

[Old13NewLs]

Is it a methane type smell (natural gas ie; !Removed!...)? And does it come and go? Mine does this periodically. I've been told it could be one of the cats going bad.

[Ruud]

Is it a methane type smell (natural gas ie; !Removed!...)? And does it come and go? Mine does this periodically. I've been told it could be one of the cats going bad.

No, it's not methane. The smell is really only there in the morning, when she is warmed up. The rest of the day is fine.

Iknow the smell of a bad cat., that's more like a rotten egg smell :)

[steve2006]

Have you considered getting one of those AC cleaner aerosols,the one where you put the AC on max cold,set the thing off behind the front passenger seat(I use the rear part of the transmission tunnel) then leave until its done it's job.

I bought a few from Aldi a while ago but they are readily available elsewhere.

[Ruud]

Have you considered getting one of those AC cleaner aerosols,the one where you put the AC on max cold,set the thing off behind the front passenger seat(I use the rear part of the transmission tunnel) then leave until its done it's job.

I bought a few from Aldi a while ago but they are readily available elsewhere.

umm..I have never even heard of them..lol

How can they clean a closed system from behind the passenger seat?

[steve2006]

Like I said start the car,open all the vents,make sure the air is set to recirculate,set the AC to max cold,set the thing off in the back of the car,leave it 10 minutes for the can to empty and circulate around the system then leave the doors open to vent the excess.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_224996_langId_-1_categoryId_165632

[Ruud]

Like I said start the car,open all the vents,make sure the air is set to recirculate,set the AC to max cold,set the thing off in the back of the car,leave it 10 minutes for the can to empty and circulate around the system then leave the doors open to vent the excess.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_224996_langId_-1_categoryId_165632

Thanks Steve, I'll give it a try

[McSwine]

I see you have the extremely rare and highly desirable "Red Curry" limited edition.

(sorry...)

[Ruud]

I see you have the extremely rare and highly desirable "Red Curry" limited edition.

(sorry...)

Indeed I do :)

I have found out that these are quite the collector's item these days.

Lexus LS400 RC Limited Edition :)

[Ruud]

the guy in the below link has exactly the same issue

http://www.lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9020

Anyone here knows what a vapor trap is?

[kuziwk]

Mine use to smell like bad B.O. from the airvents whenever i washed it. Since than ive cleaned the carpets, used air fresheners, scrubbed the leather with vim (yes they were very grimy and black), cleaned all the cigarette ash out of the door panels. Eventually the car stopped smelling, and now smells like leather due to the cleaner/conditioner i use.

[magic]

What kind of smell? Is it Tandoori or Tikka?

[Ruud]

Does anyone actually reads the posts, or just the topic title?

[SRK]

Well it was a great topic title!

As to the question, if your heater core was leaking you'd have a fine scum of coolant on the inside of the windshield. It would be difficult to remove. If that isn't present, then more than likely you have some sort of growth occurring in the heater box/evaporator box itself. There are biocides on the market designed to be fogged into the air intake for the HVAC system, that will kill whatever is growing. It's also possible that something has already died in there, but I doubt it.

Smelly AC is a concern in many climates, Canada included. Once cured the best practice is to shut off the AC a few miles from home, run the fan up to full speed, and dry the evaporator core so that no moisture is present, eliminating the "growth medium" for various types of molds and other buggly-duds.

[Ruud]

Well it was a great topic title!

As to the question, if your heater core was leaking you'd have a fine scum of coolant on the inside of the windshield. It would be difficult to remove. If that isn't present, then more than likely you have some sort of growth occurring in the heater box/evaporator box itself. There are biocides on the market designed to be fogged into the air intake for the HVAC system, that will kill whatever is growing. It's also possible that something has already died in there, but I doubt it.

Smelly AC is a concern in many climates, Canada included. Once cured the best practice is to shut off the AC a few miles from home, run the fan up to full speed, and dry the evaporator core so that no moisture is present, eliminating the "growth medium" for various types of molds and other buggly-duds.

Thank you for your reply.

The problem is that the smell is there when the car starts to heat up with the A/C off.

I have used the 'fogged' a/c cleaner, but that did not make any difference. I am pretty sure it is coolant I smell. I get the same smell when coolant drips on the hot exhaust.

I do not have any coolant scum on my windshield though.