Had a bad smell coming from the a/c vents when you first turn it on. Goes away after a couple minutes but it stinks... My passat still under warranty, wanna be able to tell them what's wrong when I take it in.
View 11 RepliesI have a 2000 vw 2.8 v6.
I got it back in February and it ran great up until now. A couple months ago while driving home my cel started flashing and right when the light came on I could immediately feel an immense loss in power and when I got to a red light it would shake like mofo. Gettin up to speed was suddenly a huge problem and the car would make a strange noise and I could smell a strong odor of gas and slight oil. I have a valve cover gasket leak that I paid 300 bucks to replace but after a week I realized it's still leaking oil so that 300 bucks just went out the window. The sluggish performance and cel went away the next time I drove the car and it ran awesome for over a month till one day while I was on my way home from grabbing some lunch it all of a sudden started happening again. Sluggish performance, smell of gas and slight oil, wouldn't get up to speed.
I brought it to my local vw dealership to have it looked at yesterday figuring that they'd be able to tell me exactly what was going wrong. I got a call early this morning saying that the oil leak in my valve covers are causing my coil pack to short out and foul my plugs and wires and then told me it was going to cost 1,700 bucks with all the parts and labor. I'm not very mechanically inclined when it comes to vehicles so it's not like I can do the work myself but my main question is, how can the oil cause the coil pack to short out seeing that oil is not conductive and some cars actually use oil to cool the packs down. Is that a legitimate diagnosis or is the dealership mechanic Actually right or is he just getting creative trying to squeeze some money out of me.
I purchased a used 2007 prius last month. Back then, I noticed a faint smell that reminded me of a barn, horse along those lines. I didn't smell too often because the car still smelled of whatever dealer cleaned with. Now that "fragrance" has worn off, the "horse" odor is more intense. I notice that it smells more in the back seat.
This morning I smelled the vent, and it seems to be coming from there.I heard it was the battery duct battery insulators that accumulate a sticky substance that smells.
Decided to take my 2013 GS to work today since I haven't been driving it as much after getting another commuter car. It was sitting in the garage for about 4 days. Didn't quite go wide open throttle, but did push it a little this morning on the freeway and noticed a stank rotten egg/sulfur smell after I did that. Spoke with a former Lexus tech and he told me it's normal. Performance did not seem to be impacted.
View 8 RepliesI’m owning a Honda Accord for last 6 months and I have noticed a bad odor coming from the AC. I tried many air fresheners and similar options. But, nothing worked. When I talk about the same issue with my friend who is a mechanic ( Apex automotive ) in Edmonton, he told that the first thing I need to do is change the cabin filter. Right now, I’m thinking of doing it. What else do I need to check a brand new one?
View 10 RepliesMy wife and I purchased 2014 Toyota Camry SE and now just only 6000+ miles on it and couple of weeks ago we noticed bad smell coming out of the AC.
We will be taking our car to the dealership tomorrow for cleaning.... It is frustrating since it is a brand new car,and we are all suffering from allergies.
I just had a customer drop off their 2001 Chevy S10 pickup with a complaint of a gas odor coming from the vehicle. They said this had been happening for about a month. Before bringing it to me they brought to another shop and they were told that the top of gas tank was rusted out.
When they arrived, I took a flashlight and thru the rear wheel well I could see that the gas tank was made of plastic. And at the same I could see that half the fuel pump wasn't completely seated down to the top of the gas tank and there was gas all over the top of the fuel pump and on top of the gas tank.
If the gas tank is leaking this bad, why hasn't the Check Engine light come on with an EVAP code? This is an OBII vehicle. And if you leave the gas cap loose the Check Engine light comes on.
And I did check to see if the Check Engine light worked with the ignition in the run position. And it does.
Every morning, just as I get into my car and right before I press start engine, I have to hold my breath for a few seconds because there is odor coming from my vents. It lasts for a few seconds. 2013 RX ...
View 13 RepliesIn the last few weeks the odor coming out of my AC is pretty stinky. Is there something I can check easily or does this require a dealer visit? Also in the last month I hear a strange "warbling" noise as if my car was on SUV tires. I do not work on my own car but would love to learn if it isn't too hard .
View 14 RepliesSunday I got in my car and noticed a distinctive odor coming from the a/c and to my surprise not cold air. The temp seems to work as well as the fan and controls.
View 5 RepliesI bought a New Toyota Camry in November of 2012. It is a 2012 model. Since we bought the car in November we rarely ran the AC. Well summer is in , and we recently began running the AC on a daily basis. About a month ago we began having a foul/musty odor coming out of the AC. We brought it to the dealer twice.
The second time we brought it back, the dealer told me that they believe the problem is my dogs.Because there was a very minimal amount of hair on the seat covers. Rat terrier and jack Russel. They are white and I noticed the hair thing after the first ride with us. So they do not ride in the car anymore. What upsets me the most is the fact the dealer wants to charge me to take the AC apart and clean it.
Told me the only reason they could account for the odor is pet dander. They did flush the ac through the drain hole and installed a charcoal filter. Same thing it lasted about 1 week. Is there a simple resolution to this? I am at wits end. Because it has under 10 K miles, I do not feel I should have to run the heater or do anything to get rid of the odor. It is hot enough here in Fl.
09 Corolla S. Odor from the vents when air / AC is on. I know about the TSB. [URL] …..
Has it been pegged to one particular problem ? Is it a clogged drain, evaporator / coil , cabin air filter, or all of the above ?
I can do the CAF and probably even the foam - out / deodorizer before hitting up the dealer. Was curious what other's course of action was.
I am having this serious issue with my 2007 gs350 awd, whenever I'm on the highway or any were, the air is contaminated with any odor for example (skunk, garbage, smoke from old car) the smell comes in through the vents, I've changed the cabin air filter and still same problem, how to get it resolved?
View 4 RepliesI have a problem that I cannot pinpoint. For at least 2 months now, I have noticed a strong odor almost like a diesel coming from the exhaust. I replaced the plugs, wires, air filter and cleaned out the throttle body but it remains. No check engine light and runs smooth. Also, noticed a significant loss of coolant from the overflow bottle. Filling it every 3 days. Took it out to inspect for holes or cracks and nothing. Not sure if all these are related. Every oil change the used oil smells like fuel. I was thinking rings going bad but don't think that would solve the coolant loss which is unseen. Everything under the hood is dry.
View 5 RepliesOK, I've been reading a lot about this problem occurring in the pre 2010 prius where there is a crack around the hatch that fills the 12V battery well with water. About a month ago, I started getting a whiff of something rotting. A mix of the dead smell and rotting fruit. I was certain one of my kids left some food in the car or something got in the HVAC vent. As time has gone by, the odor has changed to more of a rotting leaves kind of smell.
I got out my shopvac and a snake camera. I went through the HVAC system and found that the filter was pulled back a bit. I replaced it on the spot. I found a few leaves and dust and that was it. The air coming from the vents from the outside smells clean. There were lots of wet leaves in the engine bay, but it wasn't the problem.
I started tearing apart the trunk because sometimes stuff spills into the tire well. I found the spare tire had turned brown on the tread.
I opened the battery compartment and found about an inch of standing milky white water. The kicker here is that the water didn't seem to smell that bad! I dried it all up and bleached the metal to kill any mold that might be in the residue...but the odor remains. The car smells awful!
I have torn apart the back of the car but I cannot find the source of the leak. I actually think it was from the car wash or going through a puddle and water got in the rear vent. The battery fender vent vanes were flapping with gusts of wind today, but even after a heavy rainstorm no new water has gotten in.
The car was hit in the parking lot and the rear fender moved about an 1/8th of an inch from the bumper, but there are no obvious signs of water entry anywhere... in fact, I was even suspicious that it might have come from the battery itself, but I didn't touch it (used paper towels on a snake to dry it up under there). I didn't think to try baking soda to see if it was an acid, which makes bleach pretty stupid to use...but I didn't see any foaming.
TL;DR Found water in my 12V battery compartment. My car smells bad. Cleaning out water did not improve smell. Nothing in HVAC system, it is only clean air source in car. No signs of water ingress above 12v battery well. After rainstorm, no additional water found in battery well. Fender vent flaps in gusty wind, but still no new water.
I've just purchased a 2010 F-150 scab 4x4 with the 4.6 3v. When I have the air conditioning on drawing air from outside I get a strong gas odor in the cab. Originally I thought it was natural gas, but then my wife mentioned she too smelled gas, gasoline. If I use the recirculated air the smell goes away, almost instantly. Additionally, there is a faint odor of gasoline outside of the truck as well, but not nearly as strong as in the cab. There also is a ticking sound coming from the top of the engine, I believe the egr solenoid. Could these two issues be related? Either way, what are the possible causes of this smell? What are the fixes to these possible causes?
View 2 RepliesCo-Worker's '03 Jetta TDI
Blower works intermittently. Sometimes all speeds will work. Sometimes only on high. Sometimes on all speeds but at a slower speed than normal. Sometimes it doesn't work on any speed.
Switch doesn't bind, blower motor doesn't make any unusual noises and I don't think it is the blower resistor. He did notice a strange odor coming from the vents the other day and, it appears that the foam on the blend door is starting to disintegrate.
I had this issue with my car when I had just purchased it almost 4.5 years ago. I had this bad odor in the car in the mornings. The dealer had treated the AC system and had told me that VWOA only pays once for that treatment and that I will have to pay myself if it returns or needs to be done again. Even if I drive and park the car and return after an hour or more, the odor comes back.
I have an even worst smell in the car now. It started a couple of days ago. It goes away once I start moving the car or turn on th AC. The dealer had indicated that it was due to the AC not running frequently. Now I have the AC running most of the time (S. FLorida heat) and had also replaced my cabin filter approx 5000 miles ago.
Any solution for this. Anything I can try myself. I know a few of you had this issue. Is there anything that you did yourself to fix it!
Car: 02 Passat GLX V6 4motion
Mileage: 99k
Just recently bought this car (3 months ago) and I have had lots of issue with it already. I topped off the tank that same week and it started to leak gas right under the gas tank (driver side in front of the rear wheel).
No engine light came on. It leaked for couple of days for about an hour after I park the car then it would stop until I drive again. It did that for couple of days until the gas level went down to 2/3 then it stopped. Since then I stopped topping it off and it hasn't leaked.
However I always smell gas even when its not leaking. When I go around the car the odor comes from right in front of the rear wheel (driver side).
Prior History: This car was rear ended before and fixed up by the prior owner. The seller told me that he had recently replaced the fuel pressure regulator that week.
I took it to the mechanic and had them do a smoke test. They couldn't pin point the leak so they recommended replacing the entire fuel tank for $1800. I walked away and thought I would just keep the fuel level low and keep driving. However the gas smell really bothers me because the car is parked in the garage and the gas odor builds up to unbearable condition.
What could cause this issue? Does this has anything to do with fuel pressure regulator that was replaced? Anything to do with fuel pump because of the rear end accident or loose seal in that area? Do you think it is necessary to replace the whole tank for this?
MY 2002 Passat 4motion is experiencing a strong gas odor, noticeable both inside the cabin and outside of the vehicle. Odor is noticeably stronger with a tank that has just been filled to full. I see that VW had a recall for 4motion Passats manufactured between 4/1997 and 8/2002. Recall notes, a fuel tank ventilation valve (4motion only) that can leak due to fracture.
I was in for the heat shield repair about 8 months ago which is covered under the same recall (campaign number 08V156000 - VWOA recall R5, but don't know if the VW tech did anything to check on the fuel ventilation valve.
I got a friend 1999 Passat 1.8L with 160K miles. Every now and then it won't fire. (turns and turns but won't crank) notices odor of gas. Go away for 10-30mins car starts just fine. The car runs great! turbo still kicks in and pulls hard.
I have checked :
-fuel pressure = good (I check it a while back and I don't remember the numbers but they were good)
-voltage at the fuel pump
-fuel pump relay
-for leaks in the intake (none found)
-voltage at the battery
I have replaced :
-Fuel filter
-Sparkplugs (NGK's)
-Air filter (his old one looked like it hasn't been changed in 25K miles )
-all vacuum hoses
The only thing that is broken is the check valve (located right between the air box and firewall on the passenger side) I plugged it for now. (yes it is throwing a code for the evap system but that is the only one). I don't know what else to check and I haven't seen any other common problems on the net that are related. Note the timing belt does need to be replaced. he's saving up for a timing belt kit.