what does the smell of rotting fish mean?

[DieselGrrl]

When I put the heat on, it work fine for about 3 minutes then it started to smell like rotting fish. This was the case for about 4 days, now the heat, cool, fan, defrost won't work at all. I pressed all the buttons, nothing. Any insight?

[cg487]

Originally Posted by DieselGrrl

When I put the heat on, it work fine for about 3 minutes then it started to smell like rotting fish. This was the case for about 4 days, now the heat, cool, fan, defrost won't work at all. I pressed all the buttons, nothing. Any insight?

I hate to say this, but have you looked for a rodent in your heater ducts?

[bgkast]

I'm not sure what the fish smell has to do with it, but I would try re-soldering the CCU to see if that will get things working again.

Insert crude joke here.

[Chad300tdt]

Originally Posted by bgkast

Insert crude joke here.

Only if Aklim sees this thread.


Could a coolant leak be causing the smell?

[DieselGrrl]

Originally Posted by cg487

I hate to say this, but have you looked for a rodent in your heater ducts?

i might have confused rotting fish with rotting rat carcass... but now it doesnt work at all, if a rodent did die in there, wouldnt it still work but continue to blow stinky air??

[BoomInTheTrunk]

are you sure that smell wasn't like a electrical burning smell.

[DieselGrrl]

it smelled like a bucket of chum under a fishmongers chopping block in July. electrical??? doubt it.

[Magoo]

Fan motors stink really bad when the bearings sieze and they overheat. That would explain your symptoms.

[bobodaclown]

leaking coolant. Happened in my BIL's Expedition. It was a small coolant leak.

[mobetta]

I'd say it means you pissed off a neighbor.



look for a can of tuna full of holes screwed to the bottom of the car.

no- it wasn't me.


coolant has a sticky sweet smell.

[cg487]

Originally Posted by DieselGrrl

i might have confused rotting fish with rotting rat carcass... but now it doesnt work at all, if a rodent did die in there, wouldnt it still work but continue to blow stinky air??

Well, rats like the taste of vehicle wire insulation, at least they do here.

[Cervan]

lol... Come on, what comes to your mind when you say fish smell? XD Maybie some gal decided to get a little frisky with your mercedes XD XD

[engatwork]

When I read the heading I figured her freezer was broken.

[asnowsquall]

shouldn't be needing the heat much longer....
Whats it smell like with the A/C on?

[dieseldan44]

i sort of have the same thing...but to a much lesser extent. and ive replaced my evaporator, heater core, have a different blower motor. and my ACC works great - except for a slightly fishy smell that comes about when the heat is first turned on.

ive stuck my nose up in and around the blower motor area and i can smell the smell, but i cant tell where its coming from.

so my point is troubleshoot carefully before proceeding - i don't know what my smell is from but i know what it isn't from - all the usual suspects.

i dont know how to troubleshoot any further...i dont know whats left in my system to be making fishy smells

where does the venturi that goes into passenger side panel go? i havent stuck my nose in there yet.

and on the topic of rodents - how could one get into the evap box other than through the AC condensate drip hole? and only the smallest little field mouse could fit thought there, but it would be tough. plus the critter would just hit the evaporator and couldn't go any further.

dd