Texas has had a LOT of rain the last week or two, and I've been at a conference where my car sits on an outside lot. I can't feel anything wet on the headliner, interior carpet, seats, etc.

But the car smells like DEATH. It's heinous. It's somewhere just worse than locker room mildew, and just short of decaying roadkill. The car will be undriveable if this gets worse! I left the windows down in my enclosed garage last night, but it does not seem to have helped.

Where do you go about looking for water or dead things in a W210?! Thanks! Meantime, I guess I'll put a box of baking soda or something in there to try and soak up the stink a bit.

Cheers, John

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'98 E300TD (W210) | Sold 6/09 with 205k and counting
'04 VW Touareg V10TDI

This has been psoted about in the last 30 days...something about a special spray to hit the evaporator with??? Sorry, didnt pay more attention, we have a "dry heat" in Sunny Calif.

Search M.B.DOC's recent posts???

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

Might be time to change out the cabin air filter.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Spray Frigi Fresh in the outside air vents near the bottom of the windshield while the dash vents are on high speed.

You may have to clean out your drains under the hood near the cowling.
look for lots of debris in there and try to pick it all out and blow out with compressed air if you can.

Yeah, your fresh air filters behind the glove box may need replaced.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I checked the cowl drains, and they're clean as a whistle. I went over the car again looking for wet spots and didn't find any. I went ahead and put a giant box of baking soda in the trunk and another in the passenger compartment, just to see if that gets me some temporary relief.

Per another thread, I was finally able to get my back seat cushion out. All kinds of garbage was hiding under there, but nothing that should smell bad and no water or rusty spots.

I'll do some searches about how to replace the cabin air filters -- sounds like that might be a DIY job for me next weekend.

Thanks again --
Cheers, John

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'98 E300TD (W210) | Sold 6/09 with 205k and counting
'04 VW Touareg V10TDI

I had that last week - turned out to be my gym flip-flops which had baked away in the trunk for a few days.

On a Windstar I had, there was a leak from the evaporator drain at the firewall which ended up nearly rusting a hole in the floorpan. You could only find it by lifting the carpet up. The jute pad was basically rotted out and needed replacing. I would look behind the carpet in both footwell areas to check if you can't find a source otherwise.

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Prost!

Just one dead night crawler will really make a stink. Got any merry prankster friends who owe you one?

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Tom - LOL.

No, the car is enclosed in a locked garage at night. I'm sure someone out there owes me one, but they didn't get me at home!

I'll check the front footwells and evaporator areas again later today and see what I can find. Thanks again.

Cheers, John

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'98 E300TD (W210) | Sold 6/09 with 205k and counting
'04 VW Touareg V10TDI

Sounds like more than a moldy filter? Maybe a mouse or some other critter found its way in, got stuck, and died? I would check all engine crevices, inside the trunk and also air vents/pathways, esp. near the firewall in the engine.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

strategically placed chunk of limburger cheese on the exhaust manifold.

Oh yeah, crowd pleaser.

Whew, there is still some stink out there in that car this morning. The baking soda isn't keeping up at all!

I tore the trunk apart, as it reeks too. I mean, down to the metal with the spare tire out. It's dry as a whistle, and I vacuumed out a bit of dirt, but nothing that should stink. Same thing when I pulled out the rear seat cushions -- just dirt and trash, nothing rotten or wet.

The front footwell carpet is all dry. The cowl drains are open.

When the AC is running, it drips and puddles just like it should, so I don't think I have anything collecting up there -- need to check more closely.

I seriously wonder if a rodent has died somewhere. I don't think it would be in the climate control system tubing, because the car smells fine after about five minutes of driving with the AC blowing. It's like that clears out the stink that builds up while parked.

I'm tempted just to park this thing in the sun for a few days and let it work itself out. Unfortunately, it's cool and rainy in Houston this week!

I'll update again if I'm able to find anything.

Cheers, John

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'98 E300TD (W210) | Sold 6/09 with 205k and counting
'04 VW Touareg V10TDI

My mom had a dead cat under the hood of her Cadillac once. It must have crawled up in there before she went for a drive and got cooked in the process. She had an atrocious stench in her car until she took it in for service. The answer was,"Hey lady did you know you had a dead cat in your engine compartment?"
I could imagine what a good laugh the dealership had when the cat was discovered.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

In Texas it's probably an armadillo in the wheelwell.

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Prost!

ROTHFLMAO!

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Try some baking soda and bounce sheets.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz