Please help!- RX8 smells like FISH!!!
12-14-2005 | 12:04 AM
#26
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Duluth, MN
Man I had the exact same thing happen on my last car (Monte Carlo). It was a rat that found his way up into the air blower/fan somehow. Had to take it to the dealer.. they said it was pretty nasty (blood and stuff all over) $450 later it smelled like a new car. Hope yours doesnt cost that much.
12-14-2005 | 12:19 PM
#29
Lubricious
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,425
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From: SF Bay Area, California
Originally Posted by whiterex
There is a possibility that one of your buddies is playing a bad, bad joke on you. 
I'm thinking the same thing. Not too many things smell like fish. If you're smelling fish in your car it probably IS fish, or fish oil. In which case mice or rats *will* probably join in if they haven't already.
12-14-2005 | 11:29 PM
#31
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i recently had the same problem with mine.
couldnt figure it out for weeks.
pissed me off!!
then one day i opened my trunk to readjust the
gains on my bass amp,and the smell was super strong
in there. Turns out the smell was from the carpet in
the trunk getting wet from water getting in there.
Took it to mazda and they found the leak.
My pass. side tail light wasnt fully tightned in place
and every time it would rain or i would wash my
car, water would leak in and soak into the carpet.
sure hope you find out the cause.
stinky car is not fun to drive in!
couldnt figure it out for weeks.
pissed me off!!
then one day i opened my trunk to readjust the
gains on my bass amp,and the smell was super strong
in there. Turns out the smell was from the carpet in
the trunk getting wet from water getting in there.
Took it to mazda and they found the leak.
My pass. side tail light wasnt fully tightned in place
and every time it would rain or i would wash my
car, water would leak in and soak into the carpet.
sure hope you find out the cause.
stinky car is not fun to drive in!
12-14-2005 | 11:44 PM
#33
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From: University of Maryland
i didnt read the whole thread by this happened to me on my old camry before. I found out that the stink was coming from my windows washer fluid. everything was fine after the fluid was replaced. i still have no idea what caused it to smell like rotten corpse. i would suggest you check all your fluids... windows, transmission etc.
12-15-2005 | 01:18 AM
#34
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From: Long Island, NY.
Originally Posted by MazdaManiac
Seriously - does the smell abate when you switch to recirc? If not, it may be something that made it all the wat to the cabin air filter behind the glove box.
If not, the intakes for the ventilation system are under the cowl at the base of the windscreen, though smells from anywhere in the engine compartment seem to collect there.
Does it taste like chicken?
If not, the intakes for the ventilation system are under the cowl at the base of the windscreen, though smells from anywhere in the engine compartment seem to collect there.
Does it taste like chicken?
First note: I looked under the hood and noticed, down on that little ledge undr the air fliter (see picture https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=36994 , from the "air filter removal" thread) there was a small orange peel, some nut shells, some dirty curled up napkins (ie bedding material) and some large bones (looked too big to be a rodent, but maybe something found it in the trash and brought it there?). In any case, very strong evidence an animal was living there. Sadness
Now, this could be entirely unrelated to the smell- there was no sign of the animal, the smell was not coming from that area or anywhere else in the engine compartment, etc. But I'm just filling you all in.Second, smell doesn't get any better with recirc. vs. outside air. I guess the two duct systems have to come together at some point, right, but it seems more unliely that something, dropped, dripped or crawled, would make it that far. I'm goign to check the cabin air filter as soon as I have a chance, hopefully today sometime. Also, thanks for the links aobut that other/superior cabin air filter, I'll be ordering one, even if this smell is unrelated.
For reference, it does not taste like chicken. Unfortunatly, we're clearly shopping in the seafood department...
12-15-2005 | 01:20 AM
#35
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From: Long Island, NY.
Originally Posted by cdigity
Turns out the smell was from the carpet in
the trunk getting wet from water getting in there.
the trunk getting wet from water getting in there.
thanks again all for the help, hopefully I can figure this out...blah
12-17-2005 | 05:35 PM
#36
WWFSMD?
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Massachusetts, USA
FYI for anyone who stumbles across this thread...
DEAD MOUSE:
One day I started the RX8 up after she sat for the weekend. There was a nasty smell inside so I opened the windows and cranked the fan. Well, the fan made the smell got 10 times worse. So, I checked the cabin filter (which is easily accessible behind the glove compartment) and sure enough, there was a dead baby mouse in there (along with a nest). I cleaned it all out, doused the area with Lysol, and replaced the filter.
For a month, the smell was still present, and damn it was strong. Every day, I sprayed a healthy amount of Lysol into the fan and vents (both inside the car and through the vent below the windshield outside the car). Thankfully, there was no residual smell afterwards.
MINOR MOLDY SMELL AFTER RAIN:For a month, the smell was still present, and damn it was strong. Every day, I sprayed a healthy amount of Lysol into the fan and vents (both inside the car and through the vent below the windshield outside the car). Thankfully, there was no residual smell afterwards.
Twice, I've had a moldy smell after a rainstorm that was noticeable after I left the car parked more than a couple hours with the windows closed. It's strange because it's been rained on countless times and this didn't happen except for those two times. I checked the interior; all carpets and seats were completely dry and it definitely didn't come from the vents... so I'm unsure what caused it, though I didn't check the trunk (or maybe there was some water built-up in the doors).
However, the solution was easy: when I parked with the windows cracked, there was no smell. And both times the problem resolved itself after a few days, and I was able to park with all the windows closed without worrying about the smell coming back.
However, the solution was easy: when I parked with the windows cracked, there was no smell. And both times the problem resolved itself after a few days, and I was able to park with all the windows closed without worrying about the smell coming back.
12-18-2005 | 12:20 PM
#38
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From: Portland, OR
My mom's '93 Protege had that happen after she had had it about four months. Apparently some of the glue they use for carpeting/interior stuff had a small glob of it break loose and find itself in the ventillation. Not really sure why they make glue that smells like dead fish but they do! They told her to put something in it called Frigifresh (think that's how you spell it). It's for air conditioning units, air purifiers, ventillation stuff that has a stale smell or a bad smell to it. It's supposed to clean and neutralize smells. We had ot use it in our furnance in our house about 10 years ago. We had a rat that crawled up into it somehow and it died in their. Well, the whole house smelled horrible until we finally found the dead rat (took about three weeks). Well, we took it out and cleaned the area with Lysol, but then it just smelled like Lysol and dead rat. After about four days it just smelled like dead rat again. We put that in there and it worked great. It neutralizes and disinfects.
12-18-2005 | 10:00 PM
#40
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From: Winnipeg, Canada
From experience with my old Eagle Talon...
Another item that can cause a fish smell is a leaking capacitor from some interior electronics.
On the Talon there were 3 caps on the ECU board. A fishy smell from the ventilation system was a clue to check these caps.
Chris...
Another item that can cause a fish smell is a leaking capacitor from some interior electronics.
On the Talon there were 3 caps on the ECU board. A fishy smell from the ventilation system was a clue to check these caps.
Chris...
12-19-2005 | 12:14 PM
#41
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Originally Posted by elysium19
First note: I looked under the hood and noticed, down on that little ledge undr the air fliter (see picture https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=36994 , from the "air filter removal" thread) there was a small orange peel, some nut shells, some dirty curled up napkins (ie bedding material) and some large bones (looked too big to be a rodent, but maybe something found it in the trash and brought it there?). In any case, very strong evidence an animal was living there.
That is a bad sign. Forget the smell for a moment - you should also check your hoses and insulation for evidence of "nibbling". Rodents love the taste of insulation and rubber hoses - especially hoses than carry anti-freeze.
03-01-2006 | 11:03 PM
#42
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From: Long Island, NY.
Originally Posted by Deslock
DEAD MOUSE:
One day I started the RX8 up after she sat for the weekend. There was a nasty smell inside so I opened the windows and cranked the fan. Well, the fan made the smell got 10 times worse. So, I checked the cabin filter (which is easily accessible behind the glove compartment) and sure enough, there was a dead baby mouse in there (along with a nest). I cleaned it all out, doused the area with Lysol, and replaced the filter.
For a month, the smell was still present, and damn it was strong. Every day, I sprayed a healthy amount of Lysol into the fan and vents (both inside the car and through the vent below the windshield outside the car). Thankfully, there was no residual smell afterwards.
MINOR MOLDY SMELL AFTER RAIN:For a month, the smell was still present, and damn it was strong. Every day, I sprayed a healthy amount of Lysol into the fan and vents (both inside the car and through the vent below the windshield outside the car). Thankfully, there was no residual smell afterwards.
Twice, I've had a moldy smell after a rainstorm that was noticeable after I left the car parked more than a couple hours with the windows closed. It's strange because it's been rained on countless times and this didn't happen except for those two times. I checked the interior; all carpets and seats were completely dry and it definitely didn't come from the vents... so I'm unsure what caused it, though I didn't check the trunk (or maybe there was some water built-up in the doors).
However, the solution was easy: when I parked with the windows cracked, there was no smell. And both times the problem resolved itself after a few days, and I was able to park with all the windows closed without worrying about the smell coming back.
However, the solution was easy: when I parked with the windows cracked, there was no smell. And both times the problem resolved itself after a few days, and I was able to park with all the windows closed without worrying about the smell coming back.
Excellent descriptions and advice. Mine was definitely something, though still not sure exactly what, in the cabin air filter.
03-02-2006 | 12:58 AM
#43
Argh ...
You might have to take your front bumper out. The Intake for the A/C is
Go to the front, face towards to your 8.
Open the hood.
Look under to the left hand side u should see it.
There was a time my car smells like ****. I have no idea. so I check around and I found there was some smell coming in from the Vent. but I cleaned it with Oust.
There was another problem. I brought my 8 during summer, June to be exact.
and there was "SPIDERS" running around inside my 8. It pissed me off alot cuz u know how annoying it is, its some small white ones that I can squeeze it with my finger tip.
but one after another, its getting annoying ...
So what I did was. I parked it back to my garage.
closed the Door, sealed everything.
and I took a can of those RAID Roaches killing mist. Leave my 8 windows open, disconnected the battery. Open the can and let it sit for a night.
Next day of course I cleaned everything. and the Spider problem resolved.
You might have to take your front bumper out. The Intake for the A/C is
Go to the front, face towards to your 8.
Open the hood.
Look under to the left hand side u should see it.
There was a time my car smells like ****. I have no idea. so I check around and I found there was some smell coming in from the Vent. but I cleaned it with Oust.
There was another problem. I brought my 8 during summer, June to be exact.
and there was "SPIDERS" running around inside my 8. It pissed me off alot cuz u know how annoying it is, its some small white ones that I can squeeze it with my finger tip.
but one after another, its getting annoying ...
So what I did was. I parked it back to my garage.
closed the Door, sealed everything.
and I took a can of those RAID Roaches killing mist. Leave my 8 windows open, disconnected the battery. Open the can and let it sit for a night.
Next day of course I cleaned everything. and the Spider problem resolved.
03-02-2006 | 01:14 AM
#44
I don't buy Kool-Aid
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Vegas Baby!
Originally Posted by elysium19
So all of a sudeden today, I got in the car, and the interior smelled like rotten disgusing fish smell. The last time I drove it was about 24 hours ago, and there was none of this smell. I looked/sniffed around the cabin and couldn't localize it at all. (My first thought is that someone somehow dragged something in on a shoe bottom or something). I turned on the vent to defog the window and BOOM- the smell was clearly coming from the vents.
Thats all I know! I need to fix this, my baby isn't supposed to smell gross!
Theory: Literally "something crawled up and died" somewhere under the hood. If this is the case, can anyone help me by letting me know where the air input ducts are (I'll assume that's the most likely place for a dead/smelling animal to be?) or if there's some other place where something foul smelling might be lingering under the hood, such that it would smell when I turn the AC/vents on. Any other possible ideas??
Second- Has anyone actually in the past experienced something like this, and it was being caused by some other issue? I'm not closing the possibility that the smell is some weird oil issue or something, but it really smells exactly like rotten fish, definitely something organic. That and it came extremely suddenly.
If I cant find anything myself, I'll probably bring it into the dealer and they can look/dismantle things, but that would a) be a lot of trouble and b) a difficult thing to figure out, i'm sure...
Help!!!
Thats all I know! I need to fix this, my baby isn't supposed to smell gross!
Theory: Literally "something crawled up and died" somewhere under the hood. If this is the case, can anyone help me by letting me know where the air input ducts are (I'll assume that's the most likely place for a dead/smelling animal to be?) or if there's some other place where something foul smelling might be lingering under the hood, such that it would smell when I turn the AC/vents on. Any other possible ideas??
Second- Has anyone actually in the past experienced something like this, and it was being caused by some other issue? I'm not closing the possibility that the smell is some weird oil issue or something, but it really smells exactly like rotten fish, definitely something organic. That and it came extremely suddenly.
If I cant find anything myself, I'll probably bring it into the dealer and they can look/dismantle things, but that would a) be a lot of trouble and b) a difficult thing to figure out, i'm sure...
Help!!!
OK one time when my bro was working at this where house. He did this in one of the delevery van's. He put rotten mussle's in the glove box. No one would drive the dam thing!
06-03-2006 | 11:01 PM
#48
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 55
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From: Nihonmatsu, Fukushima prefecture
yer mate..its very possible someone played a nasty prank on you. in older cars and new there are the vents behind the hood before the front glass and that feeds air to the inside of the car. i heard stories of people pissing and putting crap down there so the fanned air smells like shiz. its not unlikely someone put fish juice or bones or who knows down there to screw you up. probably a jealous punk!!
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