my v6 2001 ,weird smell comes and goes,smells a bit pissy,,,

[readarnold]

Hi everyone,just wondering if you lovely people may have any ideas why i keep getting a strange smell inside while driving? Without being crude it smells a bit pissy??,cant see any leaks ect,stumped!. Also wondering if anyone has had any experience of the saris bones3 bike rack? 2001 v6 tintop with spoiler,thanks guys..

[Simon Jones]

Assuming its not the result of a visitation from local tom cat, I would investigate things like the aircon which does get a bit smelly due to bacteria that forms in the system. When we stripped our van down we found what seems to have been a serious soy sauce spillage incident under the rear carpet.

Are they any particular times when the smell is worst? Heating on or off, when stationary or travelling, engine hot, etc?

I sometimes get a whiff of petrol when I pull up at a junction and that's when running on LPG. Also notice the sweet smell of coolant now and again even though there are no leaks, but it's just one of those smells you tune into when owning a Bongo.

[readarnold]

Hi the interior as been cleaned to within an inch of its life! I will investigate the aircon as i am to tight to use it often haha,smell seems to emulate from front vents or engine covers ? Hard to pinpoint but definitely not a oil or coolant smell as these are quite distinct smells that i know well,lots of old saabs,,will have to keep the gasmasks on for now and investigate further,thanks ps have shot all the local cats!!they keep sitting on me van,,lol

[helen&tony]

Hi
Just to eliminate the aircon, you can buy aircon cleaner sprays in many car shops, failing that, there's household anti- bacteria sprays. Start the Bongo, remove the airscoop that collects air for the heater, turn the aircon on , and spray into the aperture...that'll probably de-pong the aircon. You will need to thoroughly clean the aircon at some time, though, by removing the heater blower and cleaning the aircon matrix...plenty of posts / fact sheet on how to do it....and it REALLY makes a difference.
Anyway, if you start off with the spray, it'll de-bug the system...we have that pissy smell from the house aircon units sometimes, and a few sprays gets rid of it!
Cheers
Helen

[Ian]

An easy thing to check is the large plastic air intake duct under the bonnet. Some time back a curious smell was traced to an oily rag jammed in the ducting.

Perhaps there's an old child's nappy stuck in yours

[ELZE]

Hi everyone,just wondering if you lovely people may have any ideas why i keep getting a strange smell inside while driving? Without being crude it smells a bit pissy??,cant see any leaks ect,stumped!. Also wondering if anyone has had any experience of the saris bones3 bike rack? 2001 v6 tintop with spoiler,thanks guys..

Your not going mad buddy,

I got the same problem last month. On and off then went away, came back last week and gone again. I have a lot of broon sauce all over my carpets too and it looks crap broon on grey. Had the air-con done so it's not that. Changing my carpets next month, hopefully this might make a difference.

[readarnold]

Thanks guys ,will investigate air conditioning,,,,not to appear stipid but the large forward facing scoop is the air intake for the engine ?and the smaller top mounted rear facing one is for heater and aircon ,or am i stupid?

[Simon Jones]

The engine air intake is the oval one by the battery on the offside while the big flat one on top is the cabin air ducting:

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

[teenmal]

Get yourself a Air Con Bomb, place it in the passengers foot well as near to the Recycle filter as possible, put heater control to recycle/fan full speed close all windows start engine release Bomb and get out of van.

PS depending on the manufacturer of the product the instructions might vary.

[readarnold]

The engine air intake is the oval one by the battery on the offside while the big flat one on top is the cabin air ducting:

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

Thanks again,must get a handbook or manual,,

[nicstrike]

sorry , just had to add my 2 pennyth (??..sorry...child of decimalization) but I had to congratulate the o/p on the best thread title I have ever come across on any forum! also to say that my first impression of the problem was to think stinky a/c. had same in my impreza , I tried a "bomb" , with only limited success. also as far as stinky carpets go (broon?.. sauce encrusted or otherwise) before you replace them , drag them out and pressure wash them. my old boss picked up a dog of a bongo and it smelt and looked like a dozen of them had lived , deficated and died in there. we hit the shag with 3000psi & carpet shampoo and they came up looking 95% but smelling 100%. cheap fix if you have your own machine.

[Bluespanner]

Agreed most likely aircon. However I did have a strange smell come and go in the cab once, wouldn't exactly describe it as pissy, more like burnt bakelite smell. It turned out to be a binding drivers side front brake caliper. Fairly easy to eliminate from the equation. After driving a few miles with no heavy braking, pull over and with caution touch each of the wheels on the metal, if one is warm or hot that may be the problem.

[ELZE]

Have since had the aircon tested and serviced by a specialist and the smell has gone completely As for the carpets...theyre next and are coming out.