So last week my LR3 developed a horrendous interior smell. The heady odor reminds me of a combination of ox musk with strong overtones of decay and depression.

I’ve got through the truck looking for:

• lost food from the kids
• gifts of any sort from the dog, other than hair
• leaks and wet carpet
• dead bodies of any size

found none.

It’s garaged perpetually unless it’s on or off road. It’s been in the rain and snow so I figured it was wet floor and carpet from sunroof drains. It’s not wet and the drains were replaced 3 years ago although I’ve not checked them recently.

I replaced the cabin air filter wondering if it was wet from a leak below the windshield. Nope, dry but dirty.

I’m outta ideas and need some brain trust help. The odor containment gel isn’t working any longer: it quit and went home.

thanks!

 

If it developed suddenly, there must be a recent contributor - gotta find it!
re-check for wetness, get an interior detail, try an ozonator, damp-rid, check underneath for road-kill or an old "stowaway", try another odor eliminator

happy hunting :-|

 

My money would be on the stowaway… maybe someone peeled back a can of fish and tucked it up behind something.

can you smell it from outside the vehicle?

or do you have a dog? Or a friend who has a dog..?

 

We’ve got a dog.

Yesterday I spent an hour and a half vacuuming out fur and otherwise detailing the truck. Found some food and other stuff but nothing smelled. Smelled carpet and seats and assorted surfaces: nose to surface closeness and all was well. Until I got to the AC.

Before that I’d done the water test for sunroof drains. All sealed. I smelled the AC vents while pulling the filter and shoving my hand up above to make sure there wasn’t water leaking from the cowl. No leaks and all dry.

Did two rounds of the Armor All HVAC duct cleaner which decreased the smell but did not remove it. Tried the chemical guys extreme odor eliminator leather scent (it’s really nice!) and used as directed on the carpet. Smell still there.

Got frustrated and launched the Armor All SmokeX interior deodorizer fogger bomb. That seems to have killed the smell : for now. And the previous two scents above. The huge downside is now the truck smells like a 21 year old kid who’s bathed in cologne before going to a bar on his birthday. It’s overwhelming and nauseating. Made the entire garage smell later.

Not sure it’s an improvement or just masking the odor and everything else although the package says it destroys odors and doesn’t mask them.

So where else could I look for a decaying hitchhiker in or around the AC? The area around and under the cowl are clear.

What else and where would I look to clean? The condensation pan or outflow port? Any bacteria collection areas?

 

So admittedly I’m still new to the LR3 Crew but I’ve been trying to dive on in as much as possible and since I inherited someone’s project truck I have to do so even more so… that being said, I might make suggestions that aren’t entirely applicable to the LR3 but I can assure you they’re in earnest.

All that aside; did this smell just suddenly appear full force one day or did it gradually build? And I’m not sure if you saw one of my previous questions if you could smell it outside the vehicle?

I recall when I would have my X5 get some moisture in it I would place some of those sealed coffee pouches (the paper ones) that you get at a hotel and place them under the seats and it draws odor out like a box or baking soda but also smells like coffee. You may also benefit from some of those “fridge pack” baking soda boxes with the mesh sides on them; should pull the smell out and work even faster if you set it in the warm sun.

OH! Another question, was the smell any worse when the cabin warmed up?

Mold would have a musty smell and would get more pungent as the car got warmer but it wouldn’t smell like death warmed over and a bacteria culture wouldn’t produce that potent of a funk.

Im still leaning towards perhaps a stowaway or maybe check below the center console / fridge area for some drainage or old food?

Haven’t exactly made my way through all that in the cabin to where it all feeds from. I still have a gaping hole in my dash where my radio was stolen… can see some of the ducts that come in from the firewall… so you might want to check opposite the cabin and see if there is any hoses that may be busted along the back of the firewall. Check the AC lines and make sure you don’t have a Freon leak…

I know one thing that my oldest was wondering about smell wise was the discharge of air from the tanks/airbags. It isn’t something you smell every day but it certainly is different that anything you smell on a day to day basis… unless you’re a clown. Haha.

 

I’m leaning heavily towards something dead in the HVAC. Pretty sure I’ve rules out everything else.

Called a local shop and they suggested finding a car interior bleach dioxide fogger. That and locating the source is next.

 

Have not found the smell yet but have found a leaking pipe fitting from the interior front heater core.

 

I keep checking back to see the update of your hunt; do you have something else you can daily in the meantime? I think you’re onto something with the pipefitting

 

Not yet. Working all weekend has prevented me from looking. I’m waiting for the bleach dioxide fogger which comes tomorrow. I’ll update after.

 

Is that something you’ve done before?