Help! My car stinks like weed!

Help! My car stinks like weed!

Author
Discussion

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

209 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Well it's not my car, it's my wife's, and for some bizarre reason when the weather is warm it stinks like a students bedroom.

It's a Nissan Figaro so it's a soft top of sorts, it's a running project so had lots done to it over the last few years but for the last year or so whenever the weather gets warm it stinks like weed inside.

It's currently sat on my drive without seats or mats or anything else trying to eliminate the smell but it still stinks.
Like really stinks, my wife won't drive it. We've had it for 15 years and never had this before. The carpets are all dry and pass the sniff test and there is nothing in the car that can obviously smell (and no she doesn't sneak out for a cheeky toke).
It has had some rust repairs and new vinyl roof but I can't pin point to either of those as the cause of the smell. I am at a loss.

Anyone had a similar experience? It's driving us crazy. It's so bad she is talking of selling it and it was always meant to be a keeper!

Please help me pistonheads, you are my only hope.

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

209 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Forgot to add it's worse when the car is sat so I'm guessing it's not coming through the vents. I had used disinfectant sprays through the blowers and have tried numerous odour killers including air vidox but it doesn't seem to have helped....

dudleybloke

20,040 posts

188 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Headliner? Smoke rises!

InitialDave

12,001 posts

121 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Have you tried an ozone generator?

hidetheelephants

25,353 posts

195 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
Have you tried an ozone generator?
One of those if ordinary valeting isn't touching it. Have you checked behind all trim panels to see if there's a stray bale of produce left by a forgetful smuggler? hehe A Figaro is a weird choice for hotboxing.

Edited by hidetheelephants on Saturday 25th May 06:43

Belle427

9,156 posts

235 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
If it has a cabin filter change that too.

croyde

23,202 posts

232 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Old rag or similar stuffed behind a seat?

My old Disco 3 started stinking like hell at only 2 years old. Drove me nuts until I put up the rear seats that fold into the floor of the boot area.

They hadn't been used for ages and trapped in the mechanism was a used nappy frown

normalbloke

7,506 posts

221 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Have a word with the local plod dog unit, they might be able to pinpoint it..

Smint

1,768 posts

37 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Hope you can pinpoint it.
Some years ago another driver used my truck for week , fool spilled his latte coffee which went down into one of the pull out trays, to be fair he mopped it up.

Months later the most foul smell was there all the time, had to run with windows open no question, eventually i pulled up the rubber mat liner in the tray, the smell was overpowering and found a postage stamp sized stain ingrained into the mat, how the heck such a tiny patch could be the unending source of such powerful smell you would never credit.
Steam cleaned the mat, scrubbed it bleached it even put it through the dishwasher, nothing touched that smell, ended up slinging the mat, the same spot on the tray itself being plastic cleaned ok.

You might be looking for a much smaller item or stain than you expect and the material its on dictates how you deal with it.

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

209 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies so far, to pick up a few questions...
Headliner is out so it's not that

Smuggling - love it! But we've had the car 15 years and it never used to smell so guessing it's not some secret stash

Car has definitely not been smoked in since we had it.

Nappy under the seat - I've stripped out pretty much everything bar the carpets so I don't think it's that

Spill - could be this. Carpets will have to come out next I guess

hidetheelephants

25,353 posts

195 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Something funky lurking in the carpet, mould, penicillin or a space plague that is going to wipe us all out, is growing and when it gets warm you can smell it.

croyde

23,202 posts

232 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Just reminded me of spilling a pint of milk in the company Citroen AX which I had to use in London during one Summer in the 80s frown

SmithCorona

644 posts

31 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Windscreen washer resoviour has probably gone mouldy. Flush with hot water and vinegar.

Rusty Old-Banger

4,234 posts

215 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
It'll be damp somewhere I reckon. I had the same, found out my rear lights were leaking at the seals and letting in water, and in warm weather it smelled enough that my policeman brother commented on it, asking me if I had anything I wanted to admit. Had to park it in the garage and air it out every day for about a month before it started to go. Once I'd resealed the lights of course.

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

209 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Rusty Old-Banger said:
It'll be damp somewhere I reckon. I had the same, found out my rear lights were leaking at the seals and letting in water, and in warm weather it smelled enough that my policeman brother commented on it, asking me if I had anything I wanted to admit. Had to park it in the garage and air it out every day for about a month before it started to go. Once I'd resealed the lights of course.
That's my working theory...
Just spotted some water coming out the driver's door, door cards off next then!!

InitialDave

12,001 posts

121 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
croyde said:
Just reminded me of spilling a pint of milk in the company Citroen AX which I had to use in London during one Summer in the 80s frown
I will spare you the story of my vet dad's colleague leaving a dead dog in a car over a long weekend in the height of summer!

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

209 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
I will spare you the story of my vet dad's colleague leaving a dead dog in a car over a long weekend in the height of summer!
yikesyuckbiglaugh

TwinKam

3,028 posts

97 months

Saturday 25th May
quotequote all
Some fungi/moulds/wood rot smell remarkably similar and a car of that age with a large 'hole in the roof' is a prime candidate for water ingress...

dingg

4,030 posts

221 months

Sunday 26th May
quotequote all
drgoatboy said:
Well it's not my car, it's my wife's, and for some bizarre reason when the weather is warm it stinks like a students bedroom.

It's a Nissan Figaro so it's a soft top of sorts, it's a running project so had lots done to it over the last few years but for the last year or so whenever the weather gets warm it stinks like weed inside.

It's currently sat on my drive without seats or mats or anything else trying to eliminate the smell but it still stinks.
Like really stinks, my wife won't drive it. We've had it for 15 years and never had this before. The carpets are all dry and pass the sniff test and there is nothing in the car that can obviously smell (and no she doesn't sneak out for a cheeky toke).
It has had some rust repairs and new vinyl roof but I can't pin point to either of those as the cause of the smell. I am at a loss.

Anyone had a similar experience? It's driving us crazy. It's so bad she is talking of selling it and it was always meant to be a keeper!

Please help me pistonheads, you are my only hope.
Does she need to invest in a pack of tena ladys?

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

209 months

Sunday 26th May
quotequote all
dingg said:
Does she need to invest in a pack of tena ladys?
Weed, no wee! smile