Sometimes, after standing for a day or two, the inside of my Mondeo smells of wet dog. We don't have a dog. The aircon / climate control works fine and is permanently left switched on but has never been re-gassed in nearly 200k miles / 8 years.
The question I have is would re-gassing exorcise the phantom wet dog ?
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No.
you need to clean the ventilation and air ducts out, they have mould in them.
Buy a aircon cleaning "bomb". YOu normally put in the car, put the aircon on and on recirculation, let off the "bomb" and shut the doors.
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I think Z means this type of stuff, wouldn't want you blowing up your car !
www.commaoil.com/productsguide/view/6/280
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Worth a check around the carpets/load area to see if there are any damp patches.
Check under the bonnet for any evidence of a tiny leak from the cooling system - boiled off coolant could produce a similar smell.
A seep from the heater matrix is another possible cause, although you will do well to spot that, short of dismantling the dashboard.
How about leaving all the eyeball vents open?
Allows a bit of air to circulate when the car's not in use.
As ON and Zero says, mould in the air ducts must be favourite.
I've heard of Focuses having this problem.
A pot of one of the specialised cleaners usually does the job.
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OK - thanks for the suggestions. I could try mucking it out too I suppose. "She's" been using it mainly since February and it's quite possible there are rare fungal species growing in places under the shoes, brollies, carrier bags, spare coats and other items of potential usefulness. Alternatively, it does also get used for our weekend mountain biking trips and there may be something organic festering under a seat having been transferred from the forest floor.. You know what they say about bears....
I'll try the bomb thing though. Can't hurt....
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About 5lbs of semtex should do it.
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>> About 5lbs of semtex should do it.
>>
Humpf wants to ventilate his car not the whole neighbourhood, 5lbs would blow the doors off and put the engine in the next county. :-)
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>> >> About 5lbs of semtex should do it.
>> >>
>> Humpf wants to ventilate his car not the whole neighbourhood, 5lbs would blow the doors
>> off and put the engine in the next county. :-)
Its a mondeo remember, not a Kia.
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>> >> About 5lbs of semtex should do it.
>> >>
>> Humpf wants to ventilate his car not the whole neighbourhood, 5lbs would blow the doors
>> off and put the engine in the next county. :-)
>>
GCHQ will be monitoring this thread from now on.
Sit back and wait for your front doors to be kicked in at 04.30 :)
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>> GCHQ will be monitoring this thread from now on.
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>> Sit back and wait for your front doors to be kicked in at 04.30 :)
>>
Only from now on ? I would not be surprised if every word is scanned, and if the scanning software didn't pick up this thread they need new software. :-)
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Could I recommend that Humph reads the recent "How often do you Hoover your car" thread, on page 4. It may give some hints on car cleanliness. :-)
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Hush Puppies ? Dear me no !
Actually, Hush Puppies did used to have a reputation for making your feet smell like rotting fish. Many years ago, when they were first on the scene they often used pigskin to keep costs down as opposed to the more universally trusted cow or goat hides.
Pigskin is a huge mistake as shoe leather. Feet so abused will stink worse than you can begin to imagine.
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Aligator skin shoes, thats the thing.
Dave will be along shortly to show you his favourite snappy cowboy boots.
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I think we'll be OK tonight anyway. I'm gambling on him favouring his Jimmy Choos and a frock on Sundays......
:-)
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>> Hush Puppies ? Dear me no !
>>
>> Actually, Hush Puppies did used to have a reputation for making your feet smell like
>> rotting fish. Many years ago, when they were first on the scene they often used
>> pigskin to keep costs down as opposed to the more universally trusted cow or goat
>> hides.
I remember that you likened shoes to car makes. What does Mondeo man wear?
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If you mean generally, I'd compare Mondeos to Clarks. Mainstream, not the cheapest but good value, well made and durable. Image challenged but actually very good if you can look past the badge.
Personally, I wear quite unusual stuff but then I sort of have to. Some one offs, handmades and so on. Still a huge fan of some of the traditional Northampton makers too of course. If I had to choose an outright favourite it would probably have to be Crockett and Jones. In my view it would be tough to get anything better outside of bespoke.
For naffing about in I love my old ( about 25 years old from when they still made them in America ) Timberland loafers.
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I think my car was used as a dog carrier at some point. If I get near the carpet, like changing the pollen filter or the brake light switch, I get the odd niff. Also some whitish grey hairs but that may have been the previous owner, not the dog...
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Dog is an astonishingly persistent ponk. Was the M new and if not did an earlier owner have a hoond?
My first flatshare was taken over from tenants whose manifold breaches included keeping a pooch. In spite of every cleaning product know in 1980 the hall carpet, warmed by sunshine, still smelled of dog when we left.
Parents had a similar experience with an 'included' kitchen carpet 10 years later.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 23 Aug 10 at 02:22
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No it wasn't new but I've had it six years and the dog has only been manifesting itself for about the past 12 months. So if the smell is the shade of an erstwhile occupant the little blighter has managed to leave a time delayed response.
I'm going on the mouldy duct / bear theory for now.
You're up late ? Floodwaters rising ?
:-)
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IF you have any good weather coming up, could be worthwhile making a mix of cat-litter (a whole bag) bicarb (500g box) and that shake-and-vac stuff (about 100g).
Sprinkle liberally tghroughout the car, leave for a few hours, then hoover it out.
Will abosrb any damp, and also a lot of the pong.
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Could it be that you have some body leakage or personal hygiene issues. Gentlemen of a certain age do start to smell of wet dog don't they?
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>> You're up late ? Floodwaters rising ?
>>
>> :-)
Had picked up Miss B from LHR after her month on World Challenge in S America.
She was still on Quito time and buzzin' with stories. Drive back was in pretty grim conditions and I needed an hour or two and a few beers to recover :-))
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>> The aircon / climate control ................
>> is permanently left switched on ..............
This could be the root of the problem. If the aircon is used permanently it isn't being given any chance for the residual moisture in the air passageways to dry out ~ only a proportion of the moisture actually drains out. I only use aircon when I want the air coming into the car to be cooled. For the rest of the time the moisture is being allowed to dry out. I never get any "wet dog smell" from my aircon.
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>> >> The aircon / climate control ................
>> >> is permanently left switched on ..............
>>
>> This could be the root of the problem.>>
Or not.
My aircon / climate control has always been on in every car that I have owned with it fitted.
Never had a problem. (Firmly grabs wooden chair arm) :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 23 Aug 10 at 08:57
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>>but has never been re-gassed in nearly 200k miles / 8 years>>
That's good!
I had my Mondeo regassed two years ago and it needs doing again now, there may be a leak which should be found via the IR sensitive dye put in last time.
On the otherhand the Clio has not been regassed in nearly 12 years and is nice and icy when need be.
BTW change the polen filter.
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>> BTW change the polen filter.
That's what was wrong in my BMW last year, only started to get a bit whiffy but anything that spoils the leather smell needs to go ;-)
Only reason i hadn't caught it in servicing was i didn't realise it existed, i thought the charcoal filters that live in the bonnet sound proofing for the HVAC were the only ones.
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Well, finally got around to going to Halfords this afternoon on my way back from somewhere else but remembered to stop and buy an aircon "bomb". Turns out to be a most disappointingly mundane looking piece of ordnance in that it is nothing more than an aerosol can of something which has a clip on it so you can leave it spraying away while you shut it in the car with the AC on recirculate.
Anyway, "She" had been using the Mondeo this afternoon and when she got back I took the chance to let it off. Apparently you are supposed to leave it doing its thing for about ten minutes with the blowers on, the aircon on, the re-circ on and the windows shut. Then you are supposed to open all the doors and windows with the engine off and leave the car to air for quite a while. It stinks of alcohol mixed with double strength bog spray as far as I can tell or something like that anyway.
Well, all was going to plan...except for the "forgetting to air the car" bit as I was distracted by cooking duties. ( kid's got to have one decent meal a week hasn't he ? )
I'd done the rest but then clean forgot that the now empty "bomb" was still in the car albeit now with the engine off, I'd got that far at least before embarking upon the preparation of les sausicces avec puree de pommes de terre.
This might not have been a total disaster if she hadn't decided to go to Sainsburys after dinner......I'd not quite mentioned the "bomb" and it nearly choked her before getting her slightly high on her way to re-stock the larder.
"She" is not happy.......
:-(
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She should have been told to take the Qashai!
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She should have been cooking
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Anyway, I'll let you know if the ghostly wet dog has been exorcised in due course. I have the distinct impression that the Qashqai keys will be hard to find for a day or two....
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I tried one of those Comma bombs, the effect only lasted for a few days. I wondered if the problem lay in the 'fresh air' part of the A/C as the 'bomb' only treats the re-circulate area.
I've now got an aerosol of Neutradol. I intend taking the A/C filter out and if it's dry giving it a good spray. I did think about spraying it in the outside air intake, but reading the can it's apparent the propellant's inflammable. Probably not a good idea to squirt that near an electrically driven fan.
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It was quite expensive I thought. North of eleven quid. Worth a try I suppose.
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Tried that. Only works for a few days. For £11-odds I want it to smell like a new car for at least a year !
Seen the great big straw meerkat sculpture at Snugburys yet Ted ? It's quite cool really.
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I hope you had a Jus de Bisto l'Angleterre with les sausicces avec puree de pommes de terre
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Well the dog's missing this morning anyway. Hope it doesn't come back.
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>> My dog's got no nose.
>>
How does he smell?
Last edited by: swiss tony on Sun 12 Sep 10 at 10:48
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Like the inside of Humph's car !
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>> Like the inside of Humph's car !
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Boom Boom!
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I'll have you know that Betsy's interior now smells like the inside of a high class bordello if you please. Just hope that I won't too after driving it......
Off to get muddy now anyway. Bikes loaded, sandwiches cut, shorts on....Hi ho.
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>> Off to get muddy now anyway. Bikes loaded, sandwiches cut, shorts on....Hi ho.
Hmmm what a thought, A muddy humph in shorts eating sarnies.
How is the train numbers collecting going? you can go home and polish your coins or lick your stamps afterwards.
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...Bikes loaded...
You be careful now, there's been some bad accidents caused by people not using a suitable rack.
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Wet Dog smell - Zero
