My van stinks

[Misty]

I think something died in my engine and it stinks. I have been filling up my water tank from my mothers well since it has been below freezeing here. It comes directly from the well before the water filter. When I first started smelling the smell I thought it was from her water. But now I am pretty sure it is coming from under the hood. I have looked in there and I don't see anything. It gets worse when the van runs for a long time. I am just glad I can only smell it on the outside. I just wonder what my customers think. Of course two of them came out to the van today.

[ferret]

OOoooOOOoo..that smell...can't u smell that smell...

Reminds me of that old Lynard Skynard song. Sorry, your van is having a "not so fresh feeling". But seriously, could it be the anti-freeze in your radiator? It does have a weird smell. But not a "something died" in here smell. Maybe a freezing cold mouse got up in your heater and died under the dash board and now the smell is beginning. That happened to my uncle once. They went crazy trying to find the source. Or maybe you need to add some bleach to the dirty tank. I guess you 'll have to pin point the smell.

[mobil 1]

Stinks...?

...you probably had some kind of critter crawled in there to get warm...and did'nt get a chance to scape.

[sheilabgroomer]

Early winter I had some critter crawl in the walls of my shop and die. I never could find the source of the smell. It was so embarassing. We put a sign on the door apolagizing for the stink and explaining the source. Most of my clients were okay, and even a little amused by it. They didn't have to stay and work in it after all...lol... What we did to help cut the odor was to open the windows as soon as we came, get some floor fans blowing and mopped w/a combo of bleach water, laundry detergent and fabric softner. I would then spritz my D'limonade dip on the curtains and walls. It really did help, but nothing is going to get rid of it completely. It just has to fininsh decomposing before it goes away....yuck!

[Angie]

That happened with my car once. A mouse got up in there and died and for the life of me I couldnt figure it out. It drove me nuts!
It also happened in the summer so the smell was awful.
Hope you find the source soon.

[Kim in SD]

Bet it's a mouse. When I lived in MD, same thing happened to me in my car. A whole family, they didnt make it. I took the car to a detail shop they fixed it. Good luck, dirty tank would be easier.

[Kim in SD]

I forgot to write, I know the people clients might not like it. But the dogs probably think, ahhh finally she did something to cover up that annoying colonge and shampoo smell.

[Misty]

I forgot to write, I know the people clients might not like it. But the dogs probably think, ahhh finally she did something to cover up that annoying colonge and shampoo smell.

That's a good one Kim, it really made me laugh. Yesterday seemed to be the worst of it. I only got a couple of whiffs of it today. Doug called me this afternoon to say that he wondered what had ever happened to that roast beef sandwich he was eating last time he worked on the truck. It took me a couple of minutes to get it.

[mustluvdogs1]

Holding Tank

It could be a dead mouse. i find if I leave my holding tank closed overnight...whew!stinky bad. Unless requested, I leave it open. Hydro Surge can also get stinky in a few days..need to clean thoroughly once a mo.Hope you find it soon. Bed Bath and....has citrus natural orage spray...also mhelps w/ doggie accidents. Oust works in my house but chemicals. I cough all the time..right now thinking about it. usualy have a tickle in throat. people always say..Oh have you seen a dr. for that? Yeah. need nasal spray or something I never use.

[Kim in SD]

You gotta watch those other groomers sabataging your vehicle, watch doug..lol he seems crafty. Prob put sandwich under dash, check there first.. ROFL

[Misty]

Thanks Mustluv, I don't have a holding tank. The smell isn't inside the van it is on the outside. You smell it as you are walking up to the van when it is running. I think it must have been a mouse or something like that. I think the worst of it is over now. I only got a whiff or two yesterday, the day before it was almost unbearable.

[Doug]

kim

You gotta watch those other groomers sabataging your vehicle, watch doug..lol he seems crafty. Prob put sandwich under dash, check there first.. ROFL

Ha! funny you should say that I called her the other day and pretended she had my raost beef sandwich.lol It toke a while for misty to figure out it was me and I was jokeing about the van smelling.I think she really thought i was some nut case who thought she had my sandwich lol.
You must be wisen hymer to rolf.

[Gracy Rose]

I agree... it was SABBOTAGE!!! Reminds me of the scene in Grumpy Old Men where he puts the fish in the back seat.


I have a client whose cat crawled up into the engine and she figured it out when fur was flying because it had got caught in the fan belt. The cat has bald spots and is NOT trusting anymore but survived.

[ferret]

Here's a thought...

Maybe you ran over some stinky roadkill that is stuck in your wheel wells or on the motor....ewww. Sorry...just trying to figure it out. But I bet its a mouse somewhere that died.