Terrible Smell Coming out of Vents!

[bigfig]

On my eight month old 2001. 5 Dodge Cummins, when I have the air conditioning on this terrible terrible smell will start coming out of the blower vents into the cab, it just about makes you sick, part of the time we get perfectly fresh air, then suddenly the worst stentch, and then it will go back to fresh air. It will do it while we are idling or driving. It smells a lot like the strong smell of roofing or burnt brake shoe material, but it's not coming from the brakes because it will do it when we are just parked sometimes. Maybe the air conditioning clutch?

Our dealer said it might be a mildew problem but it doesn't smell like mildew.

The truck has about 26,000 miles and it has been putting out the smell since we started using the air conditioner this past spring. The smell is definitely not a mouse or fish or bug or any kind of critter. It smells more like the coating of a welding electrode being burnt off while welding. It only does this sometimes for a minute or two (the smell will just pour in) and it will completely clear up.

Any help might be appreciated.

 

[RustyTRanch]

Here is a few thoughts

How many miles?(break in time )

Did You just change the oil?(always worst afterwards)

Move your blow-bye-bottle (best thing I did)

It does go away

later

mike

 

[Thomas]

Steve,



Check the cowl seal. It can come loose and allow the fumes from the crankcase to come in the cab—especially at a stop.

 

[Freddbull]

Man I hope what happened to me, didn't happen to you.

A mouse made a nest in the fan cowling. Not knowing,on the way home from a trip I turned on the heat and fried the little suckers. Needless to say a few days later the stench was overwhelming. I had to dismantel the whole heating system twice and cleaned it with detergant and fabreez and clean the coil carefully with mild soap not to remove the coating that inhibits corrosion. Had to take apart the whole dash (twice) still have one screw left over. (my brother may have thrown it in just to drive me nuts though) Good luck. I hear that this is not an uncommon promlem from the dealer. (it was on a Honda Accord)

 

[illflem]

Thomas has the right idea, check the hood- cowl seal, it happened to me. Reattached mine with contact cement. I had a pack rat move into my Toyota PU's vents, pissed all inside them. I don't use the truck much so haven't tried cleaning it but even after 4 months it's rank. I just roll down the windows till the smell leaves, but recenty found out when a friend got in the truck that the smell doesn't leave, I just get used to it.

 

[DennyDay]

Smell

It could be that catfish your buddy stuck under the back seat!!!!

Denny

 

[dan_gilson]

Two previous problems...

With two different solutions...



If it is a musty smell you probably just

have some mold on the A/C coils. If this

is the case you can take it to a dealer

but the easier thing is to use some Lysol.



With the A/C fan running at high

(not recycling) *AND* all the windows

opened, spray Lysol at the base of the

wind shield on the outside near where the

wiper connect. I normally spray enough to

get a good fog inside then let it air out

for 10-15 minutes.



The Oil line for the turbo was weeping.

I finally had it replaced under warrenty.

This cause a relly bad burning smell from the

vents. Again, I used the Lysol to help

remove the bad smell.



I hope this helps!

 

[dewdo]

Mine use to smell, but now my problem is bugs breeding somewhere in the ventilation system. This morning I opened the door and there were about a thousand of these little knat sized bugs all over the inside windows. I sprayed insect spray into the vent but the little suckers are still mutiplying at a fantastic rate. Anyone have a solution?

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Hang a bug zapper in the cab overnight and vacuum up the carcasses in the morning. This one works the best.

 

[TBarrett]

Bad smell Too

2001 Ram 24v, From day 1 with the vent or A C on a smell like a nasty tar roof job. The dealer told me its the oder from the break in oil coming from the crank vent tube low front engine and between radiator. When I change out the break in oil, its going to go away. They said first oil change at 5700 miles though!

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

TBarrett - I for one ALWAYS change out the oil the first time at 500 miles or so (that was on gassers, maybe 1000 miles on a diesel). There's always some residue left in an engine after it's built no matter how hard they try to get it all out. It's a cheap insurance policy for the longevity of your engine IMO. I change it out at that point with a regular petroleum oil, then at the next scheduled oil change put in synthetic (before I get called on this one I tried a premium petroleum oil on this engine (LE) - still not sure whether it was a good idea or not). JMHO

 

[Doc Tinker]

LMOA - Now HoleshotHolset, how's he gonna get that zapper in the front seat of his truck?



Doc

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I find the use of an oxy-acetylene torch to be very useful at times like this.

The unit I gave the URL for isn't all that big... I could fit it in my regular-cab... . since most 24-valve guys have quad-cabs... he could swing it right in there!



Matt

 

[JSchooley]

Sometimes I get a really foul odor coming out of my vents. Just ask my wife

 

[vc]

dewdo,

try a smoke bomb from Raid. If you have a garage that you can close up with the truck windows open for about 3 hours it will kill evry critter in there. If you don't have a garage, just put it on the front floor board with windows up, but put it on something that can take heat as it does get quite hot while emiting the smoke. They work great with no residue left after.

vc

 

[Doc Tinker]

The smoke bomb suggestion reminds me of the time it had to bomb the fleas in a Mark IV the president of a company I worked for drove. She used to take her wolf hounds with her everywhere and they spread fleas everywhere. Luckily I didn't get the job of washing/dipping the dogs.



Another time, I was working under the dash of her Mark IV, checking out the fuses or something, and one of those big dogs ran up and stuck his face right in my crotch. Scared the crap out of me and I jumped up from under the steering wheel, pulling a couple of muscles in my sides and chest area. I always wondered if she found that funny, since the she never publicly laughed or smiled.



Doc

 

[MidwestMotorman]

little bugs...

Dewdo,



Those little bugs breed and lay eggs in water. Make sure the ac box drain on the passenger side of the truck is open. Try spraying some compressed air in there in the drain tube to try and open it up. You could have a nice little breeding pool in the ac box. Also flush some water in the outside air intake vents in the outside cowl area with a garden hose.



That RAID trick will work, but the critters are in your ac box for sure (unless there is a dead carp under a seat).



Good luck.