My car smells...

foofi22

Hi

I have a 106, which unfortunately at some point last week has allowed water in - how I'm not really sure.

The drivers footwell was flooded (all others areas seemed fine) with a few centimetres of water. It has mostly dried out now, however the car stinks. Any tips on how to get rid of this smell? Could I just clean the carpet or is it underneath? What is this smell?!

Also ideas on how the water got in? I have read few times that the heater matrix could be the cause, however the heaters seem to be working fine at the moment (ie they can blow hot or cold). The car was parked in the same spot all week on a slight slope facing downhill.

Cheers

LandyAndy

Does it have a sunroof?

Have you checked the water level in the radiator?

foofi22

No sunroof.

I haven't checked but I'll have a look...

LandyAndy

foofi22 wrote: »

No sunroof.

I haven't checked but I'll have a look...

If the radiator doesn't need topping up it is very unlikely to be the heater matrix.

LandyAndy

I suspect that it being left in one [place facing downhill for a week has lead to water accumulating in an area where it wouldn't normally and that this has then found a weak point to enter.

When you say the car stinks, what does it stink of? Just 'wet dog' or is there a 'fishy' element to it?

mazza111

Had the same problem with my saxo, not water laying in it, but with all the snow being carried in and out, was disgusting. Tried to air it whenever I was driving. Shake and vacless fabric freshener, fabreze, and a heater airfreshener thing. Finally been able to put my mats back down and the smell has gone.

AdrianHi

It's bacteria that usually makes the smell, the damp conditions have allowed bacteria to grow. If you can remove the carpets and wash them in the bath with a biological clothes washing liquid it'll kill off the bacteria and leave them smelling fresh.
Otherwise try scrubbing them in place with the same and try to dry out the carpets as quickly and thoroughly as you can - may be using fan heaters.

anewman

Water ingress could be due to leaves blocking the plenum chamber under the scuttle cover? (The grille bit thingy under the wipers).

alicebluegown

Best to take the carpet out, and anything else that's floor level removable, and dry out completely. If you can get the carpet out you can tell if it's that that's smelling and clean accordingly.

jazzy

My old citroen ax used to have a similar leak when the car was parked facing down. It took ages to find out where the leak was coming from. In the end I found the leak it was the plastic strip which runs along the roof. The retaining rivets were worn which let water into the roof area which then run down the A pillar and then into the footwell.
May be worth checking this area if you have the plastic strips on the roof.

harveybobbles

106's leak thru the roof. The bit at the back of the headlining by the tailgate, the water runds down the C post, under the back seats and under the carpets.