Vehicle smell.

[Tom Schindler]

A few years back, I baught a 196 Escort GT for my project car. The vehicle stinks, literally. Sometimes it gets so bad it make you want to vomit. I can not place the smell, but it stinks.



Over the weekend I have been doing some work on it. I removed the back seat and the smell was horrid. I was able to pinpoint the smell to the rear seat cushin, the bottom side of it. I sprayed it down with a 50/50 bleach/water solution. The smell is not as bad, but stilll stinks to high heaven. It has been sitting out in the hot sun for 3 days. I am hoping to dry it out somewhat to kill the smell if it is moisture related. The did wipe down the cushin pan. That fixed the interior smell, but if I replace the seat, I am afraid the smell will come back. There are not leaks that could be causing the smell.



What can I use that will get rid of the smell? I would rather not replace the seat since those cars are hard to find in the yards and if you find one, the yard owners are such jerk-offs they want $100.00 for it.



Any ideas what I can use?





Tom

 

[Teddy GreeneII]

Yikes. Dont know Tom but I'll ask a guy that I work with, he restores old rides.

Ted

 

[Cliff R]

Tom,



Let me know the specs on the seat and I'll check the local boneyard here. I got a pretty good rep with them and can probly get ya a good deal.



Cliff

 

[Tom Schindler]

Cliff,



The vehicle is a 1996 Escort GT. Less then 1% of all Escorts in the 1996 model year were GT's. IIRC, the 1995 Escort GT's share the same fabric. In you can find a u-pull it yard, then I would be more then happy to drive to Mansfield to get one.



It only takes 30 seconds to remove the seat sushon. It is the bottom cushon I need for the back seat.



I really do appreciate it.





Tom

 

[Mike Wilson]

Caymen, Tracnblack here. I use to do professional auto detailing and reconditioning

years back for a living. If you could update with some info on the car as to when

you first noticed the smell (I noticed you had said that you had bought it a few

years back)if the windows had been down for a long time, (rain, weather, etc...)

I could better help you out with this. Also, what kind of smell. In other words, does

it smell like a sweet sickening smell, pee or urine, a skunk(acrid smell where it burns

your nose), musty "basement" smell or other type of odor. Let me (us) know...

 

[Tom Schindler]

The car came that way. It is not a musty smell. Not like urine either. Not rotten milk. I guess I could describe it as being Body odor with a slightly sweet smell. The seat was sticking to the seat base when I removed the seat cushon. I felt for something sticky on the seat and base. nothing sticky. There is a white residue behind the seat, but it isn't wet. I can take pictures of you want.



It is not a musty basement smell.





Tom

 

[Tom Schindler]

Cliff,



If you can find MX3 seats, that would be really cool.





Tom

 

[Mike Wilson]

Caymen, in all seriousness, by what you have updated me, "body smells and fluids"

were or are some of the toughest smells to ge out of anything, let alone a car

interior that bakes in the sun all day and sets these stains/smells in. My best

suggestions is to take the seat and all connecting panels directly in contact with

it out , top of seat back, bolsters, under-seat padding, etc... and use what they

call an enzyme-reducing or enzyme-eliminating spray or treatment solution. This

can usually be found at a place that sells hospital disenfectants or office cleaning

supply/ stores. You may find something similar at Wal Mart or the like, but these

will not have the professional strength to get rid of the odors on a permanent

basis that I believe you are describing.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Well, if Cliff is able to find some seats in his area, I would be just as well off getting new seats.



Some days, it isn't that bad. Other days, OMFG!!!





Tom

 

[EddieS'04]

Maybe somone died in the car!!

 

[Mike Wilson]

Caymen, just between us guys, I'm thinking this might have been a bottle of Elmer's

glue left innocently on the back seat by some school-aged child in years past.

I have seen that once, same stain, similair smell. if not, YOU WOULD BE MUCH

BETTER OFF TO REPLACE THE BACK SEAT!!!

 

[Richard Turnbull]

Quote by Caymen "The car came that way. It is not a musty smell. Not like urine either. Not rotten milk. I guess I could describe it as being Body odor with a slightly sweet smell."



Reading that brought back a memory from years ago. I washed cars for AVIS rent a car and the wash rack was located beside a towing yard. They brought a car in that was found by a hunter way out in the wood on some logging roads. A lady had doused herself with gas in the back seat and set herself on fire. The car was found 3 weeks later.



Obviously the body was gone but we had to look inside (morbid curiosity) and I will never forget for long as I live the smell. It was a sweet rotten smell, a smell that I had never smelled before or since. As soon as I caught a whiff, I freaked out inside and took off. lYuck....sends shivers down my spine.



It sounds to me like you should replace the seat, god only knows what is in it.

 

[Gypsy me]

Caymen, could be in the cushion of the seat and you may have to replace either cushion if not the whole seat, it will probably never go completely away. I agree with Cop on my Back, I'd replace the whole seat.

 

[Thomas Stalnaker]

Im with FastEddie on that one "Maybe someone died in the car"! My wife and I bought a used 2001 Intrepid 4 years ago and after 5 days took it back and got a different car, because the smell was a very unusual bad smell that I couldnt place either. They tried using a proffesional air cleaner that ran through the vents and it didnt even work, so I asked my dad and he said the only smell that you can normally never get rid of is the smell a body gives off when a person dies. I told the dealership that and got them to check on it and sure enough someone had died in that car. Kinda spooky now that I think of it.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Fabreeze spray might get it. The Enzyme sprays are good--check at PetSmart, etc.



Maybe a ozone generator (like the hotels use) would kill it.



If nothing else, take a bunch of your buddies for a long ride after eating a bunch of Taco Bell bean burritos...

 

[Fred]

You could try drowning it with vinegar.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Tom, I did a quick search using my yard data base. There is not a separate list for the GT models. That said, this list more than likely contains both models. The list I am putting here is the lowest priced seats I could find. The actual list contains about 500 of them.



Year

Part

Model Description Part

Grade Stock# US

Price Dealer Info

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort LX WAGON GRAY CLO REAR SEAT ASSY. 013357 $35 Red Lion Auto Salvage USA-PA(Red-Lion) E-mail 1-800-288-6234

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort LX LX,2DR.HBK,GRAY CLO FOLD DOWN SEATS 023424 $35 Red Lion Auto Salvage USA-PA(Red-Lion) E-mail 1-800-288-6234

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort -GRAY,CLOTH 4,DR 598 $35 Madison Heights Auto Parts USA-VA(Madison-Heights) E-mail 1-888-528-8826

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort 2DR,HATCH,GRY,CL A 02B031 $30 Key City Auto Parts USA-MN(Lake-Crystal) Request_Quote 1-800-798-7869 Request_Insurance_Quote

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort BLU,CLT,SW KN11 $30 Flores Auto Wrecking USA-TX(Eagle-Pass) E-mail 1-800-238-0302

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort 2DR,HB,VEL,R6,GREY M52331 $29.17

--Can--

$35.00 Millers Auto Recycling Can-ON(Fort-Erie) E-mail 1-800-263-8104

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort GY,CLOTH,2DR HM63 $26 Spalding Auto Parts USA-WA(Spokane) E-mail 1-800-366-2070

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort 4DR,TAN,CLOTH N4122 $25 Barger Mattson - Nampa USA-ID(Nampa) E-mail 1-800-999-9076

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort 2DR,GRY,CV 03G421 $25 Grassy Auto Parts USA-KY(West-Liberty) E-mail 1-800-354-7402

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort SW,LIT GRY,CLT 04D250 $25 Grassy Auto Parts USA-KY(West-Liberty) E-mail 1-800-354-7402

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort TAN F289 $25 Cadiz Drive-In Used Auto Parts USA-OH(Cadiz) E-mail 1-800-695-3607

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort GRAY,CLO AA3162 $25 Andrews Auto Salvage USA-GA(Griffin) E-mail 1-866-233-3881

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort GRAY,CL 004367 $25 Diamond Auto Wrecking Co. USA-OH(Salem) E-mail 1-800-533-4440

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort L R FAIR K40511 $20 A and B Auto Salvage USA-GA(Griffin) E-mail 1-800-726-1570

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort LT REAR F259 $20 Cadiz Drive-In Used Auto Parts USA-OH(Cadiz) E-mail 1-800-695-3607

1996

Seat, Rear

Ford Escort RT REAR F259 $20 Cadiz Drive-In Used Auto Parts USA-OH(Cadiz) E-mail 1-800-695-3607

 

[Cliff R]

Tom,



What color do you need? I am going to the yard tomarrow so let me know.



Cliff

 

[Tom Schindler]

Cliff, the 1995 and 1996 GT's only had one color available. If the vehicle is a 1995 or 1996 and is a GT, those are the right seats.



Coastiejoe, can you look up Mazda MX3 seats?





Tom

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Tom, what year? Which seats? Two door, three door or 4 door, (if they made a 4 door???).



Get me the specs. I will be here for another 30 minutes then need to catch a flight.