Bad smell from heater following cold weather

[jackhjharding]

Hi guys

I hadn't driven my Trophy since Friday and went out this morning to fire her up prior to the morning commute. I turned the heaters onto full and set to the windscreen to clear the ice that had built up and went back indoors. I returned to my car after a few minutes and whilst there was nothing unusual going on outside the car, once I stepped inside I was greeted with a horrible smell, almost like fish/burning!

My initial thought was that the coolant had frozen and the car was overheating but this was not the case. Also, the temperatue gauge on the dash was not reading any higher than usual. I turned the heaters off and drove for a few minutes with the windows down and the smell started to clear. I then turned the heaters back on to see if it would return and it did!

Any ideas as to what this could be? I don't have air-con so could it just be that snow or something has got into the heater area and is just burning off?

Cheers

 

[.Stevo.C.]

Ever replaced the cabin filter?

 

[Aluco]

Maybe a cat crawled in after you parked it to get warm then burnt to your radiator.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[jackhjharding]

Ever replaced the cabin filter?

This the same as the pollen filter? If so, yes!

 

[Austin-182]

Mine stink of horse manure, no one seems to know what causes it when iv asked on here.

 

[Typhoon]

Bloody hell, I thought I was the only one.

I was driving along one day, and all of a sudden, rotting fish/meat smell stunk my car out.

Had a valet inside, all sorts, and it never cleared it.

It comes now and again, and its vile.

Really wanna find out what this is.

 

[jackhjharding]

Just had a bit more of a search and it could be that some antifreeze/coolant has leaked slightly and burnt. It seems a bit of a coincidence that it's happened now following the Artic conditions that we've had over the past few days! Hopefully it'll sort itself out when it gets a bit warmer.

 

[Typhoon]

Mine sorted itself out, and comes back once every couple of weeks for a few hours.

 

[jackhjharding]

Well, just been back out and fired the heater up and, fingers crossed, the smell appears to have subsided! I'm hoping it was just a temporary problem, possibly down to the freezing temperatures? Possibly that the coolant tank expanded and caused some of the fluid to escape the tank and get into the heating system?

 

[Owen172]

Are you front footwell carpets dry? Leaking Heater Matrix?

 

[jackhjharding]

Are you front footwell carpets dry? Leaking Heater Matrix?

Yes the carpets are dry Owen - would this rule out a leaking heater matrix?