Best way to get mouse stink out of car

[TJ Hopland]

I have just got a 75 Eldo back on the road after at least 2 years of sitting.  If I recall correctly it smelled a little when I bought it in the winter and drove it to where I stored it.  There was no real signs of any new infestation the last couple of years I stored it.  The last few weeks while I have been working on all the mechanicals I have had the windows open as much as I could and been driving it with the windows down and the fan on hi.   Floor carpet is gone.  Back seat is out at the moment.  Vacuumed everywhere I could including vents.   Had blower out and no signs of anything in there.   Been spraying 'pet odor' air freshener around regularly. Cant pin down the smell to any certain area its just a general animal old car smell.   Its going to be too cold to have windows open very soon so I need to try some more stuff soon. 

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Make sure the rodent didn't deposit himself, or herself, within the confines of the Heater/A/C ducting and the like.

Could even be stuck inside the Heater Core area.

Bruce.

[Coupe]

Try Febreze or the scent killer sprays deer hunters use. My wife has had good results with Febreze on old fabric items with musty odors. She bought a mink stole on ebay to have in our '57 at shows, it had a very musty odor. She used scent killer on the stole with good results.

[wayne #17075]

Try throwing a dead cat in there, maybe it'll chase the smell out! Seriously, I've used Fabreeze with good results. Hopefully it's not in the heater coil..hard to remove but eventually it all goes away...if you wait long enough.
Wayne

[Robert Meyers]

TJ,

I live in a very rainy climate with damp winters. Often, a new aquisition or a vehicle I haven't used for a year or so will have a damp, musty smell.

I place a dehumidifier, an electronic (ionizing) air cleaner with an odour sponge sitting in it's air intake, and a small heater inside the car and run a cord out of a door. The heater is there to keep the coils on the dehumidifier from freezing up.

I leave this for a few days, checking occaisionally to empty the dehumidifier. The ionizing air cleaner with the odor sponge seems to do wonders for any sort of smell.

While this doesn't address your problem direclty, I hope it or some variant, may prove usefull.

Keep well,

Robert

[Joe 12138]

T.J...... I had the same problem with a '76 Eldo that I bought that had sat outside for a few years. Nothing seemed to work well longterm.  I finally found the dead rotten carcasses. There is a void between layers of metal......kind of a "double floor pan" under the seats, including the rear one. As I remember, it's about 3/4" thick, and dead mice were in there. Pull the seats, carpet, and insulating material.  There was also one in the passenger door.; must have gotten in through a rusthole and couldn't get out. My problem (2 years worth) was that you can't kill the smell if the source is still there. Good luck!....Joe

[J]

have you tried the white vinegar trick? 
http://www.vinegartips.com/auto/     

[Fred Zwicker #23106]

An open bowl of Vanilla (from grocery store) left inside the car (while car is parked) will absorb the odors nicely. 

Fred

[Glen]

I’ve been told a bag of charcoal will do the trick.  The easiest way is to lay the bag on the floor and split it open then peel it away from the charcoal.  Leave it there for a while and it will absorb the odors.  I have not tried it myself but it would be easier than ripping the car apart.  But like Joe says you have to get rid of the source. 

Glen

[TJ Hopland]

Thanks for the ideas.  I have carefully sniffed around the whole interior and there is no area its stronger including the vents.   So far I have one of those baby ozone things (was only $4 so I didnt think it could hurt) and some wax blob called something like 'stink sponge'. 

[35-709]

I have used the charcoal method before with some success.  Also an open container with a few scoops of fresh coffee grounds will work.  First be sure the original source of the smell has been removed, i.e. dead mouse and/or the mouse's nest.

[John Sorenson]

The open container of fresh coffee grounds works well for the old musty smells that are imbedded in upholstry.  A dead rodent is difficult unless you can find it and remove, then the coffee treatment. 

[35-709]

Mouse pee on fabric or upholstery padding, etc. is forever.

[Jeff Kay CLC#7630]

When I was a kid, my father bought a car and the interior smelled terrible.  We later found a soiled baby diaper stuck under the rear seat.  Dad cut an apple in half and put one half on the dash and one half on the rear seat.  He closed up the car totally for about a week.  At the end of the week, he removed the dried apples.  The smell was gone.

Cheap fix.