Greetings!

I have a 1999 Seville STS which has 70,000 miles on it, full service history serviced every 10,000 miles (this is a UK car and UK service schedule is more frequent than the US schedule,...or so I'm told). In fact it's just had it's 70k service with a full bill health.

However, I have noticed under hard acceleration I get a very strong smell of what I can only describe as wet dog/coolant/hot rubber.

The car has been in for a full diagonstic check and there are no error/fault codes. The car runs with the temp guage at 12 o'clock all the time. I am not using any water and have no leaks, have also checked footwell carpets to see if they are wet/damp but they are bone dry.

Anyone else had this?

I have not changed the cabin filter yet and to be honest not too sure when it was changed last.

All the best

Craig

 

DJ.... cabin filter is under dash, drivers side. they tell you 'bout it in owners manual.
as for the smell.......????? how is under car? any wet spots? lol anything wet on car? my 99 was as dry as a bone untill about 60k mi, last year. i have an oil pan gasket with a slight leak. doesnt drip, but i know its there. bugs hell out of me....
i snugged pan bolts and has made a bit of difference, so.....
how often has coolant been changed? should be every other year... i guess i'd start there if that has'nt been done for a while... keep the forum posted as to what you come accross. well try and lend a hand
rickyd

 

Not sure when coolant was last changed, can easily sort that out though I read somewhere recently that indicated you need to put 'pellets' in the coolant to help keep the Northstar running at it's best! Is this correct? If so, what 'pellets' are these?

I va***med the car out today and found a strange thing. I mentioned previously that the carpets were not wet in the footwells, well they are not, but my front passenger side (driver side for our American LHD readers hehe), carpet, not over mat has a distinct coolant residue.

It's not wet but when you rub your hand across it it feels soapy and stinks of old coolant. I suspect the car has had a leak in the past from the heater matrix and may have been repaired. Maybe the leak contaminated the cabin filter which was never changed and that is what I am smelling.

Anyway, when you say the cabin filter is located under the dash on the drivers side, is that drivers side on a LHD or RHD vehicle?

Checked water again today in header tank and coolant level is right where it should when cold, have not lost a drop.

Hopefully will find out more when I remove the cabin filter.

Regards,

Craig