[swifty_ano]

hey guys,

Just wanting to pick everyones brains. My grand vitara has a really strong sweet smell when the A/c is on. Its done it for over 6 months.
Its usually only when I stop at traffic lights. not so much when i'm moving but it is still there.
I'd like to say its not everytime I drive it, more selective but maybe I don't notice it always?
I never took much notice of it at all but now my work vans started doing it too. The exact same smell.
On both cars, you can smell it when you get out of the car.
we run E10 in both? could this be the cause? both cars run perfectly. no overheating issues at all.

Any ideas??

[Qthefun]

do you park both under the same tree? leaves getting in might be the cause.

e85 has a sweet smell, I never touch e10 but maybe. although it would be a worry if it was fuel smell inside the cab!!!

Clean your vents around the windscreen wipers when dry with a strong vacuum cleaner, little berrys/fruit/nuts might be the cause or tree sap?

My first thoughts

[swifty_ano]

thanks for the reply. unfortunately, they aren't parked near any trees. I've never smelt the smell before.
it's a very strong smell. not like a burning sweet smell, possibly a "gassy" sweet smell but I doubt its leaking gas?

[Qthefun]

I would be a little worried, like to the point that if you are smelling this in 2 different cars that don't have much connection maybe you should talk to a doctor?

[ZUZUKI]

Glycol coolant gives off a sweet smell - might be a small leak from the heater core into the heater box, which is then evaporating & coming through the dash vents.
Unusual to have 2 cars doing this at the same time, but stranger things have happened.
Good luck, Michael

[Qthefun]

ZUZUKI wrote:

Glycol coolant gives off a sweet smell - might be a small leak from the heater core into the heater box, which is then evaporating & coming through the dash vents.
Unusual to have 2 cars doing this at the same time, but stranger things have happened.
Good luck, Michael

or this!

[Reubs]

Do you overfill the coolant on both cars?

Take the cap off the radiator and compare the scent...

[swifty_ano]

Reubs wrote:

Do you overfill the coolant on both cars?

Take the cap off the radiator and compare the scent...

I popped the cap and the smell is not the same. But I couldn't compare it "hot".
Whilst under the car today, i could smell the smell from the engine bay. The car was cold and it was faint but it was there.
It's doing my head in. 2 cars with the same smell is weird.
The van is serviced regularly by a mechanic and my car is serviced by myself.
I don't overfill the coolant and neither car had ever overheated.

Weird

[Marck]

Try replacing the pollen filter. Or just pull it out and smell it and see if that's the smell. It's probably behind the give box it is in a lot of cars just drop the glove box out and see if it's there.

Marc