Hi, for the past few days I've had a horrible smell in my 05 Corolla. I know this smell, and it is that of a dead and rotting animal. I have checked everywhere I can in the engine compartment and under the car. I don't really smell it at all outside of the car, but in the car it is really bad, and getting worse. It is so bad that I can't stand to drive my car anymore. If I pop the hood and smell on the passenger side near the vent intake near the windshield I can smell it... that is the only place outside of the car where I can smell anything. I closed the vents to recirculate, but I'm not sure if that made it better or worse. It is less strong, but it doesn't seem to go away as much when I'm driving. Does anyone have any idea where this critter might be, and how I can get it out? I don't know where else to check or how to take apart vent, cold air intakes, hoses, etc because I have no chilton/haynes manual for this car. Any suggestions, tips or help will be SO greatly appreciated!!!
But seriously, I'm not familiar with the '05, but I've just been playing with the vents on my '97 (the blower motor went).
This is what I discovered:
If you remove the glove box there is easy access to the vent blower. (a caveat here: living in Ireland, I have a RH drive car, so my glovebox is on the LHS. I assume LH drive corollas are the mirror image with the glovebox, and blower, on the RHS). The blower is easily removed (3 screws and a wire) and that provides a large hole to examine the interior of vents both visually and manually (wear gloves if you suspect to encounter something dead). I had always wondered where the fresh air was drawn from. Aparently on the '97, it's drawn from just under the wiperblades. This opening had a grate over it, but maybe a mouse or shrew might be able to get through - and certainly wouldn't be able to get out again. So try removing the blower and have a look, if you don't see anything, have a feel. Maybe getting a vacuum cleaner with a flexible hose might be helpful. This, of course, all assumes that the '05 is at least similar to the '97. Good luck.
Paul.
Could have been a small critter. If you park your car outside at night they may have decided to use it as a bathroom too. Yes, wear gloves when you open the blower motor/ fan housings or covers etc.... I hope you find nothing!!
Could have been a small critter. If you park your car outside at night they may have decided to use it as a bathroom too. Yes, wear gloves when you open the blower motor/ fan housings or covers etc.... I hope you find nothing!!
I dont know how to pull any of these things apart without a manual. Any tips or instructions?
I take it then that you haven't found the source yet.
For my '97, removing the blower was easy: remove the glovebox and then the blower. There are 5 points of attachment for the glovebox and 3 for the blower motor.
- When you open the passenger-side door, there is a plastic strip right next to the chair, in the door jamb, that runs the length of the door way. It usually hides some wires to the rear of the car. Remove that by just pulling up on it. The plastic clips should just pop free.
- Just forward of that, there is another small molded plastic pannel in the corner of the doorway. Remove that as well. This will give you access to a bolt that helps hold the glovebox in place.
- Remove the bolt - this the first point of attachment.
- At approximately the same level, on the other side of the glovebox, there is a screw. Remove that, point #2.
- Open the glovebox. #'s 3, 4, and 5 are three screws across the top of the glovebox. Remove them.
- Pull the glovebox forward. There are two guide tabs that snap into position when the piece is inserted, so you may have to wiggle the box a bit to get it to come free. Put it to one side.
Now you should be looking at white plastic ducting for the vents.
- The blower motor should be obvious: a black plastic cylinder attached to the ducting from below. There are 3 screws, remove them. The blower should fall out. This is the first place to check for trespassers.
- The blower can be removed completely by disconnecting the wire. It has a clip connector at the side of the blower motor. Just pull gently while squeezing. It should disconnect easily. Put the blower to one side.
Now you have fairly easy access to the interior of the ducting via the hole from which the blower came. You can visually and manually inspect the interior. If you have a small digital camera, you may be able to use that to "see" more inaccessible areas by taking photos of the interior of the vent. You may also want to get a vacuum cleaner with a flexible attachment to see if you can pick up anything that perhaps you are unable to see.
There is, however, no guarentee that you will find the source of the odour. But, at worst, you'll have eliminated this one area.
When you're done, just put things back in the reverse order. Make sure that the blower is reseated properly, otherwise it will make an awful noise when it starts up. Indeed, just test the blower when you've it reinstalled, before the glovebox goes back on, to ensure that it is operating correctly.
I dont know how to pull any of these things apart without a manual. Any tips or instructions?
Once you remove the glovebox you will have complete access to the evap and heater core. You will also be able to see a few screws covering the fan motor housing. If you follow the instructions that pdrover explained it should be easy enough to get to these areas. Please let us know what you find if anything at all. Good Luck.
Hey Jcopper....
Did you ever figure out what the smell came from?
Not yet... I'm hoping to take it apart this weekend. Im sure some small animal crawled into my engine compartment or vent system and died. I know the smell is a rotting animal for sure, and the property manager of my townhouse doesn't maintain the parking lot. Huge bushes, shrubs and weeds grow out along a fence near the front of my car where I have to park. They are about 6ft tall and grow out about 4ft from the fence completely engulfing the front end of my car in the summer. They are dying a bit, but still cover most of the front. I assume that is where the animal comes from. I also assume it damages the paint of my car and is the source of the large number of spiders and small bugs I found in my car throughout the summer this year... and this has never happened before. I am trying to see what kind of liability the management/owner has for this situation. Maybe they should have to pay for taking it into the shop for this seeing as I've demanded they take care of this many times and I've been ignored, but I doubt it seeing as I will have a difficult time proving the animal came in when I was parked there and not somewhere else.
You have a valid point about the bugs and the bushes. Since the property manager doesnt care .... cut them back or down yourself and save yourself the trouble. Good Luck on the critter problem. Just wear some gloves when you get it apart.
Not yet... I'm hoping to take it apart this weekend. Im sure some small animal crawled into my engine compartment or vent system and died. I know the smell is a rotting animal for sure, and the property manager of my townhouse doesn't maintain the parking lot. Huge bushes, shrubs and weeds grow out along a fence near the front of my car where I have to park. They are about 6ft tall and grow out about 4ft from the fence completely engulfing the front end of my car in the summer. They are dying a bit, but still cover most of the front. I assume that is where the animal comes from. I also assume it damages the paint of my car and is the source of the large number of spiders and small bugs I found in my car throughout the summer this year... and this has never happened before. I am trying to see what kind of liability the management/owner has for this situation. Maybe they should have to pay for taking it into the shop for this seeing as I've demanded they take care of this many times and I've been ignored, but I doubt it seeing as I will have a difficult time proving the animal came in when I was parked there and not somewhere else.
That sucks that management is leaving the property in such a terrible state. Maybe you could start to park your car backwards so that the little critters have less access to the engine. They may go up the exhust instead, but at least you can fry the little buggers when you drive the car.
You may smell burnt critters, but at least they won't be getting to you through the vents.
__________________
07 I4 LE (fully unloaded except for free mats and cargo net!)
Personal add ons: alarm w/remote start, XLE Grill, Lip Spoiler, OEM Sport Pedals
93 SlowRolla (Speed Isn't Everything...ah who am I kidding?)
That sucks that management is leaving the property in such a terrible state. Maybe you could start to park your car backwards so that the little critters have less access to the engine. They may go up the exhust instead, but at least you can fry the little buggers when you drive the car.
You may smell burnt critters, but at least they won't be getting to you through the vents.
Yeah, I thought of that, but it's difficult because of how the parkins is set-up. There is a u-shaped driveway that runs around and behind my building. you enter in one way, park behind the building in angle stalls and then exit the other direction so it's all one way and rather difficult to park in the angle stall backwards unless you drive in backwards or drive against the traffic flow.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
.
Linear Mode
