Loving my "new" '73 Tii...but for that rodent smell

[M5280RCR]

Half a lifetime ago I had a '76 2002 and 25 years later I am back in the mix as the proud new owner of a '73 Riviera Tii.  As I tell everyone, "it is slow, loud and smelly, and I love it".  The problem is, the smell I love is the smell of brakes, fluids, gas, emissions etc.  Unfortunately the car arrived with that all too familiar sickening sweet decomposing rodent smell (I know it from the occasional rodent that dies under my house).  In my home, as horrendous as the smell is, it tends to go away in 3-4 weeks max (easier to light a candle for a month, than search under the house or in the walls for the body).  Problem with my car is that I can't drive around with a candle burning; and air fresheners just don't cut it (or at least the one that the PO had under the seat).  It smells fine sitting in the car, but not once it is running, ugh!

 

I am pretty sure I know where the carcass is, in the pedal box.  The pedal box insulation had been pulled down and there is a perfect little hole there for the varmint to enter.  Additionally, since it doesn't smell until I drive, it seems that the smell just shoots up from the pedal area.  I also, bent a hanger and scrounged around from the bottom of the pedal box to see if I could snag the dirty rotten scoundrel; but just came up with a few pieces of what looked to be grey hair.  Perhaps someone has another idea where the smell might be originating from (hopefully with easier access than the pedal box, that from searching on this site appears to be a huge Pain in the Ass - PITA.)

 

So my questions are:

• Why hasn't the smell just dissipated (over the first 6-8 weeks of ownership) as happens in a house.
  • Or, will it ever dissipate
• If I open the pedal box to try and search for the critter's body, will it be the same PITA as outlined in the pedal box rebuild link (https://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles.html/technical-articles/engine-and-drivetrain/removing-and-rebuilding-the-pedal-box-r26);
• Or, can I easily open the pedal box without messing with the springs, rods, master cylinder, etc.
• Lastly, it appears that the best way to get the pedal box open in from the top (or is it possible open from underneath the car)
  • If there is an option, for my purposes of simply getting rid of a rodent, should I try one before the other?

 

Thank in advance for any advice/thoughts.

 

 

 

[saaron]

Others may have more insight re the pedal box, but your dead buddy could be up near the heater core, too.  It would be a logical place to go to hang out.  

 

Also, I've seen a million pics of disasembled heater boxes with lots of...stuff in them.

 

Congrats on the car.  

 

Scott

[Danz3]

I saw evidence of rodent in mine under the fuse block. No carcass just nesting material

[ray_]

And you oughta be able to pull up the carpet and see everything in the pedal box.

 

...You're not smelling horse hair, are you?

 

Cheers,

[John_in_VA]

You might find a local detailer with an ozone machine to help eliminate the stench, but you need to locate & evict the varmint(s).

[Tsingtao_1903]

My car also came with a dead mouse.  It was behind the instrument cluster.

[esty]

it's an accumulation of urine soaked into your carpet....good luck and if you find a way to eliminate the smell let me know

[Son of Marty]

As Esty said probably mouse pee, the body will dry out in a few weeks and then is pretty well inert, any mouse pee that is in the carpet/upholstery you'll need to replace any residue on the sheet metal will scrub off try 409 or purple cleaner on the metal. Also look under the rear seat mice love it under there.

  

[TobyB]

Quote

good luck and if you find a way to eliminate the smell let me know

subscribed....

 

t

 

[02ManyBimmers]

+1 check under the back seat

 

This is my go to solution when buying  a "barn find" including some of its former residents.

Spray DSV first and let it dry (before vacuuming) to knock down the nastiness including possibly Hantavirus from rodent droppings (always use mask and gloves and at least throw out the vacuum bag and use more DSV to clean the hose and nozzle when done) and then the Bac-A-Zap to tame the rancid piss smell.   

 

https://www.amazon.com/Nisus-DSV-Disinfectant-sanitizer-virucide-1gal/dp/B006YHXG6S

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bac-A-Zap-Odor-Eliminator-Quart/dp/B007BT2C7M

 

 

 

[M5280RCR]

2 hours ago, saaron said:

Others may have more insight re the pedal box, but your dead buddy could be up near the heater core, too.  It would be a logical place to go to hang out.  

 

Also, I've seen a million pics of disasembled heater boxes with lots of...stuff in them.

 

Congrats on the car.  

 

Scott

 

Thanks Scott, I'll find out how to check the heater core, hopefully it is easier to access than the pedal box

 

2 hours ago, ray_ said:

And you oughta be able to pull up the carpet and see everything in the pedal box.

 

...You're not smelling horse hair, are you?

 

Cheers,

 

I pulled up the carpet, but was not able to see into the pedal box, just the sliver of space between where the pedals move.  Horse hair I believe would be in original seats, and this car had new Reacaros installed about a year ago.  Also, there is no smell when I just sit in the car, only when it is moving.

 

2 hours ago, Tsingtao_1903 said:

My car also came with a dead mouse.  It was behind the instrument cluster.

 

How long did the smell last for you before you found the mouse?

 

2 hours ago, esty said:

it's an accumulation of urine soaked into your carpet....good luck and if you find a way to eliminate the smell let me know

 

This could be the case, and an easier fix if the products below work.  This said, if it was just in the carpet, I imagine I would smell it when simply sitting in car, but I don't smell the smell until the car is moving and air is flowing.

 

1 hour ago, Son of Marty said:

As Esty said probably mouse pee, the body will dry out in a few weeks and then is pretty well inert, any mouse pee that is in the carpet/upholstery you'll need to replace any residue on the sheet metal will scrub off try 409 or purple cleaner on the metal. Also look under the rear seat mice love it under there.

  

 

Good idea to look under the rear seat, I thought about that...but in reality I am huge wimp and afraid of what I might find.  Perhaps I can trick my wife or one of my kids to look for loose change or an iPhone or something back there :-)  In all reality I will check there before messing with the pedal box.

 

54 minutes ago, 02MANYBIMMERS said:

+1 check under the back seat

 

This is my go to solution when buying  a "barn find" including some of its former residents.

Spray DSV first and let it dry (before vacuuming) to knock down the nastiness including possibly Hantavirus from rodent droppings (always use mask and gloves and at least throw out the vacuum bag and use more DSV to clean the hose and nozzle when done) and then the Bac-A-Zap to tame the rancid piss smell.   

 

https://www.amazon.com/Nisus-DSV-Disinfectant-sanitizer-virucide-1gal/dp/B006YHXG6S

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bac-A-Zap-Odor-Eliminator-Quart/dp/B007BT2C7M

 

 

 

 

Thanks for these leads, I think I will give these products a shot.  The first time I smelled it, I was worried about Hantavirus, but if is there, it has been swirling around my car for the 300 miles I have driven the car to date (if I don't reply to future correspondences, you will know what happened to me).

 

 One question, can you just spray these things in the general area (i.e. not having to open up the pedal box), or would you still suggest opening up the pedal box to get closer to the specific area?  

Edited January 17, 2018 by M5280RCR

[M5280RCR]

1 hour ago, TobyB said:

subscribed....

 

t

 

Toby,

 

I'll let you know.  BTW, Carnation can't be that big and when I saw a friend at a reunion in Walla Walla a few months ago and mentioned looking for a 2002, he said something about a neighbor having one, restoring one, or storing one in his town.  You happen to know John and Wendy?

 

Dave

[Gordon]

Since you said you that you can only smell the rodent while the car is underway, I would say +1 on checking the heater box. https://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles.html/technical-articles/body-and-interior/heater-box-removal-and-replacement-r41/      While you have it all apart, take your heater core to your local radiator shop for them to do a pressure test and clean it out. Your heater core probably hasn't seen the light of day since it left the factory.

 

G-Man

[Tsingtao_1903]

1 hour ago, M5280RCR said:

How long did the smell last for you before you found the mouse?

There was no smell.  I only found it because I had to take the instrument cluster out to change the light bulbs.

[kbmb02]

This is fitting: