240 Fish Odor in the interior.

I have an 84 volvo 244 turbo.

During the last two summers, after driving the car for a bit, this nasty fishy smell starts oozing from behind the dash. This seems to only happen when it's warmer weather out, and only when the car's been running. If it's hot out and I get in the car, the smell doesn't arrive until I begin driving and the car gets to operating temps. I checked to see if it was the vents (hot, old coolant can have a similar smell) but the smell isn't coming from there, with no other symptoms of a leaking heater core being present (windows don't fog up, etc)

The only iffy thing seems to be a corroded hose clamp on the hot side of the core, but the carpets are dry and there is no evidence of any leaks inside the cabin.

So far it seems like it's strongest directly behind the dash cluster, so I felt around for any critters that may have gone up there and died, but couldn't find anything in that department either.

I'm at my wits end here, and can't seem to figure out exactly what's causing this gross odor. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

And of course, I've been using air fresheners out the yin yang.

Are the fuses genuine ceramic or the currently available plastic ones? The plastic ones smell like a fish fry when they get warm.

Deep in the back on the dash, and in font of the windshield but before the hood there is a grill that somehow lets stuff into a compartment deep in the back of the dash. This is where the outside air comes in for the ventilation system.

You can get to this by, taking off the inner side panel on the passsenger side, and behind the messy black goo stuff which is called cork tape (it wraps around your expansion valve forr A/C), you'll find a bunch of crap that has gotten past that grill.

One of my neighbors poured some stinkbomb fluid into there last year and i smell it every time I turn on my heater.
Still not sure what the appropriate revenge for that is yet.

But I would wager something is in there.

Some funk in the cowl vent? A leak causing mold.?

Can't you just hot box the car so your car just smells like weed?

Fischoeder, you say?

propav8r said:

Fischoeder, you say?

Click to expand...

I blame skynet

propav8r said:

Fischoeder, you say?

Click to expand...

dammitsomuch, beat me to it. Wonderdog is disappointed.

Never had a 240 with a fishy odor behind the dash, but was amazed recently at the amount of stuff that accumulates in the recirc. flapper behind the heater box.

Get yo ho to take a shower....

I was waiting for somebody to say something like that. ^^^. Haaaaaa

#basedpussystank

propav8r said:

fischoeder, you say?

Click to expand...

winner winner chicken dinner

4x4_Welder said:

Are the fuses genuine ceramic or the currently available plastic ones? The plastic ones smell like a fish fry when they get warm.

Click to expand...

They're the plastic ones. I'll look into that...

1choice said:

Deep in the back on the dash, and in font of the windshield but before the hood there is a grill that somehow lets stuff into a compartment deep in the back of the dash. This is where the outside air comes in for the ventilation system.

You can get to this by, taking off the inner side panel on the passsenger side, and behind the messy black goo stuff which is called cork tape (it wraps around your expansion valve forr A/C), you'll find a bunch of crap that has gotten past that grill.

One of my neighbors poured some stinkbomb fluid into there last year and i smell it every time I turn on my heater.
Still not sure what the appropriate revenge for that is yet.

But I would wager something is in there.

Click to expand...

And this too! Thanks guys!

It's almost been 4 years, and I now have a different car, but I figured it out.

A weird one for the books. It was the headlamp switch in the cabin. I had removed it to install some other thing (can't remember what), and there was the smell. Turns out the grease inside of it had that smell to it, looked old as dirt too. Promptly found a metal cased switch, and threw that in.

It's been fine ever since.

Glad it wasn't your upper lip!

One time I put some tuna in a co workers pollen filter. That was awesome.

Get a potato and a piece of fish, store them in somewhere warm until they turn to mostly liquid, pour into neighbors car vent, done. If you want to be a bit nastier, mix it into a garlic oil with some mustard powder (that helps it stick together). A slice of cheese in the mix can spice it up a bit as well. They will smell the love forever