Beef sandwiches

[j90xxx]

In recent weeks when the engine (and heater) get nice and warm there is a smell coming from the vents.
It smells exactly like beef sandwiches!
If you turn the heater off and close all the vents the smell goes.
Has anyone else come across this? Seem to remember a mates Cortina did the same thing in the 1980's. (Don't remember alot from the 80's...)
The problem is that eveytime I drive now the smell makes me feel hungry, I have to stop and eat and am starting to put weight on.
Should I start by draining and flushing the cooling system?
If so, what specification of antifreeze do I use when re-filling?
And what quantity/percentage for our temperate climate?

[andy-womble]

Martin, Try the sandwich shop in Penkhull opposite the church. Superb bacon and egg sandwiches/baps/sticks. Could just go one now but closed on Sunday.

Sounds like your heater matrix could be on its way out so you could combine the sandwich shop with a trip to our motor-factor friend in Trent Vale

[3rensho]

That's got to be a smell like a French Dip beef sandwich I bet (being a Citroen)

[Ol'Jeffers]

If the system doesn't leak then I would doubt it's the coolant or the matrix. My first port of call would be the pollen filter and then check all of the air ducts for contamination. It's possible that the duct work has a leak and is pulling in fumes from maybe the engine compartment.

Of course you could put an air freshener behind the pollen filter and it will all smell lovely! If you have aircon you could also try one of the aircon system cleaners that are sold by the likes of Hellfrauds. They do work, I used to use one every year on my Passat and it was like a breath of fresh air!!

[j90xxx]

Pollen filter seems like a good place to start.
There is no coolant loss; have been checking regularly.
The smell is most strange.
Not diesel, exhaust, oil, clutch, brakes, etc.
Nothing vehicle related at all; definately beef sandwiches!

[andy-womble]

Me old 306 used to give out a smell like curry quite regularly and I was told that that was the heater matrix on its way out...5 years later it was still going strong and there was no loss of coolant...

All these strange cravings, sure you are not.... nah, don't think so:whistle::whistle:illyme:illyme:

[Ol'Jeffers]

'Ere you are!! A whole load of aircon smellies for your delectation.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywo...u5itc98t_b

You could sit in the car with no clothes on while this stuff is working
and you wouldn't need a bath for a couple of months!! :lol:

[j90xxx]

Not got aircon.

[ron]

No Aircon? How dare you.That's stuffed all our theories out the window.The only thing I can think of is crud in the plenum chamber.Check it's draining properly by pouring a SMALL quantity of water in it & looking under the rear of the front wings.Then lift out the grille & check for sediment.Normally it would smell musty/composty,but you may have different flora in sunny Staffordshire.Good luck & let us know the remedy.

[XTR]

Reminds me of when I was a teenage hooligan and me and a couple of mates tied a fresh fish (dead of course) to another mate's exhaust manifold with wire.:whistle:
He was driving around with all the window's open for over a week before we told him :lol::lol::lol:

You haven't got a cow snagged in the grille have you?illyme: