[androc123]

I have detected a fishy smell inside the cabin of my 2004 Odyssey EX-RES for some time. I shampooed the carpet to exclude the possibility of spillage even though I doubted that this was the cause. The smell came back soon after the fragrance of the shampoo dissipated.

I did some searching on the forum and read that the coolant has a fishy smell. So I opened the radiator cap and sure enough that was the smell that I have been experiencing.

Has anyone run into this situation? What would be the cause of smelling coolant inside the cabin with the windows up? The smell is usually noticeable when it has been sitting in the garage overnight.

I also thought that it might be possible that it could be a dead animal somewhere. What spots would I check to rule out this possibility?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Bill in Houston]

A leaking heater core/interior hoses would allow the smell to be present in the cabin.

 

[androc123]

Thanks for the reply.

Where can I check to confirm whether this is the cause?

 

[New Dad New Van]

Check the A/C cabin filter, mold on the evaporator and a clogged condensation drain.

 

[Bill in Houston]

Thanks for the reply.

Where can I check to confirm whether this is the cause?

Mmm, good question. Hopefully some smart people will show up soon, because I don't know.

in the mean time, you could try cleaning out the evap core / heater core box with a foamy cleaning product as described in the thread you will see if you search for "stank". If it's just a little gross up there, and not actually leaking antifreeze, it could save a lot of expense.