Anyone had a wicked vinegar smell in their 2014 RDX? The car has only 5000 kms on it and one brutal 4 hour drive in a blizzard. after that started with the smell. And I mean really, really badly!

It is so strong that your eyes water! washed a cleaned all the floor mats, checked for rodents or dead cats but nothing.

Bought and air freshener helps mask the smell but still there. Is it a plugged drain line? faulty AC drier? any ideas would be appreciated. Can barely drive the car its so bad!!!!!

cheers

 

Have you driven the car up on ramps to check for debris or animals on the exhaust pipes? Check under the hood for animals? It's too early to replace the cabin filter, but I'd pull it out for inspection anyway.

 

Did you accidentally drive over wicked vinegar during the blizzard...
Rosen's advice is good one. Drive up a ramp and see underneath. The description of your smell doesn't sound normal in any car.

 

If it was "wicked", he must be from Massachusetts. My daughter's Audi had a funky smell when she turned on the heat. It turns out a mouse built a nest right above the cabin filter.

 

Hmm, from Massachusetts? Maybe the tires are under-inflated and that's causing the smell?

 

I can't imagine a dead rodent or other animal smelling of vinegar, but I do know of washer fluid that smells like vinegar.

Rosen's advice is sound - check for stuff under the car but also pop the top on your washer fluid reservoir and see if that is the smell.

 

Oooooooh......low blow. It was the change in temperature. Just deal with it.

 

I would get a vinegary smell in my 1st generation RDX when I opened the sunroof. I figured it was either the lubricants used up there, or something from the moisture in the seals. The smell went away when I closed the sunroof.

The inside of my current RDX smells like a mechanic shop. It's been in service so many times.

 

I second checking the washer fluid. I worked in a tire shop where we had a farm division and bought washer fluid in bulk (1000 gallons) to fill farm tires and kept it outside.

We found out the hard way that washer fluid goes rancid with sun exposure. We were filling 55 gallon drums from it to use in the oil change bay. Customers started complaining of a horrible dirty sock smell. Wish someone would have told us about this ahead of time.

 

So, what was it?

 

did some animal pee in your fresh air intake? Animal pee smells like that

 

We still don't know. We washed all the carpets again, new cabin filter and more lysol in the ac and ducts. Drove it for a 30 minute drive alternating a blast of heat and AC on each level and so far the smell has all but disappeared.

Only one carpet still had the smell, but its not in the car right now. We will wash it again. Its actually the Acura carpet from the back that still smells? I also took it to a garage locally, and they said they have never smelled anything like it. Nor have I!

Its not washer fluid checked that too. Hell, I dont know anymore. We have been keeping it in the heated garage just to make sure eveything has dried out. I will get some weathertechs if the new RDX doesn't appeal to me and the smell stays gone.

cheers

 

My OEM All Weather Matts Smell Like B.O. (body odor) Even after scrubbing and shampooing the hell out of the Matts. Put your nose to yours and see if you have the same issue. The smell seems to be even stronger when wet.

 

Well, our smell has all but gone. There is a residual lingering trace smell, but we can live with it. We have washed the floor mats twice, including the rubber ones and dried it out in the heated garage (displacing my baby, a 2014 accord v6). And course, replaced the in cabin filter.

Since the new RDX MMC does not have SHAWD, I will not be upgrading to it and we will keep the current one for her nibs.

Am also waiting for the weather tech floor mats to come in. Ordered but not arrived here in the great white north.

Hope I never get that smell again! And yes, it was truly unbelievably Witched!

Cheers