Bad odor in my SMART!

[Nance]

I picked up my new SMART on 4/1/09, and I love everything about it. It had the SMART new car smell for approximately 3 months. Which by the way didn't smell like your average new car smell to me but it was okay. In the last few weeks, my SMART has a bad odor. Like a hint of new car smell mixed with.........(here are what some people think it smells like) reptile poop, dead insect or reptile, spoiled or rotten food . The odor is strongest when the car has been closed up for hours in the hot Florida sun. I have sniffed every inch of the inside of my SMART (carpet, seats, dash, doors). Everything smells good and normal. I've never spilled anything in it. No one else drives it without me in there. No smelly people ride in it. Only one very clean fresh smelling Chihuahua rides in it occassionally. My SMART is way too cute to be smelly. I'm in it several times a day and this is driving me crazy. Has anyone else experienced a bad odor in their SMART? Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this bad odor? I appreciate any advice, comments, etc.
Thank you,
Nance

[chieftmc]

Maybe some kind of dead "critter" in the belly pan ?

[brett2658]

do you park under trees? does the smell get stronger when the a/c is on?

[JPaul]

Skunk?
(I once drove over a dead skunk, never again if I can avoid it...! Had no choice then.)

Did you check the battery pan (accumulated moisture, misplaced A/C condensation drain)?

Just some ideas...

[gbryers]

Has anyone seen Jetfuel?

[Nance]

I picked up my new SMART on 4/1/09, and I love everything about it. It had the SMART new car smell for approximately 3 months. Which by the way didn't smell like your average new car smell to me but it was okay. In the last few weeks, my SMART has a bad odor. Like a hint of new car smell mixed with.........(here are what some people think it smells like) reptile poop, dead insect or reptile, spoiled or rotten food . The odor is strongest when the car has been closed up for hours in the hot Florida sun. I have sniffed every inch of the inside of my SMART (carpet, seats, dash, doors). Everything smells good and normal. I've never spilled anything in it. No one else drives it without me in there. No smelly people ride in it. Only one very clean fresh smelling Chihuahua rides in it occassionally. My SMART is way too cute to be smelly. I'm in it several times a day and this is driving me crazy. Has anyone else experienced a bad odor in their SMART? Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this bad odor? I appreciate any advice, comments, etc.
Thank you,
Nance

[donnyonee]

some plastics give off bad odors but i havent heard of the stinkin smart yet.

[Dunerunner]

Replace the fresh air filter.

Changing cabin air (activated charcoal) filter
Evilution - Smart Car Encyclopaedia

Cabin Air filter alternative
Cabin air filter (don't pay high prices!)

[Gearhead]

Overheated or burning insulation may have that smell -- a sort of foul smelling acrid odor. Two things you can quickly check. 1) -- make sure that the engine cover is on correctly. There are tabs on the rear of the engine opening that the engine cover has to be slipped UNDER in order to properly seal. Many times, when the engine cover has been removed, the engine cover is placed ON TOP of these tabs. The fastener will still engage and the cover will still partially seal -- but air from the engine compartment can get into the cab. This air, if it's really hot, can break down the foam insulation on the fabric which covers the rear deck of the car. You could get odors from both. 2) -- check the wiring leading to the SAM unit and give the SAM unit a sniff. Shorts in the SAM have happened before. This is a small box under the dash on the driver's side which has fuses on the outside of it. Inside of this box are relays. If this box reeks or shows signs of overheating, call the Smart Dealer.

Hope this helps...

[Dunerunner]

While in the engine compartment, check for the neighbor's cat!