Smell of My 944

[Dano944]

OK, this may be a weird question, but ever since I took possession of my late father-in-law’s 944 it has had a curious smell inside…like grease. My friend said it smells like all old German cars. Is that true? I wonder if my father-in-law did some DIY repair work and left grease somewhere. I’ve just accepted the aroma.

[curtisr]

Is there any chance the car has a new catalytic converter? This seems to produce a similar result although a good airing should take care of any residual odour.

[Eskozki]

Dont know what you mean with smell of grease, but my car has a distinct odour to it. Used a ozonator to get rid of the smell but the scent came back pretty soon. Maybe its the materials of that era that cause the smell. I dont mind it too much.

[Dano944]

Curtisr, I know the rotten egg smell of Cats, and it’s not that. It’s just a subtle smell similar to either grease or weird plastic. Yes, Eskozki, maybe it’s the smell of the interior materials, and if so, maybe my friend was correct when he said it’s “the smell of old German cars”.

[boom10ful]

Mine had such a strong, funky smell like old leather/ vinyl plastic but I gradually got used to it. The previous Volkswagen beetles had a similar smell but muuuuuch lighter

[Jfrahm]

Might be oil leaks baking, maybe lots of leaves and twigs under the belly pan soaked with oil and power steering fluid. All baking in the heat, which causes a "greasy farm equipment" smell I might be familiar with. For some reason.

[pfarah]

If you can determine that it is indeed coming from the cabin, removal of the seats and a deep clean/shampoo of the entire interior may be the ticket...

[Dano944]

Originally Posted by pfarah

If you can determine that it is indeed coming from the cabin, removal of the seats and a deep clean/shampoo of the entire interior may be the ticket...

My father-in-law was fastidious in his keeping things clean, so hopefully it’s nothing in the carpet or fabric. And it’s not a terrible smell, just like the smell of an old tractor. I was just curious if this was a common smell in these 40 year old cars? Someone here suggested that it was a familiar aroma of the old German plastics and vinyl.

[jcommin]

moth balls - I use them when storing my car for the winter. The smell disappears when I use it. Keeps mice away too.

[Monkey Wrench]

the top of 944s gas tanks can get rusted out causing odors from fuel fumes. I think it only affects the ones I guess previous to late 85 and after they went to plastic tanks. problem is the tank isn't easy to remove. maybe it can be pressure tested. I'm thinking of removing mine to coat it inside with POR 15 gas tank sealer but I'm not certain it even has the issue. On my early 85 the rubber hose from the tank to the pump rotted out and it leaked it's contents of the entire gas tank. Thankfully it was not full. I can see how that can cause a full gas tank to empty itself causing a real serious issue. Maybe that was the reason for subsequent design changes.

Id crawl under now, and check if that hose is ok if it is not a newer model, because its a huge fire risk and it's just a short bit of hose. Its not containing pressure until after the pump so the hose is just a piece of bent rubber fuel rated hose. after the pump it's a much heavier line as that is pressurized. look at just that short bit, see if it feels gummy, If its' never been changed I'd change that for safety.

many cars with a regular rear end differential use hypoid ( 80 - 90 weight gear oil ) and it really stinks, I'm not sure if the 944 transaxle even uses it. it might be a sulfur additive or similar. Observe any leaks while you check the fuel hose.

dead mice smell different but it's possible for one to jump in and get caught in the car and die somewhere.

sometimes when cars sit the grease or oil in the engine bay gets onto the exhaust manifold and burns off. you can check you dont have a wire or hose touching somewhere hot.

I have a can of penetrating bolt loosener , so old it came in a gallon can so at least pre 1970.. man that stuff really stinks but that old stuff had all the bad stuff in it that made it actually work.

[Monkey Wrench]

I dated a lady for a little while once and If I tried to get close she had this really weird smell. I dint want to say anything rude but it was actually quite repulsive.
Eventually she took me to her big fancy house and she had used a lot of moth balls in her giant clothes closets and her whole house stunk of them.
Funny how the odor triggers memories and if I ever smell moth balls I think of her ;-) I'd hate to have that smell stuck in my car.

one thing I do is I get these bags of silica powder when I uncrate large machines. I stick those on the dash in the sun so they sit in the sun and stay dry, If any moisture enters and gets stuck in the car, they can absorb it before I get mold etc.

[djnolan]

it could be brake fluid from a leaky brake or clutch master cylinder leaking to the interior in the drivers footwell.

[dme]

Every 951 I've owned has had the same distinct smell. Not like any other car I've owned.

[Dano944]

Originally Posted by dme

Every 951 I've owned has had the same distinct smell. Not like any other car I've owned.

That’s the most logical reason, but I wonder why? Did they use leftover U-Boat parts? I’ve been in a WWII Sub and it had a similar smell.

[Monkey Wrench]

Maybe 944 drivers just have a habit of scaring their passengers ;-)

[TibetanT]

I have found my Porsche cars do have a distinctive smell to them. All 944s that I have had smelled similar to each other, except for my 944 Automatic Special order which had matching Cloth Linen on seats and doors. My 911 even has a distinctive smell differing from my 944S.

The only time I smell oil burning in my 911SC is when I need to reseal the adjustable oil return tube seals about every 10 thousand miles or so. However, that only happens after a long spirited run and I have it parked in my garage.

Other than that, I know the differences between each P-Car when I sit in the driver’s seat and get her ready for the drive.

Even the newer Porsches at the dealership have a different smell to them IMHO.

Unless your 944 has a really pertinent problem I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

Enjoy the ride!

[Monkey Wrench]

the new car smell is the plasticizers and other chemicals , mold release compounds, extrusion lubricants etc. The stuff that makes plastic pliable basically. It dries out , that's why your dash cracks. There are a lot of very bad chemicals that seep out of a new car and it will always be offgassing but more when it's new. That "new car smell" is actually very bad for your health.

an ozone generator can latch onto molecules of things like smoke etc, thy also degrade rubber. I tried one in my old house. it killed all the spiders and I had to take my plants and pets outside and vacate. I smoke so that doesn't bug me but it does some and if so Ozone can help.some buy from a former owner who ate different foods and can perceive certain odors like garlic or curry. Your nose is a sensitive piece of equipment though , it can often detect even if you are way below any hazardous threshold. For example a person that quit smoking a year ago can detect a cigarette at about 200 feet or so and often be upset because this is triggering cravings. at 200 feet its not a matter of it being a health concern, the parts per million is tiny, but some are still bothered by such. parking with a window open may help some. let it air out. i try to do that when I see nice weather after winter, let some air in and some sun and kill any mold spores off. a lot more peole smoked in the 80's than now. New cars dont even usually have ashtrays or lighters. Any older car did.

[thekidd]

All of mine smelled like that. It’s the leather, vynol, and plastic of the time

[Monkey Wrench]

old millitary equipment had a certain smell that I believe was a fungicide. Ill find it in old radios etc. kind of a sticky spray they put in there because they were preparing for humid conditions. old canvas tents can have that smell.
I once picked up these discounted cans of stuff to put on canvas tarps, it smells a bit like that. probably toxic stuff.

Bakelite can give off a smell that is distinctive, smells a bit like formeldehide. maybe there is foam in the seats that is decomposing?

parking it with the windows rolled down just a crack can help.

I tried a kit intended for RV's and things, it came with a plastic container and this white granulated stuff, as it absorbs water it drips into the container. I put it in a humid car and it did attract about a liter of water and the active stuff sort of disappeared.

I think a bag of salt can work, the theory is it wont cause rust since its not in solution and you can dry it , put it in the car and it will absorb water and can be dried in the sun or an oven. I feel safer using a desiccant as I still fear that salt may cause rust.

carpets and everything can go moldy and get weakened if there is too much moisture in there and unused cars that are outside are very susceptible to becoming terrariums. I thik after some of that the carpets and other materials can decompose and not return so that may cause an odor hard to get rid of.

baking soda is cheap and absorbs smells. Id suggest a cardboard box with a couple boxes of it, that you set in the back when not in use , that might help if it bugs you. I like to put some in the bottom of the battery box so any stray battery acid can neutralize upon contact, saves it from rusting out there. i soak a cloth with baking soda and water, let it dry and place under the battery. baking soda and water works well for cleaning battery posts terminals too , I put some in a jar of water , let sit overnight. takes off most of the typical crud that causes problems with continuity, later I wire brush and use electrolytic grease. Its safe to use, even edible.

sometimes I find stinky old books , like old manuals, and put them in a suitcase with a box of baking soda. takes time but seems to help.

[wwdwgs]

All Porsches I've driven had a very strange smell. All - 914, 924, 944, 928, 968. From 80's to early 90's.
My friend, who owned many of them, confirmed that this is the "Porsche" smell. I'd presume it's the materials in carpet that get degraded with time.