Horrible Smell inside Car. Help!!

welcome! is the carpeting under the floor mats wet?

 

Dead Rat?

 

Can you narrow down where the offending odors are coming from. Vent or engine compartment or trunk?

No left over food under the seat?

 

i would strip the car out of everything easy, not sure about the c 12 volt and hybrid batteries, but those areas need to be checked.
before going that far, check your cabin filter.

 

+1 strip out to locate the source

 

Ding Ding Ding, I think we have a winner!

Simple, just pop up the rear bench, no bolts to deal with. Just take note of the seat belt buckle orientation prior to removal. I bet you will find the culprit

 

Rear bench should just pop up and off.

I don't it is your filter since you did not state odors were coming from the vents but does not hurt to check. If should be in the engine compartment some cars it is located over the 12 volt battery ( that is on Mercedes Benz's that is )

Quick Google Check, looks like behind the glove box:

 

sorry, no. but someone with a c will chime in. in the meantime, you can search key words and phrases.

the cabin filter in the lift backs is accessed by lowering the glove box door. after opening it, you press in on the ends to release the stops while applying slight downward pressure.

it may also be in your manual.

 

I had a similar issue with my C following some heavy rain. It turned out to be water leaking past the black rubber boot that house wires from the rear of the C. The water was leaking into the headliner then dripping down onto the rear seats and cargo area. The black boot can be found by opening the hatch and looking at the area between the hatch and the roof on the left side. After cleaning the area really well, I applied transparent silicone around the base of the boot, and problem solved. In addition to this, I allowed the C to air out long enough for the headliner to dry and the odor to dissipate. This may not be your issue, but it's one more thing you can check of the list of possible culprits.

 

interesting. habanero, does that area smell or show any stains?

 

When my C was 3 months old, I had a similar problem. The culprit was a field mouse in the vent above the traction battery. He got there in the winter in North Georgia, then I went to visit family for Christmas in South Florida. He didn't do so well in the heat. I have photos of a stripped out interior, but you don't want to see the carnage.

 

Wow