OK - will leave the thread on the general forum, but don't know how to "kill" a thread.

I'm new to this and struggling to put questions out there where someone with relevant experience might stumble on them.

 

LOL No problem, just stop digging up and reposting every thread on the net involving "smell". We have a very active group here and the post you started on the general will get the answer if there is one. You will also not need to monitor so many threads for an answer.

 

I have a 2006 Lexus RX 400h (a hybrid) that has a nasty chemical odor in the cabin. It is strongest when I enter the car after it has been shut off and closed up for a while. About a minute after getting under way, the cabin ventilation seems to dilute the odor to the point where I don't notice it. The smell is not mildew or mold. To some it smells like spicy peppers (e.g., in Thai food), to me it is a chemical odor. It seems to absorb on plastic materials that I leave in the cabin overnight (e.g., the plastic cover of my checkbook). I sniffed around once to locate the source. It seemed to be coming from the vent that goes from the cabin to the hybrid battery. This made me think the hybrid battery was outgassing, perhaps due to a breach in the casing. I posed this question on another forum and heard back from a guy who has apparently disassembled Prius batteries. He claimed that the batteries don't emit an odor. The Lexus dealer says the same. The car is currently at the dealer. The seats, center console, and carpet has been removed and the smell lingers. The dealer is stumped but posed one theory: the previous owner accidently released pepper spray (e.g., the mace-like spray some people carry for personal protection) into the cabin. I have no idea, but am assuming that whatever it is has absorbed into the plastics in the cabin and is still outgassing. If the battery casing was plastic, that might explain why a smell seems to come from the vent from the hybrid battery into the cabin: the battery gets hot while driving and the plastic outgasses more than the other plastics in the car, the outgassing continuing after the car is shut down and closed up while the battery cools.

If you get any clues on your problem or mine, please post.

Thanks,
Chris

 

I suggest finding the previous owner and asking......