Smell- DPF or something else??

[JanTheVan]

Hi,
We got our 2014 Cali 11 months ago, so coming up for first service. Hoping to get some info before then about possible causes of a terrible smell we experience in the cab.
It only happens on long journeys, we’ve usually been driving a min of 3 hours (but still happens if we’ve stopped for a break and then continued) so it’s hard to replicate! It seems to come out of the passenger side air vent primarily, and once it starts it doesn’t stop until we reach our destination.
It is a terrible smell, hard to describe, but chemical rather than biological.
We thought it just be the dpf issue but the fact that it doesn’t stop doesn’t seem to fit with other stories.
Any suggestions or other information we need to gather before taking it to the garage?
Also, any specialist garage recommendations for the Leeds/York area?
Thanks

 

[Meoncoast]

We had a split EGR pipe on our 2016 Ocean = smell in the cab, known issue is the bendy bit of pipe cracks

 

[JanTheVan]

We had a split EGR pipe on our 2016 Ocean = smell in the cab, known issue is the bendy bit of pipe cracks

Thanks for your reply. Is it a smell that only appears after a long drive and doesn’t clear quickly?

 

[Meoncoast]

Thanks for your reply. Is it a smell that only appears after a long drive and doesn’t clear quickly?

To be honest I can't recall. Some time ago now. I know was on and off.

 

[Brian S]

It might be coming from the resistor for controlling the fan speeds.
This is located in the heater and the incoming air blows past it. I have noticed a smell a few times and suspect this as the cause.
The resistor drops the fan voltage to the fan to reduce the fan speed.
It's a very crude method of speed control. This resistor gets extremely hot.
The most heat is generated at the lowest fan speed.
The resistor is basically cooled by the incoming air.
So when the resistor needs maximum cooling at low speed it is getting minimum cooling air flow.
Any extra reduction in air flow will make this situation worse.
So if most of the closable vents are shut the resistor will overheat more.
I had to replace the resistor a few months ago as the thermal fuse on it blew.

I now try to operate it at speed 2 minimum and make sure there are enough vents open to get good airflow.

 

[crookrise]

It might be coming from the resistor for controlling the fan speeds.
This is located in the heater and the incoming air blows past it. I have noticed a smell a few times and suspect this as the cause.
The resistor drops the fan voltage to the fan to reduce the fan speed.
It's a very crude method of speed control. This resistor gets extremely hot.
The most heat is generated at the lowest fan speed.
The resistor is basically cooled by the incoming air.
So when the resistor needs maximum cooling at low speed it is getting minimum cooling air flow.
Any extra reduction in air flow will make this situation worse.
So if most of the closable vents are shut the resistor will overheat more.
I had to replace the resistor a few months ago as the thermal fuse on it blew.

I now try to operate it at speed 2 minimum and make sure there are enough vents open to get good airflow.

It doesn't sit in the heater it's bolted on the outside.
Easy to access and change if indeed this is the problem.
Easy to check just drive with no fan on and the resistor isn't in circuit

 

[De Witte]

AC needs cleaning?

 

[JanTheVan]

It might be coming from the resistor for controlling the fan speeds.
This is located in the heater and the incoming air blows past it. I have noticed a smell a few times and suspect this as the cause.
The resistor drops the fan voltage to the fan to reduce the fan speed.
It's a very crude method of speed control. This resistor gets extremely hot.
The most heat is generated at the lowest fan speed.
The resistor is basically cooled by the incoming air.
So when the resistor needs maximum cooling at low speed it is getting minimum cooling air flow.
Any extra reduction in air flow will make this situation worse.
So if most of the closable vents are shut the resistor will overheat more.
I had to replace the resistor a few months ago as the thermal fuse on it blew.

I now try to operate it at speed 2 minimum and make sure there are enough vents open to get good airflow.

Hi, thanks for your reply and all the detail. Well worth investigating and playing with over the coming months. Hadn’t come across this as an issue before so v helpful, thank you.

 

[Kayleigh]

AC needs cleaning?

That’s exactly what I was thinking. Before winter I had quite a bad smell through the air vents. It seemed more of a chemical smell too. The dealer put some spray through it to clean it out and it’s been fine since. I think you have to spray it through the inlet in the boot.
I did check the EGR pipe as I suspected that, but it was fine.

 

[Mourr]

Hi

Hi,
We got our 2014 Cali 11 months ago, so coming up for first service. Hoping to get some info before then about possible causes of a terrible smell we experience in the cab.
It only happens on long journeys, we’ve usually been driving a min of 3 hours (but still happens if we’ve stopped for a break and then continued) so it’s hard to replicate! It seems to come out of the passenger side air vent primarily, and once it starts it doesn’t stop until we reach our destination.
It is a terrible smell, hard to describe, but chemical rather than biological.
We thought it just be the dpf issue but the fact that it doesn’t stop doesn’t seem to fit with other stories.
Any suggestions or other information we need to gather before taking it to the garage?
Also, any specialist garage recommendations for the Leeds/York area?
Thanks

hi there - I’m in the same boat , same issue on a long drive from Amsterdam to Geneva during Christmas. I posted about it here a couple of weeks ago:
Post in thread 'Help Needed: Burning /unpleasant Smell and Smoke from Camper Van – Any Insights?'
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...m-camper-van-–-any-insights.56673/post-734117

Had the issue inbound/outbound to Geneva ( long drive) & Im still trying to troubleshoot the problem -I did a round trip today 2 hours/leg today and experienced no smell.

 

[Mourr]

Hi

hi there - I’m in the same boat , same issue on a long drive from Amsterdam to Geneva during Christmas. I posted about it here a couple of weeks ago:
Post in thread 'Help Needed: Burning /unpleasant Smell and Smoke from Camper Van – Any Insights?'
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/help-needed-burning-unpleasant-smell-and-smoke-from-camper-van-–-any-insights.56673/post-734117

Had the issue inbound/outbound to Geneva ( long drive) & Im still trying to troubleshoot the problem -I did a round trip today 2 hours/leg today and experienced no smell.

See suggestions/comments/pictures by @Resfeber

 

[crookrise]

Hi, thanks for your reply and all the detail. Well worth investigating and playing with over the coming months. Hadn’t come across this as an issue before so v helpful, thank you.

Only trouble is the statement about "being in the heater"
And "cooled by heater" is incorrect

 

[JanTheVan]

AC needs cleaning?

We’ve smoke bombed it a couple of times after we’ve had the issue, and it certainly makes it all smell better at the time but hasn’t prevented the problem recurring unfortunately.

 

[Brian S]

It doesn't sit in the heater it's bolted on the outside.
Easy to access and change if indeed this is the problem.
Easy to check just drive with no fan on and the resistor isn't in circuit

It's attached to and protruding into a plastic ducting which is part of the heating and cooling system. It is in the airflow supply to the interior and any overheating will cause a smell from the air vents.
It is located inside the van under the passenger foot well. Difficult enough to access. Very limited space to work.