'96 Buick LeSabre Fluid seepage (not water) up through floorboard

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Greens - 13 Dec 2005 22:02 GMT

I've noticed an odd smell in my car for a couple of months. Sometimes it
seemed like alcohol, sometimes like oil, sometimes like urine (ugh!). A
couple of weeks ago I noticed the carpet on the front passenger side close to
the seat is soaked with some kind of liquid that is slightly oily in nature,
light brown, very pungent. That seems to be the source of the smell, but I
can't figure the source of the liquid. I dabbed it all up as best I can, but
it's back (and more of it!) Can something be seeping up from the car? It's
not an oil from the seat, because it begins just beyond the seat, and it's
not dripping down from anywhere, and I haven't spilled anything there. At
least not this year! My husband assures me there's nothing mechanical that
can be seeping up, but I'm so desperate I'm considering yanking the carpets
just to get to the source. Any ideas out there? Thanks so much.

Reply to this Message

Dr. Von Nostrand - 13 Dec 2005 23:04 GMT

> I've noticed an odd smell in my car for a couple of months. Sometimes it
> seemed like alcohol, sometimes like oil, sometimes like urine (ugh!). A
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> can be seeping up, but I'm so desperate I'm considering yanking the carpets
> just to get to the source. Any ideas out there? Thanks so much.

Greens, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but from my years of
medical experience, I strongly suspect that the problem is your
husband's closet incontinence. Incontinence is a very embarrassing
matter than many people are reluctant to disclose to even their closest
friends or spouses. This would certainly explain your husband's
insistance that there is nothing mechanically wrong with the car. He
knows what the problem is, but doesn't want to tell you. Think about it
- does he sometimes sit on that side of the car? It is very easy for a
man to position himself so that his penis doesn't "leak" onto the car
seat, but rather onto the floor. I suspect that you will find the
samepungent odor on his clothes.

Reply to this Message

Greens - 14 Dec 2005 00:00 GMT

Thanks for your reply, but uh-uh. Read your reply to hubby and he got a hoot
out of it. On the off-chance that you were being serious, he hasn't been in
the car since the last time I dabbed it up, and it's still a problem. And no,
it's not the neighborhood cats...I keep my windows up. Any other suggestions?

>> I've noticed an odd smell in my car for a couple of months. Sometimes it
>> seemed like alcohol, sometimes like oil, sometimes like urine (ugh!). A
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>seat, but rather onto the floor. I suspect that you will find the
>samepungent odor on his clothes.

Reply to this Message

Shep - 14 Dec 2005 00:31 GMT

Most likely a heater core leak, see if the overflow jar is low and see if
what is in the radiator matches the color and consistency of what is in the
car.

> Thanks for your reply, but uh-uh. Read your reply to hubby and he got a
> hoot
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>>seat, but rather onto the floor. I suspect that you will find the
>>samepungent odor on his clothes.

Reply to this Message

Greens - 14 Dec 2005 03:34 GMT

Thank you so much. I looked up "heater core leak" on the internet, and some
of the things described make sense. At times it did seem like the odor was
either antifreeze or at least something from the radiator. I'll look at the
overflow jar in the morning. Today, a light that indicates that I have an
emmissions problem began to light up on the instrument deck. Does this make
sense that a heater core leak could cause that light to burn? Didn't know if
they were related or not. One last question...any clue to a fair price for
the dealership to fix this?
Thank you so much for your assistance.

>Most likely a heater core leak, see if the overflow jar is low and see if
>what is in the radiator matches the color and consistency of what is in the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>>>seat, but rather onto the floor. I suspect that you will find the
>>>samepungent odor on his clothes.

Reply to this Message

Dr. Von Nostrand - 14 Dec 2005 02:52 GMT

Greens, upon further diagnosis, the prognosis is worse than I could have
imagined. Greens, if you aren't already seated, please sit down and try
to remain calm. It might be adviseable to have hubby come in and sit
with you, before you read any further.

Greens, it would appear that you yourself are suffering from lymphocytic
colitis. That's the good news Greens! Now the bad news - you would
appear to be in the mid to later stages of a form of dymentia, possibly
alzheimers disease, which is why you have no recollection of your
involuntary bowel movements and the resultant pungent odor in your
vehicle. The "light brown liquid" to which you refer, is of course the
diarrhea, which is common to sufferers of colitis.

Greens, on the off-chance that both you and your husband are suffering
from this horrible affliction of lymphocytic colitis, I would suggest
that you consider appointing me the administrator of your estate and
giving me Power of Attorney over your financial affairs. You and your
spouse may also wish to bequeath your estate to my charitable foundation
- That's the Doctor Kramer Von Nostrand Benevolent Fund, 666 Bennis
Drive, New York, N.Y. 16346 You may rest assured that I will rid your
car of any fecal matter and/or malevolent odor, upon receipt of the
ownership.

> Thanks for your reply, but uh-uh. Read your reply to hubby and he got a hoot
> out of it. On the off-chance that you were being serious, he hasn't been in
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>>seat, but rather onto the floor. I suspect that you will find the
>>samepungent odor on his clothes.

Reply to this Message