There is a peculiar odor inside my XJ-S and I was wondering if anyone has had the same experience. I’ve owned old Jags before so I know the usual smells and this isn’t one of them. It’s definitely not decaying organic matter but rather something quite sour and pungent that clings to clothing. At first I thought it was mouldy carpets so I removed them along with the underlayment and had them steam cleaned and sprayed with mold deterrent. It helped a bit but the smell is definitely still there. Could it be that the seat paddings have mold in them? Or perhaps the leather was dyed and that’s what is now giving off an odor?

 

Have you blown out the AC drain tubes and/or removed the console inner/side panels to inspect or sniff that area? Could also be a mouse dead in the vents that has been known to happen.

 

Yes!

I had an old Series III with quite a musty smell. A water leak caused mold in the carpets and the underside of the seat bottoms. The odor then permeated every non-metallic surface of the interior.


I guess anything is possible by lots of owners dye their leather and odd odors have never come up in conversations that I recall

Cheers
DD

 

Sour interiors from water don't usually have visible mold. Worst case scenario, rent an ozone generator and call it a day.