# 1998 BMW 328 has a fishy smell **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** bmw, 328\ **Created:** [December 27, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389 "2019-12-27T22:20:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laura241](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Laura241](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Laura241)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/1 "2019-12-27T22:20:27Z")
Why does my 98 328i convertible have a fishy smell? The trunk has the strongest odor when I lift cover 2 the battery and smell is stronger ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/2 "2019-12-28T02:29:37Z")
Your BMW leaks water and mold is forming, I’d guess. ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/3 "2019-12-28T02:42:18Z")
Did you remember to take your catch out of the car from the last fishing trip? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/4 "2019-12-28T04:49:18Z")
A common water leak area is where the tail-light fixture mates up with the body of the car. Water from the roof goes into a channel, directed around the trunk opening, and it often exits directly over the tail-light. look carefully in that area, see anything separating? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/5 "2019-12-28T14:44:37Z")
> [@Renegade](#): > > Did you remember to take your catch out of the car from the last fishing trip? 😆 True story: A friend’s father bought a brand-new Datsun 410, circa 1966, and that car had an incredibly fishy odor whenever the heater was used. I used to joke that one of the assembly line workers left a can of half-eaten tuna in the heater duct. The dealership was totally useless, and nobody was ever able to figure-out the source of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Laura241](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Laura241](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Laura241)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/6 "2019-12-28T21:54:53Z")
There is not any leaks and no mold anywhere there is not any condensation on anything nothing is separating on the top or in or around the trunk rubber seal thingy inside the trunk is not dry rotted or cracked 🤷‍♀️there is a liquid filled battery not a regular battery like my Hyundai maybe the battery is leaking or perhaps getting low the guy with the Dodson said something about the heat yes I have a issue with the heat I think it’s the heater coil or thermostat 🤷‍♀️ no heat till u move then it gets so hot u have to turn it off and open a window ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/7 "2019-12-28T22:00:27Z")
The battery may be out-gassing. > **[Stinky smell is due to a bad battery](https://www.pe.com/2011/07/03/stinky-smell-is-due-to-a-bad-battery/)** > > Dear Tom and Ray: My wife’s car is an ’08 Toyota Sienna all-wheel-drive van with almost 70,000 miles on it. In the past few months, the whole garage has been stinking like rotten eggs. … I’d replace the battery for starters. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-bmw-328-has-a-fishy-smell/155389/8 "2019-12-28T23:15:36Z")
Remembering a car my dad bought with a bad smell, turned out someone had left their lunch bag inside the door!