Diesel fuel smell in the coach

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Ok Guy's,  This one I need your help with...

Earlier this week when my fuel tank sprung a leak, the fuel soaked into the blower compartment for the bus heat/ A/C.

I have sanitized, degreased, and flushed the entire heat and A/C coils and ducts. Then I used the powder that we use on oil heat systems

to deoderize, and to no prevail.....still smells like oil in the coach.   not as bad as before though, but still smells to me.

Help.....any ideas?

Thanks

nick-

[Ross]

The fuel probably got into places that you can't get to to clean.  Just a tiny amount of diesel will really stink up a bus.  When my proheat had that small leak, the diesel smell in the bus about made my eyes water, and that was in a vented bay.  It took about a week after fixing the leak and cleaning the diesel that I could see for the smell inside the bus to go away.

Ross

[Dreamscape]

Maybe pour some simple green where the leak was, it might seek out the same area and help to get rid of the smell.

Paul

Dreamscape

[larryh]

Nick

Try some fresh not used coffee grounds in the vent will neutralize the smell and absorb it.

LarryH

[Hartley]

Ahhh... A little advanced chemistry might work.

You need something that the molecules (odor) will attach themselves to.

In this case you might try something a little out of left field.. Murphy's Oil Soap

Yup, The stuff for furniture and floors. It's made from Veggie Oil and smells kinda like it too.

The Veggie will bind to the diesel oil and kind of neutralize/mask the odor. I have done
that a couple of times. I used Murphy's on my hands once because the diesel fuel smell was
just overpowering. It worked for me, I now just wipe my hands down with a veggie oil soaked cloth
to kill the odor but the soap did work when I tried it.

You might experiment with that idea on a test patch first, You may get different results...

Dave...

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Thanks guy's,

All great things to try and I will try all of them.

I wish I could use bleach...but my wife can't handle the smell of it. To me, the only smell thats worse then diesel fuel is

a commercial refrigerator that stores onions.... When the acids from onions attach to the aluminum, all you have to do is

toutch any part of the inside and your fingers are stintched with a distinked odor that only bleach can remove.  Yuck-

Thanks
Nick-

[NJT5047]

Where did your tank leak?   That's a scary thing to have to deal with.   Re: the diesel stink...we sell a bottled cleaner that's used for cleaning crud off motorcycles.  It's called "SuzukiWash".  Most motorcycle shops sell something similar.  Stuff is environmentally friendly, no smell,  and cleans petro chems off anything you can get it into.  Enough of it would follow the the diesel fuel under the walls, seams etc.   We sell Kawasaki and Yamaha cleaner too, but the Suzuki cleaner is the best.    Even when the diesel's  cleaned up, the stink will take days or longer to get out of fabrics and upholstery.  But, it will evaporate over time.  Smell just permeates fabrics.  I'd leave the bus as open as you dare....I'm sure it's stored inside..let the fumes get out.    Do you know anyone that does fire damage restoration?  Those guys have some serious "stink removing" tricks. 
Sorry to hear of your troubles, JR

[NewbeeMC9]

My 1.5 cents,

I used baby oil on my hands and then washed my hands to get the deisel smell off my hand.  That works pretty good.

Some people wash ther hands then wash with toothpaste on them afterward.

Also after washing, run the heat on High with the vents and windows wide open to help turnover air.  Heat will help it evaporate.

Good luck and let us know what works.

[Hartley]

Bleach will not cut diesel odors or stains. Nor will many of the supposed "miracle" cures.

Inorganic chemicals as a rule are usually ineffective against oily residue. No way to break the bonds.

Don't use Purple-Power or Purple-Stuff as it eats aluminum ( contains acids )

The smell in fuel oils is an organic compound. To battle an organic odor you have to use an organic to encapsulate
the odors and a surfactant to break down the residue so that water can wash it away.

I have actually used waste veggie oil to rinse out large LP Gas tanks to rid them of the ethyl mercaptan odorant
then soaped and soaked with car wash detergent concentrate to break down the oils so that they would wash away.

I suppose a few bottles of Dawn Dish soap would sure meet the oily breakdown part.

Nick,
If you still have some odor when you get to Arcadia, see me I will have something there that might help.
it would be worth a try anyway.....

Dave...

( I will have the big trailer ) on the back of my MC9 this time, Loaded with goodies too !

[tekebird]

you could always just get some of the stuff Crime Scene people use when they find a few week old corpse.....I suspect you can't smeel anything with some of that on your upper lip

[Busted Knuckle]

Ok I've never used it on diesell, but ZEP (Google them, good clening products) makes some stuff called smoke away that dooes wonders! They alo mke other stuff & may have something more suitable! Also might try Fabreeze or bounce in the vents! We use them both at different times and they do wonders to fresh'n a "stale" coach on a trip! BK 

[JerryH]

Nick:
One well placed skunk ... actually doesn't even need to be well placed.
Once placed, scare skunk.  You should not notice any lingering smell of diesel.
NEXT POST:  "How to get rid of skunk smell."  I think tomatoes are involved.
Good luck,
Jerry H.

[gumpy]

Nick:
One well placed skunk ... actually doesn't even need to be well placed.
Once placed, scare skunk.  You should not notice any lingering smell of diesel.
NEXT POST:  "How to get rid of skunk smell."  I think tomatoes are involved.
Good luck,
Jerry H.

Dang it Jerry,

I was just fixin to post that exact same solution as I was reading through the thread!!


Great minds think alike! 

It's not about removing the odor, it about masking it with another odor. You just have to find one that works for you.

[DrivingMissLazy]

What I can not imagine is a bus nut that does not love the smell of diesel! LOL
Richard

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

What I can not imagine is a bus nut that does not love the smell of diesel! LOL
Richard

Tell that to my WIFE Richard.....lol

Nick-