That Smell in Your Car Might Not Be What You Think

I had the most Poconos car repair last week. I got in the car, which we usually keep in our garage, turned on the A/C, and suddenly was confronted with the pungent smell of ammonia. I picked up my partner, who got in and asked me, with all his usual tact, “Did you pee in your pants?” Since I had not, I instead brought the car to Midas on 611. They agreed: “Your car sure does stink.” As far as they could tell, something had gotten into the A/C and was then pursued by a snake (the snakeskin was still in there). I asked what it was, and they said, “We all got together around the barrel and we just couldn't tell.” When I picked up the car, I asked if this was normal out here in the Poconos. The mechanic yelled out from the back, “We did have one Camry that was that bad, but that's about it.”

A bit of advice: put any grass seed or birdseed in rodent-proof containers, set traps along the edge of your garage, seal up any holes, and keep an eye out for rodents. It's cheaper than the $500-plus bill to fix it if they get into your car.