Bad smell in engine compartment

Sea Señor

Member
Aug 31, 2021
55
South shore, Long Island NY
Boat Info
2010 280 Sundancer
Engines
Mercruiser 350 MAG MPI w/bravo 3 drive
Greetings all, I have a terrible smell coming from the engine compartment of my 280 sundancer. The best description I can compare it to is the smell of vomit. This has been going on almost 2 weeks. I keep hoping it will just go away but it hasn’t. I pumped out the holding tank which was half full and put treatment in. No luck. Anyone else ever have this problem?
 
Rotten egg smell is salt water that has been sitting
If the holding tank has a leak or your waste hoses are shot it will smell like the pump out boat
Try a little bleach ( cup or two) and a lot of water. Scrub the bilge & rinse
Then scrub a second time with orpine bilge cleaner
Hope this solves the problem
 
I spray a light bleach solution around the bilge each spring to get rid of that smell.
 
Kinda feel your pain. A couple seasons ago, had the same problem. Over the course of about 6 weeks in the sun it just kept getting worse. Washing the bilge with cleaners and bleach did nothing to hide it. Eventually started looking in all the little nooks and crannies and found this.....
FXBW9735 (2).JPG FQXE2575 (2).JPG
 
Charcoal canister on the head system need changing? Do you use No Flex Digester?
 
My bilge cleaning ritual includes spraying Simple Green all over the bilges, blasting with the washer and then cleaning out.

Nice clean smell and clean as a pin bilges afterwards.
 
I'd say that if you haven't recently changed out the holding tank vent canister, that is the #1 culprit for bad odor. Once you do, flush No Flex Digestor down your head(s) daily/weekly depending on usage.
 
I had a similar issue with mine this past weekend... I think it was the pink antifreeze left in the bilge from winterization. As you said "smell of vomit". After a pint of Simple Green, several squirts of Dawn and lots of water pumped through it, the smell is gone.
 
I had a similar issue with mine this past weekend... I think it was the pink antifreeze left in the bilge from winterization. As you said "smell of vomit". After a pint of Simple Green, several squirts of Dawn and lots of water pumped through it, the smell is gone.
 
I had a similar issue with mine this past weekend... I think it was the pink antifreeze left in the bilge from winterization. As you said "smell of vomit". After a pint of Simple Green, several squirts of Dawn and lots of water pumped through it, the smell is gone.
I’ll try that. Thanks. How often are you supposed to change that filter? I was told you shouldn’t have to as long as you don’t overfill the holding tank
 
I’ll try that. Thanks. How often are you supposed to change that filter? I was told you shouldn’t have to as long as you don’t overfill the holding tank

On our 3rd SR with a holding tank. My experience over the past 10-11 years... as long as you never over fill the tank, you never needed to change the filter....just my experiences....also use NoFlex religiously....I am sure others have different experiences. Works for us.

Bennett
 

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