Mildew and Moldy Smell
 

Hello everyone, I just joined this awesome site after months of using it here and there for small issues and whatnot, but now an issue has come up and I'm not sure what to do. I bought my car back in April of 2015 and have loved almost every minute of it. That was until the first time it rained...the cabin smelled like an old basement and all of the windows had condensation. The first thing I did was hop on here and read up. The car has all of its plugs, it isn't the cabin air filter, and the AC unit is fine. So I took it to the dealership (who sprayed it with a hose for 10 minutes and said there were no leaks). So I thought it was a one time thing. Since then everytime it rains or snows it gets much more intense, now its to the point where the smells makes me want to vomit after about 30 seconds. I've taken it to the dealership 4 times for this issue and as it has been raining have scheduled another appointment at a different dealership for #5. My question is has anyone else had this problem? Also should I possibly file a lemon law claim as the car is currently undrivable and if it continues will be unsellable (which I couldn't sell this car to anyone the way it is because I am way to honest) if the second dealership can not fix it?
Thanks, Matt

I had this issue with the gross wet towel/mildew smell every time it rained, but seems to have went away on it's own.

I thought it might be related to this: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...ight=deciduous

The area where the left windshield wiper motors/stalk goes, there's like a hole there that collects leaves and other stuff and I think if that gets full of leaves and water it probably starts rotting and then that smell gets sucked into the car's cabin air intake since I believe that's close to that location.

Just checked, nothing.... I think I just got the smelly kid in class.

Are any of the carpets wet or damp? Have you tried checking the trunk (in the spare tire area) for dampness. I once had a little pool going on back there in an old car. Water was somehow getting in between the trunk seams. It smelled awful...like straight up butthole.

I had it fixed and air dried it. The smell went away after a while. Luckily it was summertime when this happened. Windows were down all the time.

If you can blast the heater on high when the engine is warm (coolant temp at operating temp, set the car to recirculate. Spray Lysol (Entire bottle) disinfectant into the foot wells where the intake is on recirculate evenly on both sides. Close the doors windows up with the car running still and heater on blast, spray the lysol into the intake for the a/c at the bottom of the windshield:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Lysol-Disinfectant-19-Ounce-Canisters-3-Count/dp/B003M5JR9K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455656607&sr=8-2&keywords=lysol+disinfectant+spray"]Amazon.com: Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Crisp Linen, 19-Ounce Canisters, 3-Count: Health & Personal Care[/ame]

Next you're going to have to get any moisture out of the car overnight or if you don't drive the car for awhile put this in the passenger side:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/DampRid-FG50T-Hi-Capacity-Moisture-Absorber/dp/B0029EGUNG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455656628&sr=8-2&keywords=damprid"]Amazon.com: DampRid FG50T Hi-Capacity Moisture Absorber, 4-Pound Tub: Dehumidifiers: Posters & Prints[/ame]

The goal here is to remove the cabin humidity and kill any bacteria still in the a/c. You're going to have to blast the interior with the disinfectant and let it circulate throughout the cabin via the a/c system and kill any bacteria and mold as it does so, the damp rid dehumidifies the cabin because water can condensate easily and cause a major issue with fabric. Also if you can park the car in a garage or under cover during the damp rid step that would be great.


Otherwise there is most likely a non climate control related leak that is collecting, soaking up and sitting. If you can take it to another dealership do so, if not lemon law because 4 times is way too many times to deal with incompetence.

^ ....... that is a great plan!


Now, how did the moisture get into the car ..... ??



humfrz

I have taken the interior apart (including the trunk) and there is no moisture anywhere. Last time it happened I put the car in a garage opened up both doors and pointed industrial heaters on each side and it still came back. I'll try the Lysol thing tonight, hopefully that works....

i had this phenomenon on my previous acura. its from condensation sitting after using the AC compressor when you turn the car off. I had read if you turn the ac off and blast the fan on high before you shut the car off, it could help reduce the moisture collected in those tubes that supply the vents. also similar to the idea of the triplet FAN above, they have stuff at autostores you spray in the spots he indicated that help reduce or remove the mildew.

But shouldn't it do it even when it isn't raining if that's the case? Like if the moisture levels in the air are high? Or fog?

Try this out. I used it because my car started to smell like a locker room in hs after PE class, and from all the food I bring to work.

Used it once a few months back and been non-smelly since! Beware, it smells like a doctor's/dentist's office for a few hours. Just spray it before you go to sleep and when you wake up to go to work, voila!

Can be purchased at your local autozone/o'riley for 3-4 dollars.


[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Ozium-Eliminator-Sanitizer-Freshener-ORIGINAL/dp/B000CSWCAG"]Amazon.com: Ozium Smoke & Odor Eliminator Air Sanitizer / Freshener 3.5oz ORIGINAL: Automotive[/ame]

That's my main issue!

Bababooey is correct...its condensate accumulating in the blower case. It's unrelated to rainfall. The evap coil is always condensing moisture out of the air as it passes over the coil.

The procedure described above for treating it with Lysol will probably resolve it.

That's what I'm saying. If it is unrelated to rainfall, then it wouldn't just happen when it rains...

I started hanging damprid hanging moisture absorbers in the back seat and my car smells much fresher, so far in a month they've collected a lot of water in each bag.

This has helped with cars I have had in the past. Make sure the A/C system is OFF in the defrost mode also.

I had a 1972, dark green, Gran Torino (no, really I did .... :D), that would smell like a fertilizer plant ........ :(


humfrz

Oh my god... Clint Eastwood?!?!

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2008/...ino.large1.jpg

........cepton mine was a 4 door ....... and I had an M-14 ...... (not an M-1) ....:( ........close in attitude though .....:D


humfrz

Before you spend any money, just blast the heat on high for a while in fresh air mode. Then get into the habit of not using the AC (or defog mode) for the last 5-10 minutes of your trip.

I had the very same problem not too long ago. Totally cleared up.

So, you found those socks under your front seat ...... ??

:D


humfrz

His seems like a super aggressive case hence the lysol suggestion and damp rid. Also I would get him to check the drain tube and blast it with compressed air again.

Also shower more often.

What he said.

I had a similar problem and even posted here about it a few months ago. Blasting the HVAC at max fan, max heat, and recirculate off cleared it all out.

Now since its winter, I just run the car with recirculate off all the time. Problem hasnt come back.

fresh as daisies

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2VAqQlCOcPw/hqdefault.jpg

So I took the car to the dealership today. When I arrived I told them that I was once again there about the smell. The service tech tells me that they will take the car and it will take about three hours to run all the tests they need to do. So after a three hour wait, they finally come and get me. They explain to me that the car "sat in the car wash for an hour and a half and there was a little bit of condensation on the inside of the windshield, but they can't do anything unless I bring it in while it is raining." At this point I'm fed up and want to go home. So on the drive home I start to notice that there is a ton of dust and pollen on my windshield, which seemed odd for a car that was in a car wash for an hour and a half. So when I got home I decided to check the footage from the camera I hid in my car (I really don't trust this dealership). The footage shows my car being taken to the back lot, sitting for 40 minutes, and then finally being taken into the garage. While in the garage the tech gets in and says, "I don't want to work on this piece of shit car". He then plugs in a code reader and says, "Please show me evidence of tampering." After a minute he says to another tech that the reader came up with a code for the ABS system and asked if that was important (something I was NEVER told about and was not fixed). After that the car sits for another 30 minutes and is then taken out to the back lot until it was brought to me. Never once goes anywhere near a car wash or any water of any kind. Needless to say I am angry. Monday I am going to talk to the General Manager and am going to send Toyota a letter. Does anyone know how they tend to respond to Lemon Law claims?

Upload to the video youtube, then post it on reddit, a PR disaster will make them fold in an instant. They look at the FR-S with warranty claims as an enthusiast car and a ready to blame everything on tampering :lol:

Un-be-lievable. This absolutely sickens me. How does one respond to this level of disrespect? The techs should fired on the spot.

DANG, there, @Mphillips ...... have you been reading about the suggestions that have been made .. ??

Have you tried all of them .. ??

I would think by this time, you would have figured that the dealership is not going to help.

If you haven't already done so, I suggest you get on with the DIU suggestions.

THEN, if the moisture/smell comes back, we can go from there.


humfrz

I have tried some of them in the past, I'm currently trying some of the others. The problem is I only know if they work when it rains...no rain means I don't know if they are working.

I can't recall if this has been asked. Have you checked to see if any of the floorboard carpeting is wet .. ??

When it rains and gets wet, does the car have to be moving or will it get wet on the inside with the car just parked outside in the rain...??


humfrz

I've checked all the carpets, under the seats, and taken apart the trunk. Can't find any water or damp spots. The smell happens whether or not the car is moving. It always happens when it sits still, and sometimes while I'm driving (the car usually sits before I drive it), but when i went on a trip to Florida I drove through a storm and the smell started. That's the only encounter I've had without the car sitting beforehand.

Well, the smell is most likely coming from a mold that is growing inside your car. So, if you get rid of the mold, the smell will go away.

Now, you can either kill it (bleach or Lysol type products) or make it die of thirst.

The logical approach is to kill it then rob it of moisture, so it won't come back.

Back in the day, I picked up this old GMC truck that was "infected" with mold (yep, the green stuff you see on the shift lever and steering wheel). I must have used a half dozens cans of Lysol and a quart of bleach to get rid of it.

Then I replaced the weather stripping around the doors ...... and the mold stayed away.

So, step one ...... get rid of the mold (follow suggestions offered by others).

Then find out how the excess moisture is getting into the vehicle and stop it.

Happy mold hunting.


humfrz

I shouldn't have to mold hunt in a brand new car. If it is this bad 8 months in, what will the quality be in 3 years? I dont feel like it's crazy to want them to fix it. If you buy a gallon of milk or loaf of bread and it has mold in it, you dont keep it in hopes that the mold will go away, you want the store to make it right...if the car were used, I'd suck it up and deal with it.

Well, now, Matt, I agree with you, that you shouldn't have this problem with a relatively new car.

However, you do and you’re running low on options.

After 5 dealer trips, it appears they are not going to “fix/correct” it.

You can check the lemon law language and see if it might be eligible. I suspect your car/the condition, won’t qualify.

Back in the day, we called it the “giggle test” …… your honor, I spilled catfish bait in my trunk, now the whole car stinks ……. I want the manufacturer to replace my car……..!

If this were a widespread defect in the manufacturing of the car ...... why haven't we heard more about it ... ??

Hey, we are on your side, but I think your problem is relatively unique and it going to be up to you to fix it.


humfrz

Now that you know that dealership is disrespectful and was never working on the car, why not go to a different dealer?

I am, I was supposed to this last time, but I decided I wanted to do the camera thing

Did you figure it out? I also have similar problem. Bad smell when it rains

My car is the same. Another thing I noticed is it seems to "hold" smells for a long time. If I bring a pizza home in the car, I can still smell it the next day. Maybe it has to do with the small volume of the interior.
As far as the moldy/musky smell when it rains, I noticed it only smells when I'm wearing shoes (I hardly ever wear shoes when driving). I think what happens is the tread of my shoes transfers a lot of water to the floormat and for some reason that causes the smell. The smell is not immediate and it doesn't last a long time. But it does seem to happen anytime it rains and I'm wearing shoes.

I had mildew for awhile because I ran over something on a highway and it put a hole underneath the passenger side, so anytime it rained I'd get water ingress in there. I bought two types of flex seal and sealed it, no mold problems since.

But sometimes when I spill water or want the car to be extremely fresh, I put a damprid bag in there:

http://i.imgur.com/99LArE9.jpg

Ya know, they got shoe powder you could put in your shoes ....... :D


humfrz

In the manual it says to always turn off the AC/heat circulation to off before you park while the car is still on. If you keep that on all the time mold can grow in the vents themselves. I suggest you just not use the air circulation (only use air from outside to the cabin) for a month or so and do your best to air things out. I have a strong feeling this smell will go away. My wife's car does the same thing when it's wet out and keeping air circulation off does the trick.