Musty smell

[Hairy1305]

I've had the car a day now, and the smell of mustiness is overpowering. Given it's spent the last 4 months in a garage, I can see how and why and the interior did get wet.

ANyone got any ideas of how to remove it? I have bought some upholstery shampoo and carpet cleaner, and I am hoping this works well, but have you guys experienced it, and if so, how dod you remove the smell?

TIA

 

[W1ghty]

I've had the car a day now, and the smell of mustiness is overpowering. Given it's spent the last 4 months in a garage, I can see how and why and the interior did get wet.

ANyone got any ideas of how to remove it? I have bought some upholstery shampoo and carpet cleaner, and I am hoping this works well, but have you guys experienced it, and if so, how dod you remove the smell?

TIA

Try an antibacterial aircon bomb , and maybe change the pollen filter as well . Failing that speak to a car detailing company , they will probably have ideas

 

[W1ghty]

On second thoughts get the garage to do it for you under warranty

 

[Hairy1305]

On second thoughts get the garage to do it for you under warranty

Was a private sale, and I knew it had been stored for a while, so kind of expected it to be a bit whiffy. I'll shampoo the upholstery and carpets and also look at the aircon bomb too. Thanks.

 

[MrGreedy]

I'd say unless carpets have obviously been damp or wet, and they smell (sorry, there's only one way to tell, by getting your nose near them), then this might well be restricted to the aircon system.

As others have said, aircon bomb and running the aircon plus new pollen filter are most likely culprits. But if it's damp then there's a leak somewhere, most likely from a blocked drain either under the scuttle panel, or the internal drain inside the dashboard for the aircon.
You can check the scuttle panel by pouring some water through the gaps in the scuttle panel and checking it drains freely out of the drain in the bottom of the car.
I think the aircon drain tends to exit somewhere around the transmission oil pan, so getting a garage with access to ramps might be best to get that checked.

I had this with an Insignia and it took several weeks of use and a couple of aircon bombs, but it did go.

Another tip; if you can bear to drive round with the windows down and the blowers on max heat for an extended period, it might help dry out the aircon pipe system and it's the moisture that is allowing the stinky bacteria to thrive

 

[Hairy1305]

Thanks, I was thinking maybe blocked drains somewhere, which may have led to some water ingress. I'll have a good check. Last night it rain pretty hard here, and the car was dry inside, so I'll check the AC tomorrow.

I didn't see any AC switches, but then again, I haven\t really looked for them.

One quick question, and excuse it if it's a stupid question, but where is the scuttle panel drain, or scuttle panel!

Cheers

I'd say unless carpets have obviously been damp or wet, and they smell (sorry, there's only one way to tell, by getting your nose near them), then this might well be restricted to the aircon system.

As others have said, aircon bomb and running the aircon plus new pollen filter are most likely culprits. But if it's damp then there's a leak somewhere, most likely from a blocked drain either under the scuttle panel, or the internal drain inside the dashboard for the aircon.
You can check the scuttle panel by pouring some water through the gaps in the scuttle panel and checking it drains freely out of the drain in the bottom of the car.
I think the aircon drain tends to exit somewhere around the transmission oil pan, so getting a garage with access to ramps might be best to get that checked.

I had this with an Insignia and it took several weeks of use and a couple of aircon bombs, but it did go.

Another tip; if you can bear to drive round with the windows down and the blowers on max heat for an extended period, it might help dry out the aircon pipe system and it's the moisture that is allowing the stinky bacteria to thrive

 

[Hairy1305]

OK, on just going outside and checking, it's definitely not leaking, as it's bone dry inside. However, there is no A/C in the car, so I can only presume there was a leak, and that this leak was caused by a blockage, which was blown away, out, by the 180m drive home yesterday. So the carpets stink. I have ordered some carpet cleaneer in the vain hope I can save them. I am going to shampoo all of the seats too, and leave the windows open (when it stops raining) to give it a good airing. It has been stuffed in a garage for 4 months, and it was a musty old garage too. Part of the restoration was redoing the interior so I may just start now, and not put it off until October.

Thanks guys

 

[AMGeed]

One quick question, and excuse it if it's a stupid question, but where is the scuttle panel drain, or scuttle panel!

Cheers

The scuttle panel is the plastic covering under the wiper arms. The water drains are under them and often block up with accumulated dirt.

 

[Hairy1305]

The scuttle panel is the plastic covering under the wiper arms. The water drains are under them and often block up with accumulated dirt.

Ah, I assumed that and had a look, and it's this area I think may have been blocked, but has cleared out by a good run. I'll also dig them out to have a looksee in the morning.

Thanks again.

 

[MrGreedy]

On my previous posts I didn't use the clearest of terminology. When I say air con pipes, I mean the heating/blower/ventilation system in the car that blows hot or cool air into the cabin.

I can't comment on older/more classic Mercs, but on any car I've had since about mid 1990s vintage, the scuttle panel has been black plastic. To remove, you need to remove any plastic trim or caps from the base of the wiper arms, then use a puller to remove the wipers.
Then the scuttle panel can be unclipped from the bottom of the windscreen any pulled up and off the wiper arm stubs. Wash jets or piping may also be clipped to the underside of the panel.
An easy 10 minute job to remove if you have the right wiper arm puller and some trim removal tools. Then you can vac/wipe out/pipe cleaner/run through water to make sure the drain is clean.

A flexible crevice tool comes in handy for vacc'ing out.

If it's blocked, it's suggested getting a long pipe cleaning (refrigerator) brush pushed up the drain from under the car is likely the best method of unblocking, as pushing from the top might compact and compound the problem of stuck crude (usually air born dust and rotten leaves).

 

[markjay]

....drive round with the windows down and the blowers on max heat for an extended period, it might help dry out the aircon pipe system and it's the moisture that is allowing the stinky bacteria to thrive

That used to work for me on my old car much better than the AC bomb (of which I have tried quite a few). That said, on my current W204 (touch wood) there are no musty odours, so I didn't need to use anything as yet...

 

[Habil]

Somebody might have spilled a bottle in the car and not dried it properly. The carpet in my w124 smelled awful.

 

[jdrrco]

Does the car steam up when you're driving? If so, it could be a faulty seal around the windows. The rubber on a 20-30 year old car may not be as supple.

Iirc Wheeler Dealers had a quick fix for this on an Aston DB7 with frameless glass.

 

[grober]

I would start by removing all the carpets and any interior underlay sound deadening material. Pay particular attention to the condition of the sound deadening on the front bulkhead both in the interior and inside the engine compartment-can cover a multitude of sins- corroded metal. The car is 37 years old after all??

 

[MrGreedy]

I would start by removing all the carpets and any interior underlay sound deadening material. Pay particular attention to the condition of the sound deadening on the front bulkhead both in the interior and inside the engine compartment-can cover a multitude of sins- corroded metal. The car is 37 years old after all??

Oh boy, this is turning into a major job for the Op.

But grober's right. It's an old car, and a good idea to the this removal and inspection in. It will give you the answers in terms of cabin leaks, and if you're keeping the car, piece of mind.

 

[Hairy1305]

lifted ts and it all looked ok underneath them. I genuinely think it's leaked, but we've had 2 days of torrential rain, and I have deliberately left the car out in it, to see if it gets wet and it hasn't, so I am assuming the combination of it leaking before, it not being driven, the man sorning it in a damp garage and it not being moved for 3, 4 months are all contributory factors (well, I am hoping). I am off out for a heat assisted drive now, to try and blow it out of the heating system and then tomorrow, whwere it looks dryer, I am going to lift the carpets as advised (I'm actually removing them all to shampoo and dry properly).


Thanks for all the great advice. Hoping it's a rather small issue, but if it isn't, it is what it is, just more jobs to add to the list

 

[Habil]

If you can remove the carpet you can wash it with a hose. I did it and dismantled all the seats to give them a good are and wash the covers. They aren't leather.

 

[GeoffWestWales]

I bought a Nissan Terrano off a Chicken Farmer that stunk of chicken poo, had a valet done that helped but dumped 2 bottles of Zoflora onto the carpets and it smelled lovely after that, may be a quick cheap fix for you?

 

[Hairy1305]

If you can remove the carpet you can wash it with a hose. I did it and dismantled all the seats to give them a good are and wash the covers. They aren't leather.

Planning this job for October, as I'll be taking it off the road to work on the interior for a few months. However, taking carpets out tomorrow for a good clean, also using upholstery cleaner too, just to stem it all off for a few months; want to enjoy her before I start dismantling her

Thanks for all the advice, appreciated. The hot vents and a long drive worked to a degree, now it's just mustiness from the carpets and upholstery I think; a friend said it's not a problem, all old cars smell like that!

 

[MrGreedy]

Thanks for all the advice, appreciated. The hot vents and a long drive worked to a degree, now it's just mustiness from the carpets and upholstery I think; a friend said it's not a problem, all old cars smell like that!

I'm not sure about that. My Grandad's old fiesta used to smell of WD40 and Brut 33, rather than musty carpets