i have a 2001 with 55k miles and i have this mildew like smell inside my car and it seems more prevalent when i leave the car parked inside my garage. i have pulled out the seats and completely oxi-cleaned my carpet. im wondering if the smell comes more from the seats or the soft-top just due to being old. any suggestions? i have plans of a hardtop and new seats in the future so if i find this to be the culprit, i might plan on purchasing quicker than i thought

 

Most likely related to your HVAC.

Change the cabin filter first. It gets more involved from there.

 

changed the cabin filter about 3k miles ago

 

check if theres any water marks in the trunk area underneath the carpeting

 

Agreed, water in trunk is one possible cause. more info here:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...ic=465581&st=0

 

i was dealing with the smell long before i decided to clean the carpet. i thought the carpet might have been the problem but apparently its not.

 

Pop out the cabin air filter, start the car and AC system, and spray Lysol into the system where the cabin filter should be - that may help kill any mold or mildew in the ducts. Another option might be a dehumidifier in the garage.

 

Water in the trunk is probably it. Pop out the tool tray and you'll probably see wetness.

 

i've done this method before on my previous car and it worked!

although i did it a bit differently. i put the hvac to take in outside air at full blast and sprayed lysol on the interior air cabin intake vents.

maybe do both?

 

+1 for water in trunk most common problem even more likely since we just got into rainy season