When I get into my car after a rainstorm I am flooded with a musty aroma. I have checked my car for leaks, and I cannot locate any. I have looked in the trunk as well, and I have yet to find damp spots. I know it smells like something wet that is slowly drying. (I'm sure you know the smell I am speaking of).

I have a sensitive nose, but others have commented on it as well. Does anyone else have this smell? Are there leaky locations that I'm missing?

Thanks

 

I know exactly what you're talking about. I noticed it just the other day after it rained. I've also noticed in other cars before too. Not real sure what causes it though.

 

The musty smell is from the Vinyl top. Especially if it's after a rainstorm and then direct sunlight........tends to smell for awhile.

 

I've never noticed it on mine.

 

One word...Vynilex. Soak it into your top, you wont have to worry about water for months.

 

yo its not the top, tell me if i'm wrong but i noticed it too, one day i just started searching so with my driver window down i took a good wiff of the inside of the door where the window rolls down. kinda hard to explain. the slot between the two rubber things that are at the base of the window when its rolled up. try that i'm almost 100% sure you'll find its coming from there. i was always worried it was my carpet or something. I'm guessing water gets in there and can't get out.....prolly nothing we can do about it............let me know, peace

 

i have the smell to but mine if coming from the ac. after a while withthe ac on it goes away but the next time i drive it smells again

 

also if you bought the car used then chances are they shampooed the carpet before it was sold.

the matting underneath the carpet will stay wet for a VERY long time(months maybe years) and it will mildew badly.

when i bought my car it smelled horrible and when i went to install my amp the matting underneath the carpet was soaked and smelled terrible. once i took it all out and let it dry completely it was fine.


also about the door. they are made with an opening in the bottom like all cars because you cant keep water out of your doors. its possible something is clogging up the openenin in yours so open it up and check it out.

 

i dont know if you already did or this is some of the smell but have you changed your cabin filter lately?

 

One other thing to consider - if you run your AC (or defroster) right up until you shut off the car the AC coils will still be damp from the water that has condensed on the cold coils. This damp, dark environment can cause smelly stuff go grow on the coils - mildew comes to mind. There are products out there that you can spray in there designed for AC to get rid of the smell.

However, to prevent the creation of a damp environment for stuff to grow in the air conditioner, just shut the AC (or defroster) off a couple minutes before you reach your destination. Continue to run the fan in a vent control setting that doesn't run the AC compressor until you get to where you are going. The air running over the coils will dry them and should prevent your AC from stinking. It only takes a couple of minutes for the ventilation fan to dry the coils. Even during the summer, the coils will stay cool for a couple minutes without the AC on so you shouldn't bake.

I learned this a while back and haven't had a stinky AC since. My VW Jetta always had a stinky AC until I started doing this.