SOURCE FOUND>MUST READ Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
10-04-2006, 02:38 PM
#21
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 706
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
I would replace the cabin air filter just for the h*ll of it..
maybe roll the windows down and let it "air out " ..
also what happens if you turn the heater on..??? get any smell them..??
LMK and good luck
Rex
maybe roll the windows down and let it "air out " ..
also what happens if you turn the heater on..??? get any smell them..??
LMK and good luck
Rex
10-04-2006, 02:43 PM
#22
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,126
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
Go to a car show in your area and see if there is one about the same age as yours. Stick your in the window and see if they have that same smell. Usually cars that have that problem in the past were bought back from the company and the customer was given a new one. It's called the lemon law. If they can't fix the problem, they have to buy back the car and give you another one.
10-04-2006, 02:49 PM
#23
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 749
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
"sweating". that is classic!
But, there may be a note of truth here, but not this time of year. If you keep your car in an air conditioned garage, then take it outside in 100 degree weather with 95% humidity, you WILL get condensation all over the place as the hot humid air condenses on the cold surfaces. You also can get this in your ac ducts when you turn the ac or car off in the hot weather...but the ducts SHOULD be designed to handle that. That is why the cabin air filter is suspect here......
Try some Febreze.....maybe a good old fashioned pine tree....see if the winter lets everything dry out and air out......but if there is a real problem it will not go away.......
But, there may be a note of truth here, but not this time of year. If you keep your car in an air conditioned garage, then take it outside in 100 degree weather with 95% humidity, you WILL get condensation all over the place as the hot humid air condenses on the cold surfaces. You also can get this in your ac ducts when you turn the ac or car off in the hot weather...but the ducts SHOULD be designed to handle that. That is why the cabin air filter is suspect here......
Try some Febreze.....maybe a good old fashioned pine tree....see if the winter lets everything dry out and air out......but if there is a real problem it will not go away.......
10-04-2006, 02:52 PM
#24
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
ORIGINAL: 05BlueGT
Go to a car show in your area and see if there is one about the same age as yours. Stick your in the window and see if they have that same smell. Usually cars that have that problem in the past were bought back from the company and the customer was given a new one. It's called the lemon law. If they can't fix the problem, they have to buy back the car and give you another one.
Go to a car show in your area and see if there is one about the same age as yours. Stick your in the window and see if they have that same smell. Usually cars that have that problem in the past were bought back from the company and the customer was given a new one. It's called the lemon law. If they can't fix the problem, they have to buy back the car and give you another one.
First it has to proven it was the fault of the car maker, (which that hasn't been proven yet since the dealer can't find the problem and it's not a mechanical defect) Not to mention whats to say he didn't take a hose to the interior and do it himself. I know he did't do that but I'm making an example.
2nd, they have to have made reasonable attempts to fix the problem (3 or 4 tries) or 30 days in service within the first year of ownership.
3rd, then you go into arbitration for a decision
Finally if all of that goes in your favor, then you get a new car.
The process can take months.
10-04-2006, 07:02 PM
#25
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 851
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
I'm about ready to post an update to the other "brake light" thread, but...can people please please try to do the following, if possible, especially after washing the car, or driving/sitting in the rain.
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On the passenger-side, there is a square door just to the front of the car door, a few inches up from the floor carpetting. Pull of the door, and you will see a black box, and some wiring/conduits. Reach inside this cavity, and down until you find the carpetting ends. Reach UNDER the carpetting, and you will find the spongey stuff that's laid out under the carpetting. Follow this spongey material (and the metal frame) down to where the frame levels out on the floor.
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When I do this, the sponge at the end of my fingers is pretty saturated, even a day or two after a rain storm. I have been to 2 different dealers with no good fixes. I am very interested to see how many other people have this problem, and just don't know it. I've found that this stuff can be wet, even if the carpetting doesn't appear wet.
I would be very surprised if this WASN'T happening to your car, rasguedo.
---------
On the passenger-side, there is a square door just to the front of the car door, a few inches up from the floor carpetting. Pull of the door, and you will see a black box, and some wiring/conduits. Reach inside this cavity, and down until you find the carpetting ends. Reach UNDER the carpetting, and you will find the spongey stuff that's laid out under the carpetting. Follow this spongey material (and the metal frame) down to where the frame levels out on the floor.
---------
When I do this, the sponge at the end of my fingers is pretty saturated, even a day or two after a rain storm. I have been to 2 different dealers with no good fixes. I am very interested to see how many other people have this problem, and just don't know it. I've found that this stuff can be wet, even if the carpetting doesn't appear wet.
I would be very surprised if this WASN'T happening to your car, rasguedo.
10-05-2006, 02:45 AM
#26
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 42
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
Thanks again for everyones reply's. Hypro I will have to do that to my car when it rains or after I wash it. If it is wet that has to be the problem. Derf, the service department said that even if the carpet got wet and dried but still had an odor there would be a distinct smell from at least one part. This i beleive if mold is growing it had to come from a source, even if the source dried out the mold would grow in a pattern from that source. We couldnt find a distinct source on the carpet that could be smelled. This is interesting though if like Hypro said the car is wet behind the panel it would be hard to tell the source. Ford took out the cabin filter and said that it was pretty clean and had no odor to it they also claimed they checked the A/C. I put a call into FORD and they are going to call me back. Im not even sure if the Lemon Law accounts for smells, if we cant find a problem how would I even investigate? One thing I have on my side is that my Dealer said the car's interior is "immaculate" and that they would have been able to tell If I screwed it up or had contributed to major water damage. Warranty expires in January 07 so I better figure this out!
-The worst thing is I think the smell is making my nose itch now. Everytime I get into the car my nose feels funny.
-The worst thing is I think the smell is making my nose itch now. Everytime I get into the car my nose feels funny.
10-07-2006, 02:41 PM
#27
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 42
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
How far into the compartment did you have to go to feel the padding wet? I cant seem to stick my hand more than a few inches under the padding and nothing feels wet to me. I thought this might be the problem, oh well..
10-07-2006, 03:33 PM
#28
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 749
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
January '07? Your mileage running high and very consistent? or...did you somehow buy a pre-production prototype in January '04?
3yrs/36K.....
3yrs/36K.....
ORIGINAL: rasguedo
Thanks again for everyones reply's. Hypro I will have to do that to my car when it rains or after I wash it. If it is wet that has to be the problem. Derf, the service department said that even if the carpet got wet and dried but still had an odor there would be a distinct smell from at least one part. This i beleive if mold is growing it had to come from a source, even if the source dried out the mold would grow in a pattern from that source. We couldnt find a distinct source on the carpet that could be smelled. This is interesting though if like Hypro said the car is wet behind the panel it would be hard to tell the source. Ford took out the cabin filter and said that it was pretty clean and had no odor to it they also claimed they checked the A/C. I put a call into FORD and they are going to call me back. Im not even sure if the Lemon Law accounts for smells, if we cant find a problem how would I even investigate? One thing I have on my side is that my Dealer said the car's interior is "immaculate" and that they would have been able to tell If I screwed it up or had contributed to major water damage. Warranty expires in January 07 so I better figure this out!
-The worst thing is I think the smell is making my nose itch now. Everytime I get into the car my nose feels funny.
Thanks again for everyones reply's. Hypro I will have to do that to my car when it rains or after I wash it. If it is wet that has to be the problem. Derf, the service department said that even if the carpet got wet and dried but still had an odor there would be a distinct smell from at least one part. This i beleive if mold is growing it had to come from a source, even if the source dried out the mold would grow in a pattern from that source. We couldnt find a distinct source on the carpet that could be smelled. This is interesting though if like Hypro said the car is wet behind the panel it would be hard to tell the source. Ford took out the cabin filter and said that it was pretty clean and had no odor to it they also claimed they checked the A/C. I put a call into FORD and they are going to call me back. Im not even sure if the Lemon Law accounts for smells, if we cant find a problem how would I even investigate? One thing I have on my side is that my Dealer said the car's interior is "immaculate" and that they would have been able to tell If I screwed it up or had contributed to major water damage. Warranty expires in January 07 so I better figure this out!
-The worst thing is I think the smell is making my nose itch now. Everytime I get into the car my nose feels funny.
10-07-2006, 04:26 PM
#29
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 42
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
Maybe I mispoke. I bought the car as soon as It came out at the end of 04. I figured the warranty would expire after 3 years and thus at the beginning of 07 i forgot it is month specific. So thus I should have warranty until the end of 07 especially since I only have about 9 1/2 thousand miles on it. Thanks for pointing that out im sitting here worrying about my warranty expiring and i still have a little while on it!
10-07-2006, 04:35 PM
#30
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 42
RE: Musty Smell??? Can it be from the Doors?
HYPRO first I must thank you!!! I couldnt check on the passenger side door because I couldnt get my hand in the compartment. So i thought I would check the left side. I pulled the carpet back i had to bend it under the clutch. I ran my hand under the padding right to where the incline on the floorboard meets the flat portion and low and behold . A SOAKING WET padding. It seems like it has the exact same problem as yours. I couldnt check the right side but I suspect that this side is also leaking. Somehow water is getting in to this part of our cars. Everyone... You should go and check yours also. My car is an 05 and as mentioned above has less than 10,000 miles on it. It rained the last day and a half. I still cant believe how wet the padding was. The weird thing is that i guess since the padding is so thick it doesnt bleed through to the actual carpet. So the carpet feels dry. I knew the musty smell had to be coming from somewhere where there was standing water. Hypro did you call Ford? Ford told me they hav eheard of no problems with water in the car. Ill be back to my dealership on Mon.