josh1107

hey, i let the camaro (with t-tops) sit for about 3-4 weeks without being aired out. i opened up the door and was overwhelmed by a mildew smell. i had the windshield replaced right before i left, but other than that, ive never had any problems. maybe it didnt seal right? i have personnely smelled every inch of cloth in the car and cant find any trace of mildew smell, yet the car continues to smell. i have used the carpet cleaners, the baking powder, and i just used a can of ionizer. just wondering if anyone else has had this problem or anyone have a solution?

thanks
josh

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Never had that issue, but my guess is that the smell must be due to water/mositure intrusion somewhere.

My Camaro sits a lot. I like to keep the interior smelling new, so what I use is a product called Damp-Rid. It comes in a plastic tub that fits perfectly in the center console cup holder of a 4th gen. I buy it at Home Depot. It absorbes moisture in the cabin and traps it. It actually shocks me just how much water it pulls from the air, works great and always smells fresh inside.

You only need to buy the whole tub once, after that you can get refills.

josh1107

alright, ill give it a try

WetChicken

iTrader: (1)

Well, if you just had the windshield replaced (and there are no other obvious factors), I would start by going to the glass shop first. If they didn't seal it properly that thing will leak, and never dry if it gets into the insulation in the carpet.
They might be buying you new carpeting.

If they start to deny and argue don't back down, but be sure to argue respectfully and don't raise your voice, you have the upper hand right now. If they still don't agree to work with you, pay for a second opinion from another glass shop, You might even want to look for some forums (here or otherwise) that are windshield specific.

josh1107

sounds like a plan, the windshield is the only thing i can imagine would leak, ive never had any problems with the doors or t-tops.

thanks
josh

WetChicken

iTrader: (1)

There ya go.

As I said, argue respectfully and in a normal tone of voice, like a lawyer in court. =]

josh1107

glass doctor is coming to look at it tomorrow, really nice company, hopefully they find the leak.

thanks for the help
josh

bigman

iTrader: (1)

mine has a smell also after it sits in the rain, it drives me nuts.

josh1107

i have been airing mine out i nthe garage for the past week, and no cleaning product has been able to get it out, im going to try that damp-rid stuff, hopefully it works!

WetChicken

iTrader: (1)

Nice! I hope they can fix the leak and are willing to replace the damaged portion of your car. Keep us posted.

Jason

777

iTrader: (21)

Make sure your windows are rolled up 100%. My passenger window motor is weak so when I roll it up it looks like it's rolled up however it's about 1/2" from the top. So I have to open the door and roll it up.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

For the Damp-Rid to work, the car needs to be closed up. Otherwise, it won’t be able to pull the moisture out of the interior.

However, keep in mind that Damp-Rid was not designed to remove odors from water damaged fabric. It’s more for preventative maintenance; to keep moisture from causing this odor in the first place in areas that are enclosed or prone to dampness. If you already have a serious odor, I doubt this stuff will help you any in the short term. Of course it's worth a try though as the stuff is pretty cheap. But I'd expect that you will need to find the damaged portion of your interior and clean or replace it.

But going into the future, if your car stays closed up for long periods of time, the Damp-Rid will keep it smelling fresh.

josh1107

i looked for the damp-rid at home depot, couldnt find it, hopefully glass doctor will fix it tomorrow, then i'll go from there

josh1107

glass doctor couldnt find a leak in the windshield, still looking for leak....

josh1107

i used an oust on-off air freshner, and a can of lysol professional strength midlew remover can, smells strongly of air freshenerm but not mildew, hopefully it'll stay away!

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I would still suggest putting some Damp-Rid in there, just to suck out any moisture that might be left.

The Home Depot usually keeps that stuff either in the paint section or the adhesive/caulking section. Every Home Depot I've been to has it, so it's there somewhere.

30thanniv

iTrader: (2)

Spray lysol in the slotted plastic piece in between the hood and the base of the windshield. The piece where the wipers sit.
Douse it with lysol. Spray inside the slots/grooves in it. It may take a few applications. I guarantee that you will get the smell out.

josh1107

thats what ive been doing, that pro strenth lysol works great, still have to get that damp-rid though, thanks for all your guys help!!

WetChicken

iTrader: (1)

Were you there for the whole test? I don't know the history of this shop, but some might tell you there was no problem even if there was one.

LS1Aggie09

iTrader: (25)

there was actually a service bulletin about the A/C system causing a moldy/mildew smell if let sit for a while in humid climates...i can try and find the info if you pm me