Car ventilation musty smell (1 Viewer)

[Citizen87645]

I see there are sprays to use to elminate the musty odor from ventilation but how well do they work? Any recommendations?

 

[Bob Graz]

Don't know about sprays, but if you have a cabin air filter, it may need replacement.

 

[Jimi C]

If your car has a cabin filter (if its a newer model it probably does) I would suggest changing it.

 

[Citizen87645]

Thanks. I had to do a Google search to find the info. Of course the manufacturer skimped on including an actual filter.

 

[Jimi C]

What kind of car is it?

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

Most of the time, you can use a furnace filter cut to shape in lieu of spending a ridiculous amount of money on a manufacturer's air cabin filter. That's what I do.

 

[DonnyD]

I had this "smell" occur a couple of times and found the best fix to be making sure you leave the ac dial on a "ventilation" setting while parked. Leaving the dial on any setting that does not allow ventilation while parked allows the musty smell to build due to moisture left in the system ducts .......

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

^ just like he said. The moisture contributes to fungus growth.

 

[Yee-Ming]

I was just told the same thing. Once in a while, disable "recirculate" to allow the car's airconditioning to intake fresh air from outside, presumably when you're not stuck in a traffic jam, and preferably when it's relatively cool outside anyway.

The funny thing was my new(ish) car has developed that nasty musty smell in the 10 months I've had it, whereas my previous car never really developed it even in the nearly 5 years I had it.

 

[Citizen87645]

2003 Ford Focus. Bought a filter for it today. I've had musty moments since I owned but it usually clears out. This last time was especially bad though, I think because I hadn't driven it much and the weather has been nice enough to just go with the windows rolled down. The filter should be good for my allergies.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

there is a product called "frigi-fresh" that can help get rid of the musty odor. You run the AC in the "fresh" positon, not recirculate, and spray it into the grillework at the base of the windshield. If the car has no "fresh-recirc" control use "AC" instead of "Max AC".

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

We let our car sit for a few days and a mouse took up residence in the vents. For the rest of the life of the car, it smelled like mouse piss every time you turned on the vents. Absolutely nothing worked, including pulling out the vents and hand-cleaning with Orange Clean.

 

[JamesED]

I also have a 2003 Focus. I immediately purchased a cabin filter after I got the car. I don't see why the American model saves a few dollars by skimping on a filter. There is a piece of plastic inserted to fill up the spot instead.

 

[Citizen87645]

I didn't even know they had skimped on a filter until I looked into it. Now that I know that, the level of dust in my car makes more sense. That plastic thing is a joke, though I'm trying to find another use for it.