My car has been away having some repairs done, and it has returned smelling very musty, which has now got worse . I used It for two days this week in heavy rain, and left it outside for a few nights. It has never seen much wet weather action since I have owned it, and it has always been kept under a car port in the last 9 months, (up until a fortnight ago).
The carpets are dry, and the hood drains are flowing freely. The soft top is cold and feels damp to touch internally. Could it be that as it has probably been left outside during the repair period, and this weeks rain has permeated into the fabric layers, and if so, does the soft top require treating to make it 100% waterproof?
One possibility is simply condensation. I put a condensation trap (same as you use in caravans etc, available on internet for about £5)in both my Mk3 and my wife’s Eunos. Never had any trouble since (except when you forget to empty them :)). The Mk3 collects more moisture than the Eunos. Clean the inside hood when you do this and wipe it well dry after.
Thanks to both of you for your help. It smells like a wet dog when I open the door. I am leaving it under the carport for the rest of the week, with the passenger window slightly open, in order to vent the cabin. I have parked it as close as I can to the wall for security.
Hopefully, this may do the trick. It is probably not too surprising given the weather to have an issue with a fabric hood.
I had this problem last year. I had a mould growing on the inside of the hood, which I couldn’t locate easily until it became visually obvious.
Try wiping round the inside of the hood with Dettol antibacterial surface cleaner. Make sure you get in around the back window where the fabric is doubled up, the mould grows between the flaps and gives that ‘wet dog’ smell. Once it’s clean and clear, those dehumidifiers (I use a kilrock one) should help keep it dry and prevent a reoccurrence. I just checked mine after a month left alone, apart from a flat battery, no mould and no smell.
Thanks to all. I have already picked up the dehumidifier, (and an array of fresheners). I will set to work at the weekend. I may try to lift the carpets for a closer look. Here’s hoping.
Back in my days as a mechanic a customer reported a similar described smell. It was in a 216 convertible which had spent a couple of months outdoors. A chewed through heater vent pipe led to a mouse’s nest in the heater matrix…mystery how the little chap got in the cabin to start with. Never did find the little blighter!
We know our hood needs re-waterproofing and the inside feels damp to the touch. There is also a slight leak above the drivers door somewhere. Given the wet and cold weather at the moment the inside of the car always feels damp when we get in so I have just bought an Air Dry Car Dehumidifier from Halfords for £10. Apparently it will remove up to 0.6L of water before needing to be regenerated on a radiator. I will let you know how we get on.
Purchased the same thing myself today. I will post my results next week. (If I have any). I have left mine on the shelf at the rear. It is likely to be a winter fixture. What I I want to know is, would a relatively new Five suffer the same smelly fate.
Well the initial signs are good. I only put it in the car at 9pm last night. When I went out at 7am this morning all the car windows were completely clear inside despite them being misted up last night and it being another cold (but not freezing) night. Fingers crossed.
Similar results here. Placed the unit on the (so called) parcel shelf at 7 30 pm, sprayed some of Halfords best smelly around. I paid her a visit tonight in the carport, opened the door, and the dreadful aroma of the Demon dampness, has diminished dramatically. I just hope it has gone by the weekend, and I will certainly rejoice if it has.
A new age hippy friend of mine told me how to rid the damp and musty smell from mine
Get a plastic tub about 20 cm by 10 and about 5 cm deep half fill with any cheap table or rock salt and quarter fill baking soda
salt will dry out the damp and the soda kills the smell and trust me it works mine is bone dry inside now
Just remember to take it out before u go for a drive lol
Not sure if the car in question has a pollen filter, but if so it’s always worth checking this if you have misting and/or smell problems. My other car (Mondeo estate) was misting up badly on the screen and smelt like mouldy leaves inside. The pollen filter wasn’t due for replacement but I checked it anyway, and found a sodden mass of smelly cardboard. One new pollen filter later, no more misting and the car smelt sweet again. Worth checking if you’ve got one.
i can report that after two days, the £10 Halfords granules seems to have done the trick. The car does not smell at all now. The proof will no doubt be if it occurs again after its next good soaking. My fingers are crossed.
As an occasional hay-fever sufferer I now always make sure our daily drive cars have a clean pollen filter. However I’ve noticed that on several makes it is no longer replaced on dealer services and has dropped off the manufacturer’s recommended list of service items. On our old Vectra the pollen filter once got so blocked that the temperature fuse on the fan-speed resistor blew. This is really daft when on most cars it is a five minute job to change the filter. On one occasion I changed it on the forecourt of the Vauxhall dealer after a service when I had asked for to be done and they charged me but had not changed it! That dealer went out of business a few years ago.
I’ve not yet found a pollen filter on the MX5, not much point if the top is down… but I’d be interested to know if there is one.
If anybody wants to save the tenner Halfords charge for the bag of crystals, in my experience a bowl of uncooked rice works in the same way and just as well.
I’m afraid I don’t know if Basmati is more effective than Arborio but Tesco Basic Long Grain is cheap as chips (chilli?) and really does work.