Help! The inside of my car stinks....sometimes

[seekinhighhp]

The scent that I'm speaking if smell like a gutter or a stale water scent. Its strange and kind of embarrassing, especially if I have a young lady in the car with me. I don't want her to think I have gas or something. Tge smell just come out of nowhere. Has anyone else experience this?

[01bonneSC]

Is it a sulfer smell? Cat needs replacing.

Does it smell moldy? Feel around your passenger floor boards. You could have a water issue.

Or it could be mold in the HVAC system.

[bc21]

Sounds like it is either the cabin filter or the sunroof water issue that everyone seems to experience. My cabin filter always seemed to stink so I just removed and never but one back in. I also had the water issue from the sunroof drain hose. It cause a lot of water to sit on the back floor and the carpets would stink. Before I learned of the fix i pulled back the carpet and drilled about 3 small holes in the floor so that the water would drain out. (make sure to spray rustoleum on the holes if you choose to do this)

[seekinhighhp]

I check the floors awhile back. During the winter months after a huge snow fall and melting snow would cause a few floods inside on the back floor. This summer, I haven't noticed any water on the floor so I know it's not a mildew scent. The cabin filter, I just checked that out and it's dirty! I'm going to toss it. Is it cool to ride around without replacing it?

[Archon]

GM has a TSB and product for odor removal. You can run without the cabin filter. GM removed it in later years. I prefer to replace it occasionally.

INFORMATION

Bulletin No.: 00-00-89-027F

Date: October 18, 2011

Subject: Eliminating Unwanted Odors in Vehicles
Models:
2012 and Prior GM Passenger Cars and Trucks

Attention:
Please direct this bulletin to the PARTS, USED CAR, BODY SHOP and SERVICE Managers.

Supercede:
This bulletin is being revised to add model years and parts information. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 00-00-89-027E (Section 00 - General Information).

Vehicle Odor Elimination

General Motors offers a product that may control or eliminate odors in the interior and luggage compartment areas of GM vehicles. GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator is a non-toxic, biodegradable odor remover. This odorless product has been shown to greatly reduce or remove objectionable smells of mold and mildew resulting from vehicle water leaks (as well as customer created odors, i.e. smoke). You may use GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator on fabrics, vinyl, leather, carpet and sound deadening materials. It may also be induced into HVAC modules and instrument panel ducts (for the control of non-bacterial related odors).
Important
This product leaves no residual scent and should not be sold as or considered an air freshener. Product action may result in the permanent elimination of an odor and may be preferable to customers with allergies who are sensitive to perfumes.

How to Use This Product

GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator may be sprayed on in a ready-to-use formula or used in steam cleaners as an additive with carpet shampoo. This water-based, odorless product is safe for all vehicle interiors. Do not wet or soak any interior surface that plain water would cause to deteriorate, as this product will have the same effect. Also avoid letting this product come into contact with vinegar or any acidic substance. Acid-based products will hamper the effectiveness of, or render GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator inert.

Instructions and cautions are printed on the bottle, but additional help is available. If you encounter a difficult to eliminate or reoccurring odor, you may call 1-800-955-8591 (in Canada, 1-800-977-4145) to obtain additional information and usage suggestions.
Important
This product may effectively remove odors when directly contacting the odor source. It should be used in conjunction with diagnostic procedures (in cases such as a water leak) to first eliminate the root cause of the odor, and then the residual odor to permanently correct the vehicle condition.

Vehicle Waterleak Odor Elimination

STEP ONE:

Confirm that all water leaks have been repaired. Determine what areas of the vehicle were water soaked or wet. Components with visible mold/mildew staining should be replaced. Isolate the odor source inside the vehicle. Often an odor can be isolated to an area or component of the vehicle interior by careful evaluation. Odor evaluation may need to be performed by multiple persons. Another method of isolating an odor source is to remove and segregate interior trim and components. Plastic sheeting or drop cloths can be used to confine seats, headliners, etc. to assist in evaluation and diagnoses. If appropriate the vehicle and interior trim should be evaluated separately to determine if the odor stays with the vehicle or the interior components. Odors that stay with the vehicle may be isolated to insulating and sound deadening materials (i.e. water leak at the windshield or standing water in the front foot well area caused mold/mildew to form on the bulkhead or kick panel sound deadening pads. If the interior is removed the floor pan and primed/painted surfaces should be treated with bleach/soap solution, rinsed with clean water and dried. Interior surfaces should then be treated with GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator product before reinstalling carpet or reassembling.

The GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator product is an effective odor elimination product when used properly. It must come into direct contact with the odor source. It should be used in conjunction with diagnostic procedures to first eliminate the root cause of the odor. Some procedures for use after odor root cause correction are:

STEP TWO:
- Use the trigger spray head.

- Put a drop of dish soap the size of a quarter in the bottom of a bottle.

- Add 8 oz. of GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator (1 cup) to the dish soap and top off the bottle with tap water.

- This formula should be used on hard surfaces (dash, interior plastic molding, and floor pan)

STEP THREE:

The third step to neutralizing the vehicle is a light to medium treatment of all carpeting and upholstered seats with the GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator formula and a wide fan spray setting (at full strength) (i.e.: carpeting on the driver's side requires 4-5 triggers pulls for coverage). The headliner and trunk should be sprayed next. Lightly brushing the formula into the carpeting and upholstery is a recommended step for deep odor problems. The dash and all hard surfaces should be sprayed with dish soap/water mixture. Let stand for 1-2 minutes then wipe off the surface.

STEP FOUR: (vehicle ventilation system treatment)

The ventilation system is generally the last step in the treatment of the vehicle.
- a. Spray the GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator formula into all dash vents. (1-2 trigger pulls per vent).

- b. Start the vehicle and turn the vehicle fan on high cool (not A/C setting).

- c. Spray the formula (10 trigger pulls) into the outside fresh air intake vent (cowl at base of windshield)

- d. Enter the vehicle after 1 minute and wipe off the excess formula spurting out of the dash vents.

- e. Smell the air coming from the dash vents. If odors are still present, spray another 5 triggers into the cowl, wait another minute and smell the results. Once you have obtained a fresh, clean smell coming from the vents, turn the system to the A/C re-circulation setting. Roll up the windows, spray 3-5 pumps into the right lower IP area and let the vehicle run with the fan set on high for 5-7 minutes.

[Arrowhead]

My 2000 SLE is plagued by water leaks and now smells bad also. I just bought a spray bottle of Febreeze that's made for cars in the auto air freshener section at Walmart. The Febreeze smells a LOT better than those other dangling or stick-on fresheners, IMO.

[01bonneSC]

GM has a TSB and product for odor removal. You can run without the cabin filter. GM removed it in later years. I prefer to replace it occasionally.

INFORMATION

Bulletin No.: 00-00-89-027F

Date: October 18, 2011

Subject: Eliminating Unwanted Odors in Vehicles
Models:
2012 and Prior GM Passenger Cars and Trucks

Attention:
Please direct this bulletin to the PARTS, USED CAR, BODY SHOP and SERVICE Managers.

Supercede:
This bulletin is being revised to add model years and parts information. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 00-00-89-027E (Section 00 - General Information).

Vehicle Odor Elimination

General Motors offers a product that may control or eliminate odors in the interior and luggage compartment areas of GM vehicles. GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator is a non-toxic, biodegradable odor remover. This odorless product has been shown to greatly reduce or remove objectionable smells of mold and mildew resulting from vehicle water leaks (as well as customer created odors, i.e. smoke). You may use GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator on fabrics, vinyl, leather, carpet and sound deadening materials. It may also be induced into HVAC modules and instrument panel ducts (for the control of non-bacterial related odors).
Important
This product leaves no residual scent and should not be sold as or considered an air freshener. Product action may result in the permanent elimination of an odor and may be preferable to customers with allergies who are sensitive to perfumes.

How to Use This Product

GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator may be sprayed on in a ready-to-use formula or used in steam cleaners as an additive with carpet shampoo. This water-based, odorless product is safe for all vehicle interiors. Do not wet or soak any interior surface that plain water would cause to deteriorate, as this product will have the same effect. Also avoid letting this product come into contact with vinegar or any acidic substance. Acid-based products will hamper the effectiveness of, or render GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator inert.

Instructions and cautions are printed on the bottle, but additional help is available. If you encounter a difficult to eliminate or reoccurring odor, you may call 1-800-955-8591 (in Canada, 1-800-977-4145) to obtain additional information and usage suggestions.
Important
This product may effectively remove odors when directly contacting the odor source. It should be used in conjunction with diagnostic procedures (in cases such as a water leak) to first eliminate the root cause of the odor, and then the residual odor to permanently correct the vehicle condition.

Vehicle Waterleak Odor Elimination

STEP ONE:

Confirm that all water leaks have been repaired. Determine what areas of the vehicle were water soaked or wet. Components with visible mold/mildew staining should be replaced. Isolate the odor source inside the vehicle. Often an odor can be isolated to an area or component of the vehicle interior by careful evaluation. Odor evaluation may need to be performed by multiple persons. Another method of isolating an odor source is to remove and segregate interior trim and components. Plastic sheeting or drop cloths can be used to confine seats, headliners, etc. to assist in evaluation and diagnoses. If appropriate the vehicle and interior trim should be evaluated separately to determine if the odor stays with the vehicle or the interior components. Odors that stay with the vehicle may be isolated to insulating and sound deadening materials (i.e. water leak at the windshield or standing water in the front foot well area caused mold/mildew to form on the bulkhead or kick panel sound deadening pads. If the interior is removed the floor pan and primed/painted surfaces should be treated with bleach/soap solution, rinsed with clean water and dried. Interior surfaces should then be treated with GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator product before reinstalling carpet or reassembling.

The GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator product is an effective odor elimination product when used properly. It must come into direct contact with the odor source. It should be used in conjunction with diagnostic procedures to first eliminate the root cause of the odor. Some procedures for use after odor root cause correction are:

STEP TWO:
- Use the trigger spray head.

- Put a drop of dish soap the size of a quarter in the bottom of a bottle.

- Add 8 oz. of GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator (1 cup) to the dish soap and top off the bottle with tap water.

- This formula should be used on hard surfaces (dash, interior plastic molding, and floor pan)

STEP THREE:

The third step to neutralizing the vehicle is a light to medium treatment of all carpeting and upholstered seats with the GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator formula and a wide fan spray setting (at full strength) (i.e.: carpeting on the driver's side requires 4-5 triggers pulls for coverage). The headliner and trunk should be sprayed next. Lightly brushing the formula into the carpeting and upholstery is a recommended step for deep odor problems. The dash and all hard surfaces should be sprayed with dish soap/water mixture. Let stand for 1-2 minutes then wipe off the surface.

STEP FOUR: (vehicle ventilation system treatment)

The ventilation system is generally the last step in the treatment of the vehicle.
- a. Spray the GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator formula into all dash vents. (1-2 trigger pulls per vent).

- b. Start the vehicle and turn the vehicle fan on high cool (not A/C setting).

- c. Spray the formula (10 trigger pulls) into the outside fresh air intake vent (cowl at base of windshield)

- d. Enter the vehicle after 1 minute and wipe off the excess formula spurting out of the dash vents.

- e. Smell the air coming from the dash vents. If odors are still present, spray another 5 triggers into the cowl, wait another minute and smell the results. Once you have obtained a fresh, clean smell coming from the vents, turn the system to the A/C re-circulation setting. Roll up the windows, spray 3-5 pumps into the right lower IP area and let the vehicle run with the fan set on high for 5-7 minutes.

Did this countless times at the Ford dealership. Even went as far as opening the heater box and cleaning the heater core.

[Archon]

There is a separate TSB regarding odors from the evaporator coil.

[swampthing]

Pull your carpet up, i am betting water draining under the carpet.

[DrOlds88]

My Aurora had this problem from water leaks. The sunroof drains came apart and water would leak onto the carpet on the driver's side...you wouldn't know unless you picked up the floor mats. It also leaked into the spare tire well which made the trunk smell pretty bad.

[carl]

If it smells like a moldy wet rag when the air flows through the ducts and you are running your ac during high humidity, I'd bet on the evap coil too. I had this same issue before in another vehicle. The TSB fix for that car was to turn off the ac and run the fan on high 10 minutes before shutting the car off...then when you turn the ac on the next time or the next day the smell will not be there.

I guess its suppose to help dry the excess condensation(from where I dunno??) I know it sounds hoaky but thats a Ford bandaid for the summer months with ac,, and it did work. If nothing else you can isolate it as the problem this way. I dont know what the GM TSB says for this issue.

If the smell is always there even with no humidity/ac,,then something else is brewing.