Mildew smell in car

[Landseer]

Hi,
My wife is original owner of a 2014 2.0 coupe, auto, silver with nav system. Has about 50k mi now.
It doesn't seem to have any obvious leaks from glass or seals or doors, but developed an odor very early on.
I rarely am invited to get into the car, but lately have had the, umm, slight misfortune to have to drive it.
Guys, is there any history or pattern of water ingress or maybe AC drain leakage documented?
And if so, any methods to fix it?
Or might this be a one-off problem?
Any advice or guidance would be appreciated! She loves this car, chose it herself for 56th birthday, abandoning her old 928 in the process. I'd like to fix it for her.
Sincerely,
Chris (in northern Maryland)

 

[EdP]

Hi,
My wife is original owner of a 2014 2.0 coupe, auto, silver with nav system. Has about 50k mi now.
It doesn't seem to have any obvious leaks from glass or seals or doors, but developed an odor very early on.
I rarely am invited to get into the car, but lately have had the, umm, slight misfortune to have to drive it.
Guys, is there any history or pattern of water ingress or maybe AC drain leakage documented?
And if so, any methods to fix it?
Or might this be a one-off problem?
Any advice or guidance would be appreciated! She loves this car, chose it herself for 56th birthday, abandoning her old 928 in the process. I'd like to fix it for her.
Sincerely,
Chris (in northern Maryland)

Moldy, musty odors are common in cars with air conditioning. Often it is the drain tube getting plugged. It is a rubber tube under the car that allows water to drain and over time they can get gunked up. There are many links on how to clean them if you do a Google search. You can also spray Lysol into the vent while the AC is running to help clean out the coil and ducts in the car.

In less than an hour you can continue to have a happy marriage. Later, over a glass of wine you can tell her how hard you worked to fix it.

 

[Landseer]

Thank you, good point, I'll look for that. Is it a known problem on these coupes or on Hyundai cars in general?
The only other time I faced this was 2000 Gran Prix and it was an actual design problem that required complete dash removal.

Just doing my research first. Has anybody else faced this mildew smell problem with the Genesis coupes? Or has any owner wrenched their way deep enough into the dash to have been able to see that AC condensate hose from inside car? I think it is AC condensate leakage, but have any of you coupe do it yourself guys ever layed-eyes on the AC system from up under the dash? Can I remove some access panel to see it from inside?

 

[surprisinguy]

You should try some of this, it works amazingly well. I buy it by the case - have dogs etc, use it in the car and other places.

Amazon.com: Arm & Hammer 3320000514CT Fabric and Carpet Foam Deodorizer, Fresh Scent, 15 oz Aerosol (Case of 8) : Health & Household

Buy Arm & Hammer 3320000514CT Fabric and Carpet Foam Deodorizer, Fresh Scent, 15 oz Aerosol (Case of 8): Household Cleaning - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[EdP]

Thank you, good point, I'll look for that. Is it a known problem on these coupes or on Hyundai cars in general?
The only other time I faced this was 2000 Gran Prix and it was an actual design problem that required complete dash removal.

Just doing my research first. Has anybody else faced this mildew smell problem with the Genesis coupes? Or has any owner wrenched their way deep enough into the dash to have been able to see that AC condensate hose from inside car?

Known problem with every brand of car. It will be easier to find that hose from under the car where it drips. Make sure it is not plugged. You can usually stick a brush in it to clear out any buildup.

Ask you oil change guy to look at it and he may know exactly what to do.

 

[Landseer]

Thanks, did that yesterday, clear.
Its so unfortunate this neat little modern sportscar is so compromised.
I mean, its barely ever been on the road in the rain, literally pampered by an old lady.
Except she chose to ignore this mildew thing and I never got inside it to notice.
Now it is so strong I can't sniff out the source. Its not a sediment or deposit-induced clogged drain hose unfortnately.

The only things I can think of is the dealership might have screwed up the AC condenser shrouding and created some leak way up under the dash when they replaced the Nav system back when the car was new. As I recall she took it back to the dealer a couple of times after that and she remembers them saying it must have been rain that entered the trunk getting grocery bags out. One of the few times driven in a downpour. They replaced the carpet in the trunk and sprayed some spray. Turns out that must have been a red herring.

Or, somehow there is a door drain or panel / liner arrangement that notoriously traps moisture within the cabin. In that case, it might be endemic, which led me here to a site where enthusiasts and DIY guys might hang out.

So now I'm looking for specifically this:

1. input from others owning or having a business repairing this same model car have seen and addressed a similar problem, meaning it is a known issue for some single digit percentage of owners and get information on how to address it, (which doesn't look like its going to happen)

or 2. enthusiast(s) of this exact model who may have dismantled or race-prepped or otherwise have a workshop manual level of knowledge on the coupe...enough to be able to speculate with me what might be possible as a failure mode inside the dash for leaking AC condensate (which i'm speculating is the source of the extremely strong odor).

I've only faced this type of issue once on 43 cars I've owned over the years. I bought a new 2000 grand prix that turned out had a manufacturing design flaw in the hookup of condensate drain hose, the top end of the hose to which Ed has wisely noted, to the evaporator coil housing. The amount of water that the AC can extract from hot summer air should never be underestimated: the pass floorboard would fill with water to the point of sloshing. Here, then, if it is AC on the Coupe causing the problem, it must be a minor crack or leak, as there isn't any visible water collecting in the cockpit.

Thats why I need to know how the thing is assembled underneath the dash. I've got to have a plan before I start doing exploratory interior surgery on this woman's car. Hero with a glass of wine is a whole lot better than pssng her off. So Ed, I've got the vision of success. Just need data.

Can anybody who has been in there give me specific info?

And thanks for the replies, including yours suprisinguy, will definitely be looking for that product once I find the source.

 

[mikec]

I don't know the details of the coupe - I have a Genesis sedan - but most cars draw outside air from the base of the windshield to feed the dash vents. That cowl area typically has a few slots for air intake; it feeds into a trough of sorts in the firewall that typically is somewhat arch-shaped: high in the center, low at the sides of the car. At each side there is a water drain hole to let water dribble down behind the front tires typically. If leaves or other debris get in there, that area fills with water and you end up with water in the ductwork. Often those ducts are thin plastic bits just snapped together; the joints may not be super-tight so water in the ducts will dribble all sorts of places underneath the dash. Even if they are tight, water will pool in the low spots/turns of the ducts.

You should be able to use a garden hose to dribble a bit of water onto the cowl area and see it draining from underneath the car. If there is no draining, or if one side drains less than the other, you may need to have that cowl piece removed. A very dilute bleach+water mixture dribbled into the cowl ducts should help kill anything in there but the stink will take a long time to go away.

One of my cars tends to accumulate mold on the a/c evaporator even though the drain is perfectly clear. The mold accumulates at the top corner. I have two of that particular style car; it's twin has never exhibited this behavior and it is not a common problem with that model either. A trick to help reduce this is to dry the evaporator when the car is about to be parked. Folks that use the a/c a lot, or the defroster since most cars today use the a/c to dry the air before running it through the heater core to re-heat it, often park the car with the a/c still ON. Thus the evaporator is ice cold when parked and will accumulate moisture/condensate on its surface. Shutting the a/c compressor OFF a mile or two before parking gives it a chance to warm up and for the airflow to dry it off.

mike c.

 

[Buford T Justice]

In the future, make sure she doesnt use the air recirculate feature very often.
That will make a car smell moldy real quick.

People often dont realize it's on and it gets left on for long periods.

 

[ninamg7]

Thanks, did that yesterday, clear.
Its so unfortunate this neat little modern sportscar is so compromised.
I mean, its barely ever been on the road in the rain, literally pampered by an old lady.
Except she chose to ignore this mildew thing and I never got inside it to notice.
Now it is so strong I can't sniff out the source. Its not a sediment or deposit-induced clogged drain hose unfortnately.

The only things I can think of is the dealership might have screwed up the AC condenser shrouding and created some leak way up under the dash when they replaced the Nav system back when the car was new. As I recall she took it back to the dealer a couple of times after that and she remembers them saying it must have been rain that entered the trunk getting grocery bags out. One of the few times driven in a downpour. They replaced the carpet in the trunk and sprayed some spray. Turns out that must have been a red herring.

Or, somehow there is a door drain or panel / liner arrangement that notoriously traps moisture within the cabin. In that case, it might be endemic, which led me here to a site where enthusiasts and DIY guys might hang out.

So now I'm looking for specifically this:

1. input from others owning or having a business repairing this same model car have seen and addressed a similar problem, meaning it is a known issue for some single digit percentage of owners and get information on how to address it, (which doesn't look like its going to happen)

or 2. enthusiast(s) of this exact model who may have dismantled or race-prepped or otherwise have a workshop manual level of knowledge on the coupe...enough to be able to speculate with me what might be possible as a failure mode inside the dash for leaking AC condensate (which i'm speculating is the source of the extremely strong odor).

I've only faced this type of issue once on 43 cars I've owned over the years. I bought a new 2000 grand prix that turned out had a manufacturing design flaw in the hookup of condensate drain hose, the top end of the hose to which Ed has wisely noted, to the evaporator coil housing. The amount of water that the AC can extract from hot summer air should never be underestimated: the pass floorboard would fill with water to the point of sloshing. Here, then, if it is AC on the Coupe causing the problem, it must be a minor crack or leak, as there isn't any visible water collecting in the cockpit.

Thats why I need to know how the thing is assembled underneath the dash. I've got to have a plan before I start doing exploratory interior surgery on this woman's car. Hero with a glass of wine is a whole lot better than pssng her off. So Ed, I've got the vision of success. Just need data.

Can anybody who has been in there give me specific info?

And thanks for the replies, including yours suprisinguy, will definitely be looking for that product once I find the source.

 

[ninamg7]

try this, YOUTUBE has many ways to clean this smell I had the same issue... also check the cabin filter ...

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[ninamg7]

try this, YOUTUBE has many ways to clean this smell I had the same issue... also check the cabin filter ...

Lysol works miracles too!!!!