[Bluemill]

About three weeks ago I gave my truck a real good -detail like washing, waxing, and touch up painting. It had served me well in the worst winter in our neck of the woods- 110 inches!!

Now I have developed a very bad mildew smell, with no apparent leaks, good tight and functional HVAC system, and no spills, windows down with rain etc.

I think the sunroof drains may have clogged, and are backing up with stagnant water. I can see the front ones, but how do you get to the rears, short of taking the thing apart? I do have a compressor, so I was going to try putting a plastic hose on my air gun and try to blow them out.

Am I on the right track with this, or is there a common leak problem with this vehicle? I've got 87,000 miles.

Best always,

Bluemill

 

[Heli ATP]

Before you go pulling things apart check the air filter behind the glove box, and feel the carpet on the ground for wet spots after driving in the rain. The filter could be in need of change or you may have water getting in from under the RL and sitting on the floor under the carpet. Both of these issues have been discussed before and they maybe a good place to start.
Good Luck and let us know what you find.

 

[Bluemill]

I dropped the glove compartment door last evening. I had been there before because I had a loose right airbag module that was rattling around.

There was no smell in there that I could discern or locate from coming from that area. I pulled the cabin filter anyway, as a service job, shook it and vacuumed it before putting it back. There was a lot of tree and grass matter in there, which wasn't a surprise as the truck is not garaged and I'm living in a deciduous jungle.

I feel no wet rugs, but it is hard to really pin point where the strong mildew smell is coming from. It's as bad as my son's Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, which is a bad leaker.

I'm thinking a lot of that vegetation stuff got into the sun roof, and has blocked the drains. A car repair guy I talked with disputed that theory- saying that the smell would be contained in the plastic tubes.

My truck is a 2007, with all the foam insulation in the fenders. I'm also told that the drains go into the fenders, for the A pillar hoses, and the B pillar drains go down the rear door frames.

Best,
Bluemill

 

[Bluemill]

One more wrinkle I forgot about that may have something to do with it: The truck had the windshield replaced in the late winter- maybe it is leaking there?

I do not see anything though.