Musty smell inside 4runner
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BlackWorksInc
New member
Uhmmm I hate to ask, but was this any chance located near Sandy? I have heard that a lot of post Sandy Used Cars are popping up on the market...
superman3043
Senior Member
Definitely check the cabin filter first. There are even some that come scented, like everything else nowadays. I've also heard of taking some compressed air and blasting it back through your vents to sort of blow them out. Haven't had to do it myself though.
Hope it's not a Sandy car and that you get it sorted out. Good luck.
Hope it's not a Sandy car and that you get it sorted out. Good luck.
If its your vents use this vent cleaner. einszett 961105 Klima Cleaner : Amazon.com : Automotive
If its your carpets I would suggest to make sure it's dry before doing anything.
A few things I did to my 4runner
Ozium it sanitizes air. Turned the heat to recycle with ac on and sprayed in car with it and let it sit for 15min. at auto parts store oriellys.
Odoban it kills all kinds of biologicals like mold or other bacteria and virus including mrsa (I bought some from Home Depots)
I also took the air filter out and sprayed the fins/ air box with odoban. I sprayed the fresh air intake under the hood with odoban.
If none of this works try chlorine dioxide either auto vaccine, or auto shocker. I used auto shocker and it seemed to work. (I was trying to eliminate cigarette smoke smell)
Auto Shocker ClO2 car interior odor eliminator : Amazon.com : Automotive
Also you can try so2pure. So2pure is a titanium dioxide that gets activated through uv rays. I've read that It works on any smell from cigarettes to skunk to vomit. Never tried it yet. Its pretty expensive. That's my next thing if the cigarette smell comes back.
If its your carpets I would suggest to make sure it's dry before doing anything.
A few things I did to my 4runner
Ozium it sanitizes air. Turned the heat to recycle with ac on and sprayed in car with it and let it sit for 15min. at auto parts store oriellys.
Odoban it kills all kinds of biologicals like mold or other bacteria and virus including mrsa (I bought some from Home Depots)
I also took the air filter out and sprayed the fins/ air box with odoban. I sprayed the fresh air intake under the hood with odoban.
If none of this works try chlorine dioxide either auto vaccine, or auto shocker. I used auto shocker and it seemed to work. (I was trying to eliminate cigarette smoke smell)
Auto Shocker ClO2 car interior odor eliminator : Amazon.com : Automotive
Also you can try so2pure. So2pure is a titanium dioxide that gets activated through uv rays. I've read that It works on any smell from cigarettes to skunk to vomit. Never tried it yet. Its pretty expensive. That's my next thing if the cigarette smell comes back.
snowbrdr033
New member
Definitely check the cabin air filter, it's an easy fix, usually forgotten, and worth the effort!
riceandpho
Elite Member
You sure its the truck and not yourself, check the cabin filter and use some febreeze.
shadow247
New member
I second these recommendations. I also use regular old baking soda on the carpet/seats 2x a year. Just sprinkle all over, let sit overnight, then vacuum up in the morning. Then I take one of those fridge paks and leave it underneath the drivers seat.
NJshadow93
New member
Uh oh. That's not good. Sounds to me like that truck had been flooded. Either they drove it into the ocean or the Sandy flooded it. That first picture definitely concerns me. Care to share the details of the purchase? Year, mileage, cost? You may want to consider replacing the carpet if it's worth it to you. I find it odd that the dealer shampood it as well. Usually they vaccuum it and call it a day. Good luck.That's a good question, well i got it from a dealership in Keene New Hampshire, I live in Huntington WV which is 600 miles or more away. I asked the salesman if it was a fresh trade in he said it was. He said they traded it on a new Mitsubishi. Was the Fairfield Kia dealership in Kenne. Once i got the car it looks good on the outside but had a strong shampoo smell, i found sand in spots of the car the rear on every door seal weather stripping in between the cracks. I found a little bit of moisture under the car but i assume that would have been from where they shampooed it. I got my led and check under the car and it had signs of sand under it as well. I called the manager and he said "we don't sell junk we only sell good cars and that they don't take the time to rip out all the carpet to check for that stuff. I found the owner on facebook nor will him or his wife answer me back. I just had asked them if they ever had any problems with it and if it ever had water damage. I find it almost fishy. You figured anyone who owned a car wouldn't car to say "yeah it was a great car or i had to do this and this to it". However here are some pictures. I even found some sand inside the air box.
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NJshadow93
New member
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NJshadow93
New member
Have you tried to pinpoint the smell? Have you smelled the carpets? The seats?
Seems like more when you turn the car on, like it would be under the seats.
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NJshadow93
New member
What did the engine air filter look like with the sand in the airbox? Any signs of water damage or is it brand new?
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BlackWorksInc
New member
Have an independent shop look it over and see if they can find flooding damage. But even if they don't prove it was flooded they can at least verify your concern of mildew and mold which you can take to the dealer. I am sure there is a lemon law at least or some liability to the dealer for selling a potentially hazardous vehicle to a customer.
Did you get a chance to run the VIN and see where the vehicle was registered before it was sold to the dealer? Seems more and more like it might have been one of these "Sandy Used Cars" I have been hearing are popping up on the east coast.
Did you get a chance to run the VIN and see where the vehicle was registered before it was sold to the dealer? Seems more and more like it might have been one of these "Sandy Used Cars" I have been hearing are popping up on the east coast.
Have an independent shop look it over and see if they can find flooding damage. But even if they don't prove it was flooded they can at least verify your concern of mildew and mold which you can take to the dealer. I am sure there is a lemon law at least or some liability to the dealer for selling a potentially hazardous vehicle to a customer.
Did you get a chance to run the VIN and see where the vehicle was registered before it was sold to the dealer? Seems more and more like it might have been one of these "Sandy Used Cars" I have been hearing are popping up on the east coast.
I had a shop inspect it i asked them if they could find any issues and they said no it looks fine. Yes i got the VIN and looked it up everything checked out fine.
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