Musty smell inside 4runner
- Thread starter Smitsyoda
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NJshadow93
New member
I actually smelled a musty smell this morning when I had my windshield defroster blowing. Once I turned it to passenger/feet, the smell was gone. I tried to get the smell again but when I turned it on the windshield defroster again, I did not smell it. Strange.
talonjade
New member
I'm in here too!
OK, so i have a pretty similar experience so I will give you my story.
I purchased my 03 4runner in March '12; it was from PA and also had sand in various crevasses. In fact I know mine was a beach runner due to the surfboard scratched interior and sea shells I dislodged from the factory skid! I have a cool collection of shells and such I pulled off her; HAHAH!
back ontrack... I agree that the "musty smell" is either due to moisture that "WAS" in the hvac or the combination of sand debris that smells funky. I notice it more with heat on and not at all when set to "off".
I tried to dry it out and keep the ac from adding any extra "condensation" this means running dry outside air through the hvac before turning it off to purge the excess moisture from the AC. this helped a little but I think the fix will be to flush the hvac with some kind of cleaning agent to remove the mold.
when I run my air it is just barely noticeable after a few min. but I feel ya man its rather unpleasant smell (mold).
I will update this when/if I do the flush and post my results and product used.
OK, so i have a pretty similar experience so I will give you my story.
I purchased my 03 4runner in March '12; it was from PA and also had sand in various crevasses. In fact I know mine was a beach runner due to the surfboard scratched interior and sea shells I dislodged from the factory skid! I have a cool collection of shells and such I pulled off her; HAHAH!
back ontrack... I agree that the "musty smell" is either due to moisture that "WAS" in the hvac or the combination of sand debris that smells funky. I notice it more with heat on and not at all when set to "off".
I tried to dry it out and keep the ac from adding any extra "condensation" this means running dry outside air through the hvac before turning it off to purge the excess moisture from the AC. this helped a little but I think the fix will be to flush the hvac with some kind of cleaning agent to remove the mold.
when I run my air it is just barely noticeable after a few min. but I feel ya man its rather unpleasant smell (mold).
I will update this when/if I do the flush and post my results and product used.
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NJshadow93
New member
In my case, it is the first time I ever smelled it in the 5 months I've owned this truck. The interior was spotless on this truck so it definitely was not flooded. But it was definitely taken through mud (as evident with the mud caked underneath).
shadow247
New member
I have had good luck using glass cleaner with ammonia to kill mold. Turn the A/C to recirculate on full blast, then use an AEROSOL glass cleaner such as Sprayway, make sure it has ammonia. Spray it in the intake on the passenger side footwell. Turn the A/C off and let it sit for a while. Then turn it back on full blast.
chmura
New member
I just recently bought a used 2009 4runner.
Whenever I buy a used car I fully shampoo the carpets and seats and buy brand new floor mats. I'm anal so I want to start fresh and not sit in anyone else's dirt and stains.
In your case I would even unbolt the driver and passenger seats so you can wash the carpet underneath them. It's very easy to unbolt the seats. 4 bolts per seat.
You should buy a small bissel carpet cleaner. Mix the carpet cleaner solution with boiling hot water and then wash the carpets.
My 4runners carpets and seats were very clean but the water that came out of the carpet cleaner was black.
Whenever I buy a used car I fully shampoo the carpets and seats and buy brand new floor mats. I'm anal so I want to start fresh and not sit in anyone else's dirt and stains.
In your case I would even unbolt the driver and passenger seats so you can wash the carpet underneath them. It's very easy to unbolt the seats. 4 bolts per seat.
You should buy a small bissel carpet cleaner. Mix the carpet cleaner solution with boiling hot water and then wash the carpets.
My 4runners carpets and seats were very clean but the water that came out of the carpet cleaner was black.
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flnycus
New member
Even if it was flooded, you cant kill a Toyota 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPnIpjodA8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFnVZXQD5_k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPnIpjodA8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFnVZXQD5_k
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CAN-03runner
New member
I have plenty of sand that collects somehow between the doors and the seals from just driving around in the winter on sand/salt covered roads.
I also had some water seep in through the rear hatch, around the tail light and under the carpet everytime it rained. This water would then stick around the cargo area, and make it's way downhill under the rear passenger seats and down to under the carpet of the front seats. It would smell like wet dog everytime the heater was on blowing on the floor.
You can check if there is water in you trunk under the carpet pretty easy. I think it was only held down by the plastic covering at the end, and just slid under the side panels. Also you can pull the little cover in the trunk where the jack is stored and look down to see if there is moisture, and you can remove the access panels to change your tail lights and look down to see if there is moisture.
Unfortunately, stuck on behind the carpet it some thick cloth/cotten/lint not sure what it is insulation. It soaks up all the water, and keeps it. I removed all my interior, and removed the carpet, and left it outside to dry for days, but it never dried and always smelled.
Eventually I took the time to remove that backing in whole chunks and traced them out on my own insulation material. I washed the carpet, and put back my own insulation material.
No amount of carpet cleaning fixed the smell because it wasn't on the carpet, but under the carpet.
I also had some water seep in through the rear hatch, around the tail light and under the carpet everytime it rained. This water would then stick around the cargo area, and make it's way downhill under the rear passenger seats and down to under the carpet of the front seats. It would smell like wet dog everytime the heater was on blowing on the floor.
You can check if there is water in you trunk under the carpet pretty easy. I think it was only held down by the plastic covering at the end, and just slid under the side panels. Also you can pull the little cover in the trunk where the jack is stored and look down to see if there is moisture, and you can remove the access panels to change your tail lights and look down to see if there is moisture.
Unfortunately, stuck on behind the carpet it some thick cloth/cotten/lint not sure what it is insulation. It soaks up all the water, and keeps it. I removed all my interior, and removed the carpet, and left it outside to dry for days, but it never dried and always smelled.
Eventually I took the time to remove that backing in whole chunks and traced them out on my own insulation material. I washed the carpet, and put back my own insulation material.
No amount of carpet cleaning fixed the smell because it wasn't on the carpet, but under the carpet.
CAN-03runner
New member
They don't sell junk cars, but they don't really check them, so they don't really really know. Is that what Rob's manager just said.
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NJshadow93
New member
I smelled it again this morning. Pretty pissed because this just started YESTERDAY for me. My truck was never flooded. I smelled it when the heat was on. However, when I got out of work 8 hours later, I did not smell it anymore with the heat on (strange). It was mentioned that the intake is in the passenger side footwell? Any pictures of what it looks like? Also, does spraying the aerosol glass cleaner through the intake solve this?
The main manager was kind of rude but the sales manager and saleman were very nice. Very helpfull and i asked them about it and they reassured that it wasn't an issue. So i don't know.
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talonjade
New member
If they are telling the truth and the car (was lived in as you describe) maybe she never cleaned the undercarriage either.
just my country mind here but... if you have ever gotten into gumbo (mud) its not like you can just hose it off... its thick and needs to be scrapped off. From your pick it looks like gumbo in MHO.
but it don't explain the sand...because my runner was beach bum I must admit I didn't find that much sand in my door seals and I was pulling hand sized seashells out of my factory skid LOL!
I like how (she) use to have this completely different life at one time... it gives her character!
just my country mind here but... if you have ever gotten into gumbo (mud) its not like you can just hose it off... its thick and needs to be scrapped off. From your pick it looks like gumbo in MHO.
but it don't explain the sand...because my runner was beach bum I must admit I didn't find that much sand in my door seals and I was pulling hand sized seashells out of my factory skid LOL!
I like how (she) use to have this completely different life at one time... it gives her character!
Yeah it's hard to tell i don't live near the beach or in those areas so it's hard to tell what kind of weather would affect the vehicle.
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NJshadow93
New member
Hey is it still happening to you? I don't smell it in mine anymore. It happened on two REALLY humid days but never after that....:dizzy:
I had a similar smell.
I have a sugestion for you. We had a similar smell in our '07 for years. Really only during the rainey time of the year. I determined it was a leaky sunroof. The driver side rear drain was clogged. After enough water pooled in it would flow through the headliner and down the big plastic molding that lead to the back of the 4runner. It was ening up i nthe very back. I removed the carpet and it was dripping water it had collected so much. The whole peice was wet and soaked all the way to the passanger side of the vehicle. It took me hours to get the headliner down enough to find the leak and 2 days to fix it myself. It was easy to clean the drain but a hell of a time taking it apart and putting back together with out tearing it up.
Open your rear hatch and take the floor molding off and check the pad underneath. There is a plastic/rubber barrier that prevents the water from reaching the carpet. Each corner of the sunroof has a drain the front run down the a pillar and the back run to the very back of the vehicle. Some people use compressed air to blow the tubes out.
If you go to the beach you get sand everywhere. We have been twice and I find sand in places you would never think.
NO MORE SMELL in my 4runner.
I have a sugestion for you. We had a similar smell in our '07 for years. Really only during the rainey time of the year. I determined it was a leaky sunroof. The driver side rear drain was clogged. After enough water pooled in it would flow through the headliner and down the big plastic molding that lead to the back of the 4runner. It was ening up i nthe very back. I removed the carpet and it was dripping water it had collected so much. The whole peice was wet and soaked all the way to the passanger side of the vehicle. It took me hours to get the headliner down enough to find the leak and 2 days to fix it myself. It was easy to clean the drain but a hell of a time taking it apart and putting back together with out tearing it up.
Open your rear hatch and take the floor molding off and check the pad underneath. There is a plastic/rubber barrier that prevents the water from reaching the carpet. Each corner of the sunroof has a drain the front run down the a pillar and the back run to the very back of the vehicle. Some people use compressed air to blow the tubes out.
If you go to the beach you get sand everywhere. We have been twice and I find sand in places you would never think.
NO MORE SMELL in my 4runner.
Net4n6
New member
I want to bring this thread back to life. My car has the same musky smell after the rain. I don't have sunroof. Have anyone find the problem/solution yet?
