Odour in car

Robyn_14

Hey all, I hope I am posting in the right place. Just around the time of the first lockdown I noticed my 182 Ateca had an odd smell. It got increasingly worse and I thought perhaps it was milk from one of my kids that they spilt on their seat.
Scrubbing, cleaning, valet, bread soda, coffee granules, vinegar, air fresheners, zeolite stones, disinfectant and it’s STILL not gone.. it has improved but it’s not gone. I can’t explain what it smells like but when you open the door it hits you, then you get used to it. It’s a musty sort of smell. Can anyone please, please help me? It’s really annoying me and the car is so new and costing so much in a loan it’s frustrating!
Thank you so much

OfflerCrocGod

Try an Aircon bomb. The filter might need to be replaced too

Robyn_14

OfflerCrocGod wrote: »

Try an Aircon bomb. The filter might need to be replaced too

Thank you so much. I’ve gotten both this morning and hope they work!

yogmeister

An ozone sanitation device might help too. I used one on my car that had a slight tobacco smell in it and it done the job. Most car dealers are using them now because of the coronavirus so it shouldn't be too hard for you to find someone to do it.

vectra

Do you use the aircon/climate control a lot?

Robyn_14

vectra wrote: »

Do you use the aircon/climate control a lot?

It would be on a but I guess, but the smell doesn’t get worse when it’s on. You get it when you get into the car first. I’ve gotten the filter but it’s behind the glovebox and I’m struggling to release the glove box by myself. And I don’t want to use the aircon bomb until the filter is changed. So will try get to garage tomorrow

Banana Republic 1

Robyn_14 wrote: »

It would be on a but I guess, but the smell doesn’t get worse when it’s on. You get it when you get into the car first. I’ve gotten the filter but it’s behind the glovebox and I’m struggling to release the glove box by myself. And I don’t want to use the aircon bomb until the filter is changed. So will try get to garage tomorrow

Best thing in future is switch of the aircon few minutes before you reach home.

vectra

Robyn_14 wrote: »

It would be on a but I guess, but the smell doesn’t get worse when it’s on. You get it when you get into the car first. I’ve gotten the filter but it’s behind the glovebox and I’m struggling to release the glove box by myself. And I don’t want to use the aircon bomb until the filter is changed. So will try get to garage tomorrow

Banana Republic 1 wrote: »

Best thing in future is switch of the aircon few minutes before you reach home.

I had a habit of never turning it off, as I thought it would keep the interior air fresher,
How wrong I was, after around when my cars were 12 months old I would start to get the smell, No cleaning ( which my cars never get dirty ) No air freshners would clear it,
First thing when you get into the car I could get the whiff. it baffled me until I read up it was the air con / climate system was causing it.
I do a lot of stop start trips and with the climate on all the time the system never got hot enough to burn off the moisture in the system/ hoses/vents etc. which built up Bacteria that caused the smell.
Solution for me was.
As above, turn off the aircon about 10 minutes before reaching your destination and turn up the heat a bit.

My current car, I will only use it on a very hot day or on a long trip.

My last Car had the same odor,
Get a tin of Dettol all in one, and spray it into every vent in the car. ( liberally, don't spare it ).
Then I put the system on recirculation after warming up the engine, turn off aircon,turn fan on half speed. spray again into any air intake.
Turn the fan on full and get out of the car, let it run for a few minutes.
Turn off ignition and spray dettol all around the interior of the car including more into the vents.
Lock it up for the night.
BTW.
You can clean the interior glass with the Dettol as well.
Let us know how it goes for you.
One last thing.
Clean the interior of the car prior to this.
Wipe down panels etc with a 10/1 solution of APC.

MarkR

Check for leaks, damp carpets can smell awful. Wife describes it as like cabbage. I must try the dettol spray actually, after drying it out.

vectra

MarkR wrote: »

Check for leaks, damp carpets can smell awful. Wife describes it as like cabbage. I must try the dettol spray actually, after drying it out.

The good thing about the Dettol is that is is an anti bacterial spray and not an air freshener. the result is a smell of "nothing" if that makes sense.

Robyn_14

Thanks so much all. The filter is now changed and I did the aircon bomb too yesterday afternoon. It smelled ok yday evening but I guess I’ll know over next few days. Thanks so much for all your help and I’ve been turning off air con too. It seems to come on automatically on the car when I get in I’ve noticed?

punisher5112

Check the boot lining and if there is a spare wheel well, damp/water collection could cause an issue, make sure all drains are clear at bottom of windscreen outside too.

Could one of them went for a pee on a seat, get enzyme spray and treat if needed.

Robyn_14

punisher5112 wrote: »

Check the boot lining and if there is a spare wheel well, damp/water collection could cause an issue, make sure all drains are clear at bottom of windscreen outside too.

Could one of them went for a pee on a seat, get enzyme spray and treat if needed.

Thanks a mill I will do that today also, I don’t think it’s a wee smell but I do feel at times it’s more concentrated from the back of the car (maybe a little worse when you open the boot) but I haven’t found anything there it’s clear. I’ve cleaned and disinfected the boot area after the valet. Honestly I’m driven demented at this stage!!

punisher5112

Robyn_14 wrote: »

Thanks a mill I will do that today also, I don’t think it’s a wee smell but I do feel at times it’s more concentrated from the back of the car (maybe a little worse when you open the boot) but I haven’t found anything there it’s clear. I’ve cleaned and disinfected the boot area after the valet. Honestly I’m driven demented at this stage!!

It could well be that the valet made it worse if car wasn't allowed dry properly. Could well need a good clean again. But sniff around and see. Hopefully you will find the spot, did you smell the headlining?

Robyn_14

punisher5112 wrote: »

It could well be that the valet made it worse if car wasn't allowed dry properly. Could well need a good clean again. But sniff around and see. Hopefully you will find the spot, did you smell the headlining?

No actually, I will also do that. Even the day of the valet I could still get it when it came back. Its so strange

Robyn_14

The saga continues..I can definitely still get it when I open the doors. The headlining doesn’t smell. I don’t know what else is left apart from the ozone sanitation device
I’m not using the air con at all either.

vectra

Did you try the dettol?

Sounds like water is getting in. Check the back lights and seal around the rear window. Pull out the seat belt fully look for signs of white mold.

Robyn_14

vectra wrote: »

Did you try the dettol?

I did. I also looked for water /damp but the smell was there during really dry spell in summer. I’m taking it to get ozone sanitised tomorrow and after that I’m at a complete loss.

Cordell

Banana Republic 1 wrote: »

Best thing in future is switch of the aircon few minutes before you reach home.

Best thing to do is to have it always on. This will keep the interior dry, windows won't fog up and it will actually benefit the AC compressor by keeping the seals and bearings oiled.

vectra

Cordell wrote: »

Best thing to do is to have it always on. This will keep the interior dry, windows won't fog up and it will actually benefit the AC compressor by keeping the seals and bearings oiled.

Wrong.
It can create a horrible smell in the car, I only discovered this a couple of years ago after trying to figure it for years before that.

Cordell

Of course, you should also maintain the AC, make sure the drain is not plugged or the evaporator is not mucky, otherwise you can create a horrible smell in the car.

Robyn_14

Cordell wrote: »

Of course, you should also maintain the AC, make sure the drain is not plugged or the evaporator is not mucky, otherwise you can create a horrible smell in the car.

Where do I find those things? I’ve done the aircon bomb and changed pollen filter.
I have to say the ozone sanitising has definitely greatly helped but I’m not convinced it’s fully gone. I think I can still get a trace and the dreaded smell will probably come back

JamesM

Are you sure that it's not damp. My 2016 Golf SV leaked through all the door speakers and water lodged under the carpets. Also a vent in the boot leaked. Result - a musty smell.

Cordell

Yes, you should check for dampness or even some foodstuff the kids may have stuck somewhere
I was mostly referring to the post I quoted, a 182 car should not have any problems with the AC.

Robyn_14

Cordell wrote: »

Yes, you should check for dampness or even some foodstuff the kids may have stuck somewhere
I was mostly referring to the post I quoted, a 182 car should not have any problems with the AC.

Thanks guys, I have literally tried everywhere, and the guy who did the ozone sanitation did too but couldn’t find anything. It’s ok at the moment, but as I say I’m not convinced. If you think of anything else please let me know, you’ve all been so helpful

Robyn_14

Robyn_14 wrote: »

Thanks guys, I have literally tried everywhere, and the guy who did the ozone sanitation did too but couldn’t find anything. It’s ok at the moment, but as I say I’m not convinced. If you think of anything else please let me know, you’ve all been so helpful

Hi all, so the smell definitely isn’t as bad but I could get a trace of it. I cleaned it top to toe again and sprinkled some peppermint essential oil in the boot and back floor and at the moment it smells good. I hope it lasts