johnnylao

I just bought my '97 3.0 last weekend from a dealer and I'm very pleased with the car except for the stinky air coming from the vents. I didn't notice it when buying the car. It's sort of subtle, but after a while it's kinda gross. At first I thought it was because the previous owner was a smoker. But the interior dont stink and I can't figure how fresh air coming in would stink. I'm wondering if it's left over from when they steam cleaned the engine? It's almost got a perfumey smell too. The smell reminds me of my grandma. This isn't a good thing. My question, other than WTF?!, has anyone bought a smoker's car and had this same problem? If so, how'd you get rid of it. Any thoughts would be appreciated. It's starting to kill the 'new car buzz'...

Nugs3

I had that same smell when I first started using my AC. After flushing and getting an AC recharge the smell went away, but I do get a wiff of it here and there on a hot muggy day. Next time your out use your Ac for the entire drive and see if it goes away.

DJ Iceman

I've owned my car since new and there's never been a smoker in it, and I sometimes get that weird "grandma" smell too. It seems strongest on muggy days when the A/C hasn't been used in awhile, and it tends to go away after fifteen minutes or so (or maybe my nostrils just get used to it). I agree it's pretty disgusting, but then I've had other cars do pretty much the same thing.

DJ Iceman

I'm interested in your wheels--do you have a picture of them?

MauiWowieCL

I don't know if it's the same thing but I used to have a problem w/ smells when I first got my car when new. The dealer referred me to my owners manual where it points out that the system in our cars should be kept running at all times if at all possible to avoid there being any smelliness to the cabin and stuff. So, ever since that point way back when, I've kept the A/C in the on position and haven't had much of a problem aside from those points when I turn it off (on nice sunny days when I want to use the moonroof) and turn it back on a little while later. It might be the same issue, or it may not but that's the only problem I've had with my car's A/C starting to smell. And yeah, on hot or muggy days is when it tends to do it more oft.

Adrienne

I smoke in my car :o, and I know that the previous owner smoked in there, too (which is I guess why I'm okay with it), and I have noticed that smell, too... it isn't really smokey. You know what it smells like? It smells like a hotel room at the beach, one of the ones that had a smoker in it previously and has been cleaned...

Anyway, I figured out what to do. Ok you know how it smells worst when you first turn the car on? Well, before you turn your car OFF, make sure that the air circulation button is off (that button with the little circle with an arrow in it), because that button means that the air coming out of the vents is air that got sucked out of the interior of the car. If that button isn't on, then it sucks in air from outside. I've noticed that even if I leave the air circulation on for most of my trip, as long as I have it so that the vents pull in air from outside when I first turn the car on, it eliminates the yucky smell.

Also, it is apparently only a summer thing, because I never once noticed it until it started getting hot.

moomaster_99

It's mildew from the AC....when you cycle your AC and then run the vents...the moisture is still there..and as Adrienne said "..On hot, muggy days" that's the key making it smell funky...just close the vents or use the AC..or if you need to use the vents...spray some body spray stuff that girls use...

MauiWowieCL

Hmmm... I don't smoke and my car has never been smoked in. But, I know what you're talking about cause I noticed that with some of my friends' Hondas.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Since almost every reply is from a First Gen owner... I'm going to move this there so it gets the full attention it deserves!!

I'll leave it posted here so you can just link to it.....