Musty smell inside - how to get rid of? rain got inside
 

well folks..I believe this will be my first post here.
just acquired a 380SL 1982 and it's a bit musty inside.

the front drivers side floor area is a bit moist. water has gotten in from the rain last night.

Question:
1. how do i get rid of the musty smell? what product do you guys use or do you simple wait for a sunny day and let the entire interior air out???
2. The seals along the door. I know I will probably have to replace them. How difficult is that work?

thanks.

I would suggest taking the floor mats out....use a steam cleaner like the little green machine and try to extract all the nastiness out.

As far as the seals, I just completed this on my 76 450sl. First, make sure you get the MB seals...not after market. The MB seals have a fabric coating for all the seals surrounding the window which reduces friction and makes your seals last a lot longer.

The most difficult seal for me was the pillar seal...it not only goes up the length of the door from the mirror to the roof, but also back down along the window and almost to the door hinge. I tried both sides differently to see if there was an easier way of doing it but it was rather difficult. You must get the chrome trim in two grooves of the gasket while lining up 4 screw holes. Once that half of the piece is completed, the rest is a breeze...just carefully poke the gasket in between the tracks after coating both surfaces (the gasket and the car surface) with some tacky trim glue. It took me a weekend...but I was replacing all the gaskets, not just the doors. Your door will have to be slammed shut for a while....

I had a similar problem with my SL on the passenger side and discovered the window seals were on their way out. Pull the carpet out and let it dry and steam clean if you can. When you replace the seals make sure they are OEM and not knock off seals. If you can't get to this right away buy a decent car cover ,Advanced Auto has decent ones that aren't too damaging to the wallet. Good luck!

I had the same issue with one of my SLC 5.0's. Actually there was mold growing on the seats. I put the car in my garage with a full size dehumidifier in on the floor and it sucked out about 4 points of water from the air. Then I used a bleach, water mix to wash down the plastic surfaces and leather cleaner to was the leather.

It helped.

After you have removed the floor mats, check to be sure the water isn't setting below them. If it is, water may be leaking in through the windshield and running down the kick panel and under the floor mat. I would wash the car w/both floor mats removed to be sure.

Nature's Miracle or something similar may work. Pet stores or Target carry it.

After you've done the above (cleaning the carpets etc.) I use a product called "OderBan" I get it from Sams Club, but WalMart probably has it.

Answer:
 

Here are links that should help you. :)


Odor, stink, smell, musty, LINKS Thread
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/detailing-interior/228263-odor-stink-smell-musty-links-thread.html









Have a great day.

You might want to pull all the carpets and inspect for rust thru in the floor pans both in front and behind the seats. I'm sure this is not the first time the floor's been wet.....possible rust/holes under the pad!

Ouch
 

Good point, but I hope not. :(

Who has the most rust and still drives
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/bodywork-repair-paint-tools-tips-tricks/86054-who-has-most-rust-still-drives.html

One thing I did after the Suburban got wet inside is hang two cheesecloth bags of 'Damp Rid' silica gel. You can get it at Lowes or Homer D'po.

They got rid of the musty smell in about two days.

Inexpensive option for odor removal:

Go to a pet supply store and get activated charcoal. Comes in various size packs. Put in a cloth bag to keep dust down. Can be buried in garden when done, or thrown out.

Or good ole baking soda