I have a 2005 Honda Accord with a V6 engine. It has 42,000 miles on it. I noticed a while back that when the heat and air conditioning are off and I just drive with the windows shut I can smell a kind of musty or (I don't know quite how to describe it....it's not even a smell really it's just something that gives me a sore throat).....anyway....I changed the air filter inside the vehicle located under the glove compartment. It did not solve the problem.

It seems like air coming through the vents has that musty or whatever odor. Is there a filter of some sort under the hood I can replace? It's almost as if water got onto something (but not inside the car's cabin but under the hood somewhere) and the dried water smell is coming through the vents.

Has anyone ever heard of a situation like this and how to fix it?

Thank you

 

theres a cabin air filter under the pass side dash i believe, have you checked your car floor for anything , old freedom fry or a pickle?

 

I put a brand new filter in the cabin. It's located behind the glove compartment. I didn't help at all. The car is meticulously clean inside....it is not old food or a spill of some kind. No mouse or small animal died in the car or in the vents either.

The problem has existed for quite a while now. If I can't get it fixed I'll have to trade the car in for another vehicle. When I drive it I get a sore throat. I can't live like that.

 

you can get fabreez and spray the vents on the outside by the front windshield, if its as bad as you say spray alot.

 

I'm very sensitive to smells such as canned air fresheners. Fabreeze would be a problem for me to breath.

Any other ideas?

 

maybe not fabreez but i know they have non-scented de-odorizers.

 

lysol will get rid of a smell. Remove the new filter and spray into there.

Also find the drain for the a/c evaporator on the firewall in the engine bay. Use a coat hanger or pipe cleaner to clean any debris that might be trapping water to sit in there.

 

I was going to suggest same thing. Put the vent control on recirc, spray the lysol generously in the car, let it run for a few minutes while you are out of the car so you are not bothered by it. This may be something in the ductwork.

I would also do the evap drain as suggested. Any water (condensation) in there may turn in to mold.

 

It's being looked at Monday by a local repair shop. I have a free oil change coming so I asked the guy to check this out for me. I'll report back with the findings.

On the phone the guy said...."replace the cabin filter behind the glove box". I said, "I just put a brand new one in there and it didn't help at all".

This may be one tough problem to fix.

 

I'm assuming youve had the car since new or at least for a while so we can rule out a "flooded" car.

Could you have left the windows down at some point and got rained on and got the carpets wet? Have you peeked under the carpets in case its wet/moist in there??