Musty smell after the car wash

Hey all, have posted this before but no luck. 1 out of 4 times I go through the car wash my truck stinks all day, then it goes away. Cannot pin point the smell, but have felt around all the usual spots and nada for wetness. All my aftermarket work has been silicone sealed in the grommets and no wetness in there. Zero sunroof leaks and no wet carpet to be found. Any ideas?

 

hmm I’ll give that a shot. What’s weird though is it’s always after the car wash…

 

Question for ya,any chance the car wash place is a tree hugging earth crunching 100% water recycling facility?
There is a place down my way that recycles the car wash water and after rolling out your vehicle looks clean but smells like a stagnant whore after a long weekend.

 

Try changing your cabin filter. I find depending on where you park it needs changed more frequently than suggested in the manual. I’ve always changed mine as soon as the ac smells a little off.

 

can’t help but wonder how you recognized that smell.

 

our place recycled the water, probably what’s causing it!

 

This happened one time with my wife when she got done washing her car at one of those spray-n-wash bays….. I told her to shut all doors, trunk and make sure windows aren’t completely rolled down next time…. Problem solved

 

definitely not the case

 

My 4Runner years ago had a similar issue once... Sunroof wasn't leaking but the sunroof drain tube was partially clogged, and water was coming into the passenger footwell.

It took awhile to figure it out 'cuz it seemed to come from the backside of the carpet so it wasn't always obviously soaked.

 

I’m going to check my drains tonight, always have a puddle below them after wards but worth double checking

 

Check under the carpet. Had a guy I sold a car to reach out to me to say his AC or sunroof has been draining into the cab under the carpet and caused mold.

 

Yeah, in my case the tube wasn't completely clogged, just restricted enough to back up.

Good luck, I hope you find the source. This kinda stuff can be frustrating, and that musty smell is nasty.

 

pulled em up yesterday and nothing underneath. Swapping filters tomorrow and pulling a bunch of interior parts off and taking it through the car wash again and will feel around for wet spots

 

Alright so heading into the dealer on Thursday. Yesterday I checked the drain tubes again and all was clear, but the weed whacker cord wouldn’t come out through the drain hole. Poured some water down the drain and noticed that it all comes out through the body of the truck, not the drain. Nothing is wet inside by the drains or the carpet, dealer thinks the tube either got disconnected or wasn’t installed properly.

 

Sounds like progress!

 

Can you post a pic of these drain tubes? I’m curious and want to check mine

 

Passenger side, behind the wheel- black tube coming down at an angle

 

Reminds me of the valet BO episode on Seinfeld

 

Best show ever

 

Can anyone verify where the sunroof drains are supposed to drain from? My dealer is saying mine are functioning correctly... having a tough time figuring out how leaking through the truck body is correct, when there is a vent tube in the same area

 

Following up on this. I’m getting the musty smell smell as well…

 

Give it a week and 50 will have the musty smell and another 100 will blame the hybrid motor. Like a rock rolling down a hill

 

Sold the truck and went back to the old reliable 5.7, no stank, no wind noise, no problems

 

So is the consensus a drain tube in the front passenger wheel well?

 

Do you wash your floor mats 1 of every 4 washes? You gotta let those dry before throwing them back in there.

 

Consider switching the HVAC to RECIRC while passing through the wash.

 

I'd say you have a leak as well