Ford Explorer - interior odor

Was this vehicle ever used to transport a dead body?

if it is the ventilation system i saw a product on a the t.v. show two guys garage that is used for cleaning the ventilation ducks out it was a foam the was put in the box that houses the heater core witch is wear most oders start from i can.t remember the name of it but they said it was available at most auto parts stores hope i was of some help to you

I recall a TSB for HVAC odor on Job 2 Explorers... don't recall seeing it on something as new as an 04 (but then I haven't seen everything). It is covered under the base warranty. Have your dealer call OASIS and, using the correct symptom codes, see if this applies to your car. Even if it doesn't your dealer should correct the problem.

There are some products on the market... Google up variation on "auto AC odor" and see what you get. Bear in mind, if you use an "unauthorized" product that doesn't cure the problem but does interfere with the dealers attempts at repair, there may be a chargeback.

Not unlikely. The insides of air conditioners are dark and damp, prime mold habitat.

I've had good results with Wurth Air Conditioning & Heating System Treatment. It's easy to use, just spray down the AC intake. Not inexpensive, about $18 for a 16oz can, but it goes a long way.

Not unless my wife has been up to something she's not telling me about.

Thanks for your help, guys!

I'll let the dealer know what is going on when I take it in for the transmission service notice I just got from Ford.

my explorer had same issue i had so many air freshners in it. then i went to the dealer he set off a smelly bomb in it. cleared it right up.it looks like a bug bomb but its for smelly places. auto store should have it.put paper under it, set off shut doors and windows then wait till its done odor never came back its been like a year. its in a can.works really good.

As Jim indicated, Ford has addressed the mildew issue several items over the years with technical service bulletins, though nothing recently that I remember either. The engineers have expressed frustration over finding a permanent fix. They do have a product that encapsulates the mildew after the fact.

A good piece of advice is to allow the heating fan to continue running for a bit AFTER you shut off the air conditioning. This will help evaporate any moisture and prevent it from developing on the cold air conditioning system after you shut off the vehicle. If you are developing mildew in the cooling system in the winter, that would seem to me that something is wrong, though I guess it could happen if the air conditioner cycles on in defrost mode.

Of course it also could be that you simply have solved the mystery about whatever happened to Jimmy Hoffa. Have you checked under the carpet? :O)

I had the smell of cigarette in my explorer, and a bit of smell in the vents. I took it to get a good detailing job , and interior shampooing, (Headliner Carpets Mats Seats) and they did something to the vents with high pressure air and aroma treatment. The truck smells like it came out of the factory. You are looking at about $190 Canadian, but well worth it!

I've always had a lot of trouble with this during the summer months with my '96, even when new. Dealer did the TSB for HVAC odor several times under, and after, warranty. It always helped at the time, but eventually the musty smell came back. About three years ago the smell had returned again about a year after the last treatment. That summer I used MAX AC a lot, and eventually noticed if I left the A/C in the Max position when it's parked that seemed to help keep the musty smell from building up - maybe the internal damper door arrangement in the MAX setting allows more air to circulate while parked, helping to dry stuff out? Anyway, two summers ago I started leaving it in the MAX position whenever it was parked during the summer and haven't had the musty smell problem since. YMMV.

Steve

Hi my 2003 explorer has had this problem several times. Ford "fix" is to spray a chemical inside which only encapsulates the mold. Which is only a temporary fix. After getting fed up with Ford I had the mold tested by a lab that does house mold and found out that the stuff in my car can cause asthma and allergic reactions. Ford is still giving me the runaround I am considering a lawsuit and sending all teh info I have collected to the media. No one likes unhealthy mold. Will

Will

When you say asthma and allergies, what kind of mold is it?

Oh... and who did you get to test it? What did that entail?

Great, more lawsuits. Hey wacko, take a smear of your toilet, bath tub, sponge for dishes and your shoes, you will get the same result.