Foggy Windows, Smelly Vents, Holden are no help

[brcstar]

Hi Y'all,

So I've had an on going issue where the vents in my car smell like bacteria and mould. I have found that the windows fog up very quickly when AC isn't running..

I have an MY10 Holden Calais V

Holden have:
- Checked for leaks
- Checked plenum under windscreen and is clean and dry
- AC leaks out onto the road

Holden are currently as we speak running the AC Cleaner through ($120?). They advise that the only other option is to rip apart the dash and that it will cost me a fortune.

Do you have any advice? I don't know what to do at this point. As I told the mechanic on the phone, AC Cleaner may mask the smell for 5-10 days (I've done this before) but it doesn't resolve the issue with the foggy windows.

You literally can feel the moisture when the heater is running on you.


Helpppp :-(

 

[Benboy]

Windows fogging, damp smell - could only be an excess of moisture/water somewhere in the system. Must be a leak !! Good luck.

 

[Dayvo]

What about you carpets and underfelt are they damp ? Especially on the passenger side. Also does your coolant need regular topping up ?

 

[pebbs]

The only suggestion i would have is to find a friendly wrecker and look at other VE s that have had the guts pulled out of them to try and locate where a leak would come from.
I have no idea if they are the same however i had a ute that gave the same problem and the smell was coming from a leak near the door / front guard which ran right through to the sills towards the rear guards.

 

[MYVESSV8]

does it have a cabin pollen filter, if it does, possibly needs replacing, full of crap, poor airflow, mouldy smell most likely from that

 

[greenacc]

Could it be related to rain? Does the problem go away in summer or times when there is no rain for weeks on end?
If it's definitely not rain leaking in then it's most likely coolant from the heater core or pipes. But you should notice the coolant level dropping as above.
Do you ever drive with the windows down?

 

[Micaxe]

Windows fogging, damp smell - could only be an excess of moisture/water somewhere in the system. Must be a leak !! Good luck.

Or maybe not draining out properly. Check carpets in footwells & drains in the bottom of the doors.

 

[kwaka738]

Or maybe not draining out properly. Check carpets in footwells & drains in the bottom of the doors.

Definitely check out the carpet in all areas of the car (ie back front, drivers side passenger side). If your sense of smell isn't that good find a friend who had a forensic nose. You may find that you are getting moisture in following a rain event. If the carpet gets wet you are going to have all sorts of problems drying them out but if the carpets are wet you must find the problem or you are just band-aiding the problem by drying them out.

I had an issue with wet carpets in the back on the drivers side. It was do with the plastic behind the door trim not sealing properly and allowing water to drip from the bottom of the internal door trim into the car. As it dripped from the door trim the door seal wasn't able to stop it and so the carpet got wet. Took a bit of work to isolate the problem but once I found out how the water was getting in at least I could formulate a plan to stop it.

So step 1 check to make sure the carpet isn't wet anywhere.

 

[pebbs]

Hi just found this on the HSV forum, might help.

The waterfall
The cowling at the bottom of the winscreen warps over time creating a gap between the windscreen and the plastic. When it rains or you wash your car, water flows down the firewall into the engine bay. Water can also find its way into the footwells through places like where the clutch pedal attaches to the firewall. You can check the foam backing on your floor mats for evidence of perishing as these disintegrate fairly quickly if wet for a while.
Leaking doors
Water flows between the window and the rubber seal, down the inside of the door. If the plastic membrane hasn't been sealed properly, it then flows out the bottom of the door and onto the steps (don't know what that bits called) then down under the carpet.

 

[Dayvo]

Ill have to have a look at this . Left my car at the Melbourne long term car park for 5 days and when I picked it up the passenger side was soaked . I thought it had fixed it

Hi just found this on the HSV forum, might help.

The waterfall
The cowling at the bottom of the winscreen warps over time creating a gap between the windscreen and the plastic. When it rains or you wash your car, water flows down the firewall into the engine bay. Water can also find its way into the footwells through places like where the clutch pedal attaches to the firewall. You can check the foam backing on your floor mats for evidence of perishing as these disintegrate fairly quickly if wet for a while.
Leaking doors
Water flows between the window and the rubber seal, down the inside of the door. If the plastic membrane hasn't been sealed properly, it then flows out the bottom of the door and onto the steps (don't know what that bits called) then down under the carpet.