Katfish

My 2006 sometimes has a slight mildew smell. Never noticed any dampness on any of the carpets or in the trunk.

Anyone else ever have this problem?

Thx

ford4v429

check the cabin air filter...its probably due for replacement, might have some leaves/debris in there...

gremlin190

Also, check the passenger kick panel. Pop the fuse cover and run your hand up inside to make sure it's all dry These cars have a few places up front where they can leak.

shadyninja

when I replaced my cabin air filter it had gotten wet from the" infamous water " that builds up in the compartment

I cleaned all the junk out of there , replaced the filter
and so far so good.

none of my local part stores had a replacement on hand,

here is a link for the WIX Cabin filter for the S197
WIX Cabin Air Filters

Katfish

Thx for the replies. I'll replace the filter and double check the passenger area to make sure there's no dampness.

RockAuto has the Wix filter for $13 ($7 shipping). I have a few other things to order so it's not so bad and you can also find a 5% discount code for them.

gremlin190

Yep you could buy some bosh icon wipers to go with the filter. They have a 15 dollar rebat right now

cave diver

Make sure the two drains in the front cowling are open and not clogged. If they get clogged it can fill with water and overflow into the cabin filter and then into the front passenger compartment. This is THE most commom reason for wet passenger floors and musty smells in Mustangs. When you are changing the cabin filter reach down and clean out the cowl bottom and drains.

Katfish

Where are the 2 drains located? Are they both in the filter area?

Thx

cave diver

They are in the bottom of the cowling and when you change the cabin filter just reach down to the bottom to the flat area and you'll feel if there is debris and dirt laying there. If you're not changing the filter, you can see and reach them by looking at the passenger side firewall and where it turns back and goes horizontal you will see the black rubber / neoprene drains sticking down. They have a slot in the bottom. Stick you finger up into the slot and see if they are clogged. If the car is parked outside very much they can get clogged very easily.

Since they clog so easy, a heavy rain could cause the water to back up to the cabin filter area and then it would run into the passenger compartment. Once the filter gets wet it will mildew and smell bad.

Katfish

Thx for the info.

Can the plastic cowl cover be taken completely off? I was able to displace all the tabs, but the panel can't be removed because the hood corner interference?

No problem replacing the filter, was just hoping to get down in there and clean things out.

cave diver

Yes, both sections (it's 2-piece) can be completely removed. I did mine a year ago and I know I needed to remove the drivers wiper arm but I forget if I had to remove the passenger one as well.

IWantMyNewGT

There was a TSB issued for cowl leaks on the '05s and '06s. I had water behind the passenger kick panel on my '06. Not sure if '07s and later are affected. There was a long thread about this several years back.

Cavero

This is starting to sound like the problem i'm seeing. Everytime I set my defroster it fogs up the windshield. And after 4 days of non-stop rain, my carpet is slightly damp too. I'll have to investigate these drains. I already had the cowl replaced and reapplied sealant a couple weeks ago to fix the cowl issue

Cavero

Sure enough they were both clogged. We'll see how much of a difference it makes

antdog

Make sure you remove your daughters soccer shinguards from the truck, that's what causes the mildew smell in my car.

UMich97

Sorry if I am just not following this well, but any chance someone could post some pics of where the cowl drains and cabin filter are? I've been noticing this mildew smell that last couple of times it's rained or I've washed my car and would like to check both of these, but for some reason can't visualize where the drains are, etc.

NastyStang113

The cabin filter is below the wiper cowl. Pop the hood and remove the passenger side cowl. It'll be on the outside edge. It's got a plastic clip that pops back with pressure and the filter slides up and out. There is a little rubber grommet below it that is the drain. Just make sure there are no leaves built up in there and if so clean them out. Some guys are either removing the rubber grommet all together or making the hole larger in it. My girlfriend's car had the issue where during heavy rains it'd leak inside the passenger foot area and stink horribly. I ended up just removing the grommet all together and it fixed the problem. When you install the new cabin filter just pay attention to the flow arrow on it and than you're good to go. Just reinstall the filter and cowl. I hope this helps.