10833 messages,
Last post on Feb 26, 2013 at 5:40 AM
You are in the
Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.
What is this discussion about?
Subaru, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Sedan, Wagon

Your Community Leaders are ateixeira and rsholland.
#10805 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [jimsea1]
by rebel71
Sep 23, 2010 (8:23 am)
Did you purchase the car new or used? I was going to say mold or if previous owner spilled something and the smell just won't go away. Do you smell it all the time while the fan is going? Since you have determined it's coming from the vents, Moisture can form on the A/C condenser, this moisture can cause mold and mildew smell. There are products that you can spray in the A/C intake that will kill the mold and get rid of the odor. I'd ask the dealer or local parts store if they carry this. Also check the carpets to make sure they aren't wet, indicating a leak and creating mold. I'm just hitting all the possible bases. Also make sure that the water vent tube near the A/C condenser is open. When running A/C you see dripping water on the ground underneath passenger side of car. Hope this helps.
#10806 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [jimsea1]
by ateixeira
Sep 23, 2010 (8:53 am)
My 93 Miata had a musty smell.
Try some Lysol - spray it in the air intake in the cowl (if that's where it is).
Put the interior fan on High, fresh air mode. Then spray in Lysol so that the vents suck it in and disinfect the vents.
#10807 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [jimsea1]
by bpeebles
Sep 26, 2010 (2:41 pm)
The AC evaperator (under the dash) Has a tendency to build up mold/milew if you do not turn off the AC and allow it to dry before shutting off engine. (Leaving the AC on all the time is ASKING for mold/mildew to grow)
There are some commercial concoctions that you can "fog" into the intake of the venting system which are intended to kill the mold/mildew.
It is also possible, if the mold/mildew has been allowed to grow for too long, that the drain hose for the evaperator may be plugged up. This would have to be 'manually' cleaned out by hand by running a brush or something thru the hose.
#10808 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [rebel71]
by jimsea1
Sep 26, 2010 (4:30 pm)
I'm the original owner on this car. The carpets are dry. I'm going to try the spray for the AC intake as soon as I find it. Where would the water vent tube be? Under the right side of the car?
#10809 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [bpeebles]
by jimsea1
Sep 26, 2010 (4:32 pm)
The smell seems to be weaker when the AC is on. Could a clogged drain hose still be the issue? Where would that be? Under the right side of the car?
#10810 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [jimsea1]
by ateixeira
Sep 27, 2010 (10:16 am)
That could be because the air is less humid, so the smell is less noticeable.
#10811 of 10833 Re: Bad smell in car [jimsea1]
by bpeebles
Sep 27, 2010 (5:45 pm)
The "intake" for the airflow is OUTSIDE the vehicle at the bottom of the windshield (Look for the 'vents' under the wipers at the back of the hood.)
If you turn on the "recirculate" button, then the intake is INSIDE the car... listen for the sucking sound under the dash near the gas pedal.
#10812 of 10833 A question of utility...
by ronsteve
Feb 24, 2011 (11:45 pm)
Specifically thinking about the '05-'09 Outback and '05-'07 Legacy wagons and folding down the rear seats... Did they ever get to the point where you could fold them down and have a relatively flat floor, or is the bottom cushion still in the way?
Seems like the new generation (more SUV, less wagon) can do that, but sadly the turbo and manual tranny are gone.
#10813 of 10833 Re: A question of utility... [ronsteve]
by xwesx
Feb 25, 2011 (9:42 am)
I had both an '07 and '08, and no, they did not "fold flat" (at least not when they were initially dropped). When something with any weight was placed on top, they would flatten out, but the heavy bolstering in both the back and seat cushions prevented that from happening without some weight to compress the foam.
#10814 of 10833 Re: A question of utility... [xwesx]
by ateixeira
Feb 25, 2011 (1:07 pm)
Our 02 Legacy had the back seat base that you could move out of the way, so the seat backs went down farther. That was MY2000-2004 though.