74 2.0L.....
What can be done to get the grungy, moldy smell out of the interior? I assume that a lot of the smell is built up in the carpet and/or the padding inside the seats and backpads.
ozone generator kills the smell.
Part of that it the "old German car smell" but you might give a large box of baking soda a try. Roll the windows up, close off the air vents, and place the box, open, in the car. They even sell a box with a mesh screen specifically for deoderizing..
If it really is a bad smell, remove all the carpet, and clean it with a carpet cleaning solution, remove the seats, scrub them with a non-oil/silicone based vinyl cleaner (NO Armour ALL!!)
Not sure one the particle board behind the door panels, and the back pad.. but I'd start with the carpet, and maybe try simple green on a rag on the floorboards underneath the carpet.
I've been through all of this with my car..it smelled like wet dog.. It can be removed little by little..
Aren't O^3 generators in the range of like $500? It would work perfectly though....hmm..
I've used the Einszett Plastic Vinyl deep cleaner with lots of success..
http://www.tcsgarage.com/store/924410!EINSZ/EINSZETT+PLASTIC+VINYL+DEEP+CLEANER
It's the best product I've found, and then any FLAPS should sell a basic carpet shampoo.. Should do well, and you'll probably be surprised how much crap is in the carpet..
Moth balls?
Pull out the carpets and pressure wash them,
Remove the seats and let them bake in the sunshine for a few days.
Remove the backpad and clean it front and back.
Rich
for the vinyl try dr bronner's liquid soap. the peppermint version. after a vacuum when the interior is out wash the hard surfaces with it as well.
carpets. look for a company that does fine carpet cleaning. as in oriental style area rugs. take the whole set in. shouldn't be that expensive. surprising what comes out of a set that looks clean. no foul for some wear patina on 40 y.o. carpeting in my book.
OK at the risk of opening up myself to a fire storm I am going to say this. There are a few ways to deal with smells, absorb them (baking soda), wash them out (any number of methods), cover them up (moth balls and spray treatments)' or degrade them (ozone).
When dealing with orders caused by organic materials degrading (food, mold, door panels, etc) it is rare that any one of the methods is completely effective when use alone. If you don't remove the food source of the bacteria or mold creating the odor then it will almost always return. The use of ozone is the most effective when used alone. It is a reactive compound that is harmful to molds and bacteria as well as reacting to degrade the gases that they emit. It is also harmful to rubber and vinyls but only with long term use. But if you have a moldy area that the ozone does not reach it will spread back through the car as the mold starts to grow again.
So I would say eliminate any sources of moisture in the car (yea I know that is not really possible in a 914) remove and clean your interior. Treat it with ozone while removed. Treat the car with ozone with the interior out any you will have the best chance for success.
Excellent suggestions all around!! Thanks everybody!!
My car was littered with rat urin when I got it and it took me 3 months to get it all out! Now is smells clean and fresh!
I removed everything from the interior, motor, dash and gas tank areas. Then I pressure washed everything including the heater tubes with a mixture of water, bleach and 409. I then left the car out in the sun 89'+ for a few days to dry out!
Once that was done I began the 6 conversion so it sat for another 4 months before being driven.
All good now!
Rental places rent Ozone Generators for ~50 a day. Or you can get a small on for Evilbay for ~100. I have one of the EvilBay ones, works great. Though it might require a couple of rounds. Park the car outside in the sun, stick the generator, fire it up and let it run. BTW, you don't want to breath a lot of 03, so once done, open the doors and walk away from the car.
Setting the stinky stuff out in the direct sunlight can do a lot of good. Had a set of seats and door panels that were mint but had some mildew issues...a couple of days in the hot sun took most of the edge off. Then just a good cleaning and conditioning and they were all good.
I had another car that was owned by a smoker. While it's not the same stank, burning an entire scented candle worked very well. No noticeable tobaccy smell after, may work for you here.
So, I got around to taking out the interior this week (save for the carpetson the side and under the console). I cleaned as much as I could with 409 cleaner and I also let the backpad, seats, front trunk carpet/plank, and arm rest sit in the sun for several hours each day. The floor mats are just too far gone if you ask me, so I'll be looking for a new set. Anyway, it certainly smells better in the car now.
I plan to take the door panels off next weekend and clean out in there too.
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