******* and wet in so. fla.

[mach4444]

Got caught in a five minute monsoon with the top off my rt/10.
damn radar lied. storm popped up just long enough to drench my car!

I had some towels in the car so I was able to cover seats, console etc. until I could pull under a banks overhang, but now car has that musty rain smell.

cleaned and wiped everything down as soon as I got home but smell is still there.
any one have any suggestions or is it new carpet time.
this pissses me off majorly because I keep my car as pristine as possible even with 50,000 miles on it now.

 

[got one]

did it happen today? Sometimes I have to wait a day or two before it goes away and a week before the smell is completely gone. I have heard of some disconnecting the battery, opening the doors and putting fans (typical standing) towards the interior and leaving it on for a couple of days...

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

It's Florida and you had the top off, couldn't you see the rain ahead? I usually drive around it or pull over and put the softtop on.

Park the car in the garage, point a fan at the interior and leave it on high all night. You could run a hair dryer on the carpet to speed things up. Also pull the owner's manual out from behind the front seat and dry it off. It might have gotten wet.

 

[AviP]

Got caught in a five minute monsoon with the top off my rt/10.
damn radar lied. storm popped up just long enough to drench my car!

Tough luck. What's your VIN! Perhaps if you keep it in the sun long enough, it will dry up asap. There are 4 plugs on the floor (viewed from below the car) of my GTS that seem to be drain ports. Check the underside of your floor.

Next time, instead of slowing down you should accelerate and let the aerodynamics keep the car dry.

 

[mach4444]

normally I can see the rain coming but this time it went from no rain to downpour instantly, didn't have any warning.
car spent 3 days in garage with top off and smell is there but not as noticeable.

carpets, seat backs etc. are not at all wet or damp

 

[mach4444]

Next time, instead of slowing down you should accelerate and let the aerodynamics keep the car dry

funny thing was the rain was building up on the inside of the windshield!
streets turned to rivers so I had to drive slowly to stay on the road.

first thing I did when I got home was remove owners manually and dry seat backs and the rest of the car as much as possible (manual is in a plastic bag). don't have a soft top but the rain was a florida gullywasher!
within 2 minutes I was soaked.

 

[Venomiss]

You know those baking soda things you put in the refrigerator? With the side mesh on it.
Buy a few of those and leave them in the car overnight.
I have even gone so far as to spread the baking soda on the carpet lightly and vacum up the next day or two. You can also get a battery powered small fan and leave that in too.

 

[Venom08]

I have NEVER tried this......but a truck driver told me one time that coffee beans would take out smells. He said that they use them sometime in the back of some refrigerated trailers to remove the "fishy" smell. Obviously it makes it smell like coffee, but that smell goes away shortly after you take them out. He said that they just put some in an open can and sit them in the trailer. Like I said NEVER tried this myself for anything....I just remember the conversation we had about how to get out some of the smells in trailers........

 

[plumcrazy]

to get rid of moisture, cheese cloth OVER an open bucket with calcium chloride IN the cheese cloth, check it often as it works well.

then the baking soda thing

 

[slysnake]

Next time, instead of slowing down you should accelerate and let the aerodynamics keep the car dry

Guess you didn't see the Mythbusters epesode where they proved that you actually do get wetter when you move faster through rain than if you move slower. Hmmmm..... I wonder if you just stop you'll stay dry?

 

[SFViper]

I always keep a small container of Damp Rid in my car, specially over winter storage. You'll be surprised how much moisture it gets out.

D A M P R I D - The Original Non-Electric Moisture Absorber

 

[BlackSnake99]

I think I would hit the carpet with a shop vac to get most of the water out (I bet the padding underneath is wet), then take it to a professional to have the carpet shampooed.

 

[NoVaViper]

Guess you didn't see the Mythbusters epesode where they proved that you actually do get wetter when you move faster through rain than if you move slower. Hmmmm..... I wonder if you just stop you'll stay dry?

They actually reperformed this test and found that was an incorrect conclusion. More water did, in fact, gather on the walker.

 

[jdeft1]

The last time I got wet in mine was a long time ago! (Back in the days when EVERYONE claimed their car had never seen rain..) I'm sure you know what to do! The odor will follow if it doesn't get dried really well so use a wet-vac and go over the carpets well.... Then leave it out ******* in the sun.

 

[dave6666]

The padding on the factory carpet is about 1/2" thick. It can hold loads of water.

Know any body shops? Ask them if you can borrow their paint cure booth over night (UV heated...). Or as mentioned find a bright sunny spot and bake it.

The smell will eventually go away on it's own.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

This is hypothetically speaking ofcourse, since my 95k mile garage queen has never been wet, but I know of a guy who just pulled his padding out, went to a local carpet place and bought new padding for $15 or so. Its may not be as thick as stock...but you don't walk around in your car much, so really no problem there.

 

[slysnake]

They actually reperformed this test and found that was an incorrect conclusion. More water did, in fact, gather on the walker.

I guess I missed that one. Good! No more driving 10mph with the hazards on for me then.

 

[NoVaViper]

I guess I missed that one. Good! No more driving 10mph with the hazards on for me then.

hahaha. You're all a bunch of characters.

 

[BullRider]

My car got caught in a downpour for 2hrs with the top ON. My rear window gasket is leaky, and I got water down the back of the cockpit. I've got a mildew smell in there now. I hit it with some auto upholstery cleaner, but its still there.

Gonna remove the seats and hit the floor area as well.

If anyone finds the silver bullet to get that smell out, let me know!

 

[dave6666]

Lots of interesting and inexpensive ideas here. Read down the page a bit.

Removing Mildew Smell From Carpet

 

[Venomiss]

Buy a raffle ticket since today is the last day to purchase.

When you win you won't have to worry about any musty smells.

I am also impressed not one person made a crack about the title of this thread.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

This is hypothetically speaking ofcourse, since my 95k mile garage queen has never been wet, but I know of a guy who just pulled his padding out, went to a local carpet place and bought new padding for $15 or so. Its may not be as thick as stock...but you don't walk around in your car much, so really no problem there.

That's what I did with the rug itself. After you peel up the glued-on insulation, it's easy to switch rugs, and if you get two you can think of each one as a sponge. Let one absorb water, then take it out to dry and insert the dry one.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Ditto on the removing seats and carpets. Left the carpets to hang dry with a fan and a fan inside the car to dry out the sheet metal and such. Ah VOI3 was so much fun. And the 3 inches of water on the floor when we got home. And that was with the roof and windows on.

 

[dave6666]

That's what I did with the rug itself. After you peel up the glued-on insulation, it's easy to switch rugs, and if you get two you can think of each one as a sponge. Let one absorb water, then take it out to dry and insert the dry one.

RUG???

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Rug. That black fuzzy thing Dodge put on the floor to absorb the water Gen 1 cars (via door, windshield, back window) funneled into the cabin. The option checklist showed either a rug with Viper logo or 750 GPH cartridge bilge pumps. Getting the pumps was expensive because it would have needed a higher amperage alternator and the auto discharge valve.

 

[Rapps]

"750 GPH cartridge bilge pumps. Getting the pumps was expensive because it would have needed a higher amperage alternator and the auto discharge valve"

As the new owners of a 95 RT/10 we feel your pain. Bought it 3 weeks ago, drove home from North Carolina, it rained/monsooned on Gary most of the way. His socks crammed into the leaks only to become wicks, wet pant leg, wet carpet. The smell started to become a reality but we left the windows off and only a car cover on, guess we got lucky as I don't smell it now. I believe if it got wet again it would stink quickly.
BTW I've found the solution to Gen 1 leaks: