Musty Smell After Rain or Car Wash

[ECal]

I am sure this is a common problem not limited to EVs, but my 23 Lariat smells awful after rain or going through a car wash tunnel. I've replaced the cabin filter to no avail. Service center tells me this isn't something covered under warranty and tried to sell me a service.

Have you had this problem, and if so how did you fix it? Is it truly not a warranty issue? (I wouldn't think bacterial growth would be wear and tear, but...)

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[bmwhitetx]

My guess is the moonroof leaks. Unfortunately, a common problem.

 

[Lucky Larry]

I had a similar problem with my 2011 gmc. it was caused by parking in an underground parkade at work which had water puddles as well as a high moisture content in the air. When i stopped parking in the parkade the smell went away.

Another cause may be a plugged heater box drain and a build up of water within it. in this case you may hear a sloshing sound.

Finally if it is a panoramic roof drain problem there is also another thread on the forum. below is a link.

moon roof leak

 

[RocketGhost]

I have noticed that the cloth wind deflector for the sunroof has a strong mildew smell after a rain. I believe that is one cause. But people have reported the smell even in trucks without a sunroof.

My solution is to keep the sunroof open in my garage after a rain so the cloth dries out.

 

[djwildstar]

My 23 Lariat smells awful after rain or going through a car wash tunnel. I've replaced the cabin filter to no avail. Service center tells me this isn't something covered under warranty and tried to sell me a service.

If the musty smell happens after rain or a car wash, then it is probably a leak in the moonroof. Changing the cabin air filter won't really help with this. If you're still within the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warrant, then a leaky moonroof is a warranty issue. You may want to see if you can find the leaky area, and catch either dripping or at least a wet spot in the headliner on camera so that you can show the dealer's service department what is going on. This is an issue with all F-150's that have moonroofs, not just the Lightning.

If the musty smell happens first thing on start-up regardless of rain, then it is likely air-conditioning condensate in the ducts. This is also an F-150 problem and not an EV problem. Changing the cabin air filter might help a little bit, but the issue is in the ducts rather than the filter. In this case, run the heat for a few minutes right before shutting the truck down. This dries out the ducts and prevents condensation from forming once you park. Without moisture, the mold can't grow, and you don't get the musty smell.

 

[csukoh78]

If the musty smell happens after rain or a car wash, then it is probably a leak in the moonroof. Changing the cabin air filter won't really help with this. If you're still within the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warrant, then a leaky moonroof is a warranty issue. You may want to see if you can find the leaky area, and catch either dripping or at least a wet spot in the headliner on camera so that you can show the dealer's service department what is going on. This is an issue with all F-150's that have moonroofs, not just the Lightning.

If the musty smell happens first thing on start-up regardless of rain, then it is likely air-conditioning condensate in the ducts. This is also an F-150 problem and not an EV problem. Changing the cabin air filter might help a little bit, but the issue is in the ducts rather than the filter. In this case, run the heat for a few minutes right before shutting the truck down. This dries out the ducts and prevents condensation from forming once you park. Without moisture, the mold can't grow, and you don't get the musty smell.

This is exactly why the heat comes on in the climate control even if you're doing air conditioner. If the truck detects that the humidity is too high it will purposely run the heat to dry out the air duct. I started having problems when I turned it off because it uses a lot of power, but it's worth it to prevent mold in the system. Just let it do it thing, the engineers knew what they were doing.

 

[chl]

I think people have also reported a leak behind the back seat where there is some kind of vent.
Ford's seem to have a lot of leaking problems over the years.
A lot of YouTube video about them (doors, windows, sunroofs etc.) so you might check there too.

 

[Brent@ANParts]

I also suggest checking the back vent (between the cab and bed). Also it might be worth doing some test washes (just the front, for example) and see if you can isolate what part of the truck it's happening at.

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