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Hello,
So following all the rain Sydney has had recently apparently I've developed a leak, but I can only identify it from the mouldy smell; I cannot find damp anywhere! I have pulled all the carpets out (except the floor carpet) to look for any sign of moisture and I have probably sniffed most of the carpet as well, and cannot find it anywhere.

I've checked the usual culprits; soft top drain holes, sill drains, holes in roof etc but nothing.

Any help is appreciated, because after a day in the sun the smell is pretty wicked (not a good wicked either).

Thanks

It's not a coolant smell is it? Check around the top of the transmission tunnel, up close to the firewall. Heater cores are a known troublespot, and can sneak up on you. One way to tell is to watch your coolant level, a leaking heater can lead to regular small top-ups.

If that is what it is, it is a PITA to fix, but it needs to to be fixed quickly. Do a search, there are at least a couple of threads on finding and fixing this problem.

Check under the quarter windows in the doors, I have had leaks originating in the 3-way window/softtop/windscreen rail join.

Good luck

Also check inside the doors as well as the sills below the doors, but reckon it might still be in the underlay/sound deadener below the carpet. It's not always apparent as the carpet has a backing that prevents some moisture getting through. Btw, check the ECU & ECU plug is dry - it's under the carpet in the passenger side foot well near the firewall.

Not coolant smell, and not damp in that area.

I have pulled up the carpet where I can and the sound deadener is dry. I will try look inside the doors

Inside the boot maybe?
Boot seal may have given up.
Could also be the foam in the white heater thingy behind the dash. Mine didn't smell too great when I got the car, so I cleaned it out when I removed the dash.

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Not boot; it's try and smell free. I doubt it would be the blower/heater assembly because the cowel drains are unblocked and there is no way for the water to get in there otherwise. Also I rebuilt and sealed the heater core not long ago, so couldn't be that.

mitch_f1 wrote:I have pulled up the carpet where I can and the sound deadener is dry. I will try look inside the doors

Does tend to go to the lowest & hardest to access areas - don't forget the sills that run along each side of the car above the pinchweld.

I have already cleared the drain holes from the sills, and can confirm they flow fine.

If its anything like mine, in heavy rain water drips from the seal at the top of the window onto the side of the seat bolster - and that's what smells.
That's for me anyway... so it could be the seats?

Even now, after having completely re-built the interior of the car and freshened all the carpets, i still have the funky old cloth seats - and that's what smells...