I'll try turning on the heater as KC suggested. But I'm still very curious-- where is this smell coming from, and what is it? B/c mold does not smell like this. Anything chemically smelling is probably not a good thing.

 

What I've experienced is a musty smell associated w/ damp un-vented areas. The beginning of mold/mildew growth. I'm curious about the FIT's A/C and if this is an issue because I have never had this issue in other cars. Time will tell as well as others who chime in here.

 

If you are parking in the sun with the windows rolled up completely closed it is the plastic getting hot and giving off fumes.... Crack open the windows and getting a windshield sunshade will help a lot.

 

Both my '96 and '02 Neon were HORRIBLE mildew breeders, so it's certainly not unique to the Fit. Just the fact that there are commercial products designed to deal with this says it's not a unique problem.

For the record, I NEVER use "recirculate" for either heat or A/C, and the Fit still smells a bit when I first turn on the A/C, especially if I haven't used it in a few days.

I'd try the bleach/water spray, but then I suppose my car will smell like bleach for several days. Maybe one of those commercial fungicides smells like "new car". That would be awesome!

 

Don't you think that the manufacturers design the ventilation systems in cars to eventually start smelling like hell so you will purchase a new car and enjoy that fresh new car smell.... The cars I owned when I was young had great ventilation and seemed to only get smelly in the backseat after dates at a drive in movie or when I or someone else would spill their beer.... That's probably why I had a hard time selling or trading off my used cars to anyone that wasn't a drunk.

 

I had a 98 Neon with the same problem! To clean things up I would put the fan on the highest speed with the windows down then spray a can of Lysol into the outside vents at the base of the windshield. Seemed to clean things up for quite a while... YMMV

 

Not saying some of the home remedies don't work, but this stuff is killer for the problem...

http://www.detailersdomain.com/1zein...iacleaner.aspx

 

I still take my ozone generator out to the barn and use it in the car every so often... It doesn't have to run long at all in the Fit to get the job done.... I use it in the HVAC unit in the house and no one would know I smoke if there wasn't an ash tray on the end table where I sit.

 

I too had the same problem, however everytime i took it to Honda they NPF'D it(no problem found). i first started complaining at 15k about it. it started out happening occasionally, then it started doing it when you cut the a/c on or when it is raining. i took it in to honda again at 29k and again npf. i called honda it took them a while to contact me back and of course the car was out of warranty when the rep called me and advised me since i took it in two times prior and no smells where smelled at the times that i would have to pay a diagnostic fee before they would even consider doing anything under warranty. so i ended up having to fix the thing myself. i pulled the blower motor housing out, sprayed a mixture of bleach water in and around the heater core and evaporator to kill whatever the smell was and blowing it out with compressed air. it helped for about a week then it came back. so i decided to repeat the process again with a little more potent mixture letting it set for an hour or so and it has been ok for a few thousand miles.

TLDNR: I pulled the blower motor housing out and sprayed the evaporator and heater core really good blowing it out after it sat for a bit with bleach water. honda really sucks for not doing this.

 

None so far with mine but my crosstour on the other hand had quite a few instances of these stinks when I set the cabin temps between 63-66 with recirculate.

 

I think this may be the answer for your problem.
Fresh Balls | So Fresh. So Dry.

 

Just remembered this: Nature's Air Sponge - Instructions & Tips

I used these for years under the front seat in my Caddies. What I would do is cut open about 1/4 of the inner plastic seal so as not to expose the entire surface of the stuff. Works like a charm. Learned the trick from sailing friends. I used to get it at my local West Marine.

 

mold, milddew, bacteria, you name it, will grow on the water drenched a/c coils, don't want them to smell, turn of the a/c about couple of blocks from home and turn up the airflow, let the coil dry out. also make sure you condensation is draining out properly.

 

That is good advice... Also wide open full tilt with the fan, select the fresh air setting and lower the windows.... I do it about 1/2mile from my destination. We have very high humidity here and it is a must to do this or have a car that smells like dirty stinky ass.

 

I'm having the same moldy odor (smells like a laundry hamper). It usually is bad after I get back into the car after it's been driven with the A/C on. I notice some water on the ground but not a lot, so I think I might have a partial blockage of the hose that drains the condensation. I can't exactly find where it's supposed to exit so I can try to hook up a vacuum cleaner to clear any blockage.

A couple of questions:
What would block the drainage? Bugs?
Can someone post a picture or a diagram on where to look for the drainage hose?
Is there anything inside that car that can be taken apart to clean with a rag or something? I've heard of a drip pan, but don't know where it is.

Thanks!

 

I second the above...can someone please tell me where I can locate the drain hose for the AC condensation? I have ALWAYS disabled the AC 4 miles from my destination to avoid this very problem...so much for that. I've got 24k miles so a new cabin filter is likely in order.

 

I had the same stink problem. Mine smelled like dog poo. When I first got the odor, I thought I stepped in it. Drove me crazy trying to figure it out. I tried every remedy for the AC system and still I had the stink. I had the stink even when I didn't use the AC.

Then, when driving with the fan on, I used the wiper spray to clean the windshield and the stink came in. I pulled the car over and checked the wiper fluid reservoir and almost puked. I seems mold was building up in there over time and got progressively worse. I drained it and replaced the fluid. I keep the fluid level topped off and use the best wiper fluid I can buy, the kind with bug additives, rainx, etc. I haven't had any problems since.

Check out this article I found, scary:

Report: Water as windshield wiper fluid causes 20% of Legionnaires' Disease cases in UK — Autoblog

Perhaps the cheaper fluids have too high a water content and may cause the mold and mildew problem.

 

I took mine to the dealer today to check the drain plug/troubleshoot the AC smell issues (out of warranty). They gave the car a once-over and checked out the AC issue. The dealer want's $200 to remedy this. They simply spray a foam cleaner up through the drain hose and replace the cabin filter. No thanks....

Somehow I got out of having to pay the $69 diagnostic fee.

Does anyone know the product they would use and exactly how to use it? I'm assuming this is the poor man's version: http://www.detailersdomain.com/1zein...iacleaner.aspx

 

at my dealership we use Frigi-Fresh, works great and smells good if, any you guys want some hit me up. think i pay like 10 bucks for it.

 

Another possibility is organic matter (bits of leaves, etc.) getting into the air intake and rotting. I had that problem parking my car under a mimosa fern tree (they dump tons of stuff late summer and fall).