Strong Mildew Smell After Rain. Two Dealers Can't Find Source/Leak

[Delirious]

This started up about 2-3 months after I bought the truck. In warm/hot weather (10 months of the year in Houston) after just about every moderate to heavy rain shower. Open the truck up after and I'm greeted with a very strong mildew smell. I have checked every inch of carpet when this happens and nothing, completely dry. Turn the A/C on and nothing no smell from either fresh or on recirculate. Also there's no water spots on the headliner or any evidence of a leak. Opening the windows up and drive around for 5 or so minutes is usually all it takes to clear it out and all is good, but on some occasions the smell returns but not as strong later the same day. The A/C drain is not clogged as water freely drains off and no smell is ever detected from the system at any time. Also on days where the mildew smell is present after airing the truck out, when driving at freeway speeds I will occasionally get whiffs of the mildew smell when following behind a semi other larger vehicle, but most of the time it doesn't happen. The only thing I have seen is a very small amount of water will be on the door sills on all four doors outside the weatherstripping. I have tried drying this up and leaving it to see if there is a difference, and it doesn't change anything. I have also checked the vents and carpeting on the back wall and no sign of water or mold/mildew there either. Last time I had the carpet panel out for sound proofing I even misted the jute to see if it was coming from that. Nope..

Off to the dealer to get checked out. First dealer sent it out to a third party company had it for three days and they couldn't find anything. I took it to another dealer who has an in house leak specialist and he spent 2 days looking at it... Nothing no evidence of a leak. They even had two moderately heavy rain showers that should have led to something while the truck was in their possession and nothing.

Both my wife and kids have also smelled it so I know it's not just me.

The only other thing I think I can try doing is take the garden hose and pour water on one part of the truck at a time like say just the back window seal, give it a couple hours or so and check the truck for the smell, then wash rinse repeat until I find it.

Has anyone else had a similar issue? Or am I just lucky....

I think my F150 was leaking around the third brake light. It all went away after I took it off and caulked it. Once it dried up that mildew smell went away but I think it ran down the headliner to the front pillars and down under the carpet because that's where I found the mildew. They have outside contractors at fine leaks and stuff like that so they're full of it if their not helping you. My dealer back then claimed they couldn't find it either.

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[IdahoRanger]

It's a shame you have to figure it out but that is good work.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Dropped it off today. Discussed exactly how I was able to prevent and then cause the leak with the Service Manager and Director. That's when the service manager stated that they just had an Expedition in with a near identical leak issue. Only that one had a water spot on the headliner where mine doesn't. He said the rivets that the roof rails bolt to have sealant on them and that one was not compressed properly and caused water to drip in. He suspects that mine is the same thing or a possibly problem with the seam sealant on the roof since Ford had had a bunch of issues with that as well.

They are going to drop the headliner and then repeat my steps with running water down the rails and inspect the rivets to locate it. If it's the rivet chances are the body shop will have to do the work and no telling if any paint work will need to be done. Hopefully I will know by the mid-day tomorrow if they found it and how long to complete the repair.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

They pulled the headliner...
Put it under their rain simulator...


And...

THEY STILL CAN'T FIND THE FRICKEN LEAK!!!!

I mean how hard is it to take a water hose...
Turn it on...
Hold it up near the roof rail for 3-4 minutes...
Look for a wet spot...
Better yet...
Look at the airbag!!!
Check it for mildew!!!

They are allegedly now trying to get in contact with the Field Engineer.

I have half a mind of just going up there to do this for them...

 

[janitorjim]

yes you should show them

They pulled the headliner...
Put it under their rain simulator...


And...

THEY STILL CAN'T FIND THE FRICKEN LEAK!!!!



I mean how hard is it to take a water hose...
Turn it on...
Hold it up near the roof rail for 3-4 minutes...
Look for a wet spot...
Better yet...
Look at the airbag!!!
Check it for mildew!!!

They are allegedly now trying to get in contact with the Field Engineer.

I have half a mind of just going up there to do this for them...

 

[IdahoRanger]

Maybe they used the wrong type of water

 

[tremorman]

This sounds like lemon law territory to me. I feel for you man, I'd be so pissed. Only bought a new Ranger recently because my last car (chevy suburban) had constant ongoing transmission problems that were solved only by selling it. Dealing with issues like that is the absolute worst.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Just got off the phone with the dealership. They found a small damp spot on the carpet under the door sill trim plate at the driver's door. The only reason they looked there was another Ranger is in for the exact same issue but the carpet is soaked in the same spot. They also found water tracks coming from under the driver's door panel. The suspicion is that as water is passing by the window felt strip instead of dripping straight down to drain out of the door as it normally should. The water is getting slung towards the inside cage of the door and leaking past the foam door liner seal and running down the door and onto the carpet. They said that if the door skin and weather barrier was removed the water would hit you in the leg.

So they are going to pull and dry the carpet, replace the jute liner and tear into the door to find out why it's flinging the water the way it is. They suspect there is an issue with how the window mount is formed or that something is in the way allowing the water to work its way to the inside of the door panel. Once fixed they will test everything before replacing the carpet and jute to make sure it's dripping down correctly and not getting slung or splashing on a harness or something like that. They also stated they were going to pull the other three door panels and verify that it's not happening on any of the other doors.

So at least now they have proof of water getting in the truck and identified the possible source.

 

[T Bone]

again i say you are a bigger/better person than I bret, i would have parked that truck in the middle of their lot with a big sign that says "LEMON" on it or something worse.

 

[IdahoRanger]

Bret, you have way more patience than me, I would have blown a gasket by now.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

again i say you are a bigger/better person than I bret, i would have parked that truck in the middle of their lot with a big sign that says "LEMON" on it or something worse.

Bret, you have way more patience than me, I would have blown a gasket by now.

I blame years of retail management, and IT work, as well as putting up with nearly two decades of my wife's complete and utter lack of patience, for my current level of patience. If not for that I probably would have lost it with them a long time ago.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

They pulled the driver's door panel observed water making it past the foam liner and leaking down over the speaker housing. They pulled the foam liner and found two more areas where water is making it into the truck, a rivet in the door as well as a mounting bolt. They then compared mine to the other Ranger with the same issue and it's leaking in the same areas only much worse. The odd thing is when they checked the support docs on it there's nothing. Not a single dealership has reported the issue. Another oddity is the completely different production runs with mine is a 2020 (build date 11/19) and the other one is a 2021 (build date 1/21) but have the same problem.

So they submitted everything to the engineers for both trucks and now we wait for them to respond back with the solution. Probably won't hear anything back from them until Monday.

 

[BlackRanger01]

Oh it's getting pretty close to driving over there and parking the truck on the general manager's desk...

I laughed out loud at this at work... thanks!

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Interesting update.


Damn thing is a fricken sieve...

The dealer was in the process of testing the other three doors to make sure they are not leaking the same way as the driver's door and they found an additional leak in the rear window. They had already pulled the carpet and jute out to replace it and saw water pooling up on the driver's rear floorboard and traced it back to the back window seal.

So they are going to pull the window and re-seal it while they wait for parts and guidance on the driver's door leak issue.

 

[IdahoRanger]

At least now they are seriously checking things. Might be time for some soul searching on keeping the truck.

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