I bought a 00 coupe about 2 weeks ago, and ever since i stepped into that car i've been having symptoms of being around mold. I stopped driving the car after i got a really bad sore throat and i still cant stop coughing. Has anybody completely removed mold on a vehicle? Is it in the ac, which of course would spread into the interior i would have to remove all seats, carpet, and spray everything down right? Im ASSUMING the car has mold, the previous owner never got sick or complained of it, but as soon as i step inside this car i start coughing and cant breathe and my throat swells up.

Any pointers, tips, suggestions would be appreciated, cars been sitting under the shade for over a week now. my gsr swap is going to be going in here, but im holding off on everything happening to this car till i can figure out this problem.

 

probably will need to swap out the carpet.

 

Are you sure youre allergic to mold, specifically...not just a fabric/upholstery shampoo that the previous owner used? Air freshener?
Most people arent really allergic to mold, despite popular belief.
If youre hardcore "theres mold in my vents" spray metric butt ton of lysol spray (neutral scent) into the vents outside, at the windshield and turn the vents on.
If you feel like it wash the upholstered surfaces (seats, headliner, carpet) with a shampoo for mold. You can try a 10% bleach solution on a small area of carpet, too. This much bleach should not dissolve the dye, but would kill the mold....although not the spores.

 

ive owned 8 different hondas, and tried different shampoos and what not, ive never had this sort of symptoms inside a car. the car does have a "strange" odor ive noticed, unlike previous cars. Im going to spray some of that lysol spray you recommended into the vents in a bit. I have no problem pulling out the carpet and seats and giving the a good scrub if this will fix the problem. It might just be dusty as hell inside and needs a good wash either way.

Killing the mold but not the spores would...?

a friend asked if these cars have a cabin filter, and maybe its bad which would cause a funky smell inside the car possibly? i dont know.

 

in a very, very basic way, spores are eggs. IF it is mold, and you kill the main colonies, the spores can reestablish. There really isnt an easy way to kill them, and save the interior.

Molds have lots of different smells, and those in Tx are different from those in Mi, so I cannot tell you what to smell, since Ive never smelled them. Yes, Ive worked with mold, both physically and in a lab.
Typically, a common mold that would be in a car would be the same one thats in your basement or under a sink (and dont even kid yourself that you dont have mold).

No, civics do not have a cabin filter, but user NOFX did a write up recently on how to add a crv filter.

If disinfecting the vents doesnt work, I would also try cleaning the interior with a simple baking soda wash, maybe even some light white vinegar on the carpet (not together...). Both of these affect odor and the vinegar will have an affect on microorganisms.
Leaving the baking soda rubbed into the carpet for awhile would be a good idea.

 

There might be dead leaves, small mammals or other misc. crap in your blower or vent ducts. Blower motor is pretty easy to get out and clean. Then, depending on how far you want to go you can pull your dash and clean the ducts.

 

I'd really suggest you find out what you're allergic to before you start guessing at what the problem could be.

Your car could have mold (usually will smell somewhat musty and wet) or there could even be a dead rodent under the carpet or somewhere that's causing you discomfort. It's probably going to smell must y no matter which of those it is though.

Perhaps bringing it to a professional might help.

As others have said, mold can be a real pain to get rid of.

E-Rok might be able to help you too. He's posted in the Paint and Body (and Detail) section. From what I've seen in the past he's been really helpful and has some good advice.

 

the only reason im assuming its mold is the only thing im allergic to is penicillin. my dad does construction work and builds houses. one of his friends needed us to re-model and practically rebuild a section of his house due to mold infestation. As soon as i walked into the infected part of the house, i started coughing, got a feeling in my throat like it was swelling, basically everything thats happening now.

I will take your advice and start pulling out the inside and looking for a local professional. Thanks for all the input. Before putting my motor in, and putting anything on the car making it FUN to drive, id like to get this resolved.

Will check the ac ducts, and pull the carpet tomorrow.

 

You might be able to purchase a cleaner for the vents.

 

^definately going to look into that in the morning. i gotta get this stuff fixed, i almost have most of the parts for my motor swap

 

"Allergies", as we're discussing them and a penicillin reaction are very different. The only similarity is that theyre both IgE mediated.

An allergy is a mild reaction, resulting in annoying symptoms.
A penicillin allergy reaction results in anaphylaxis and will kill you...
Youre allergic to penicillin, not ALL mold.

 

the car was probably in a flood or bad rain at some point. odds are its in the carpet. you may have to go the the effort of tearing it out. there are anti-fungal shampoos you can get and go to town.

 

Reading through this ancient thread, for future searchers. Ozone can kill mold and spores.

You may be able to find a company that can fill the car with continuous ozone while running the AC/Ventilation to cycle it through all the ducting. Given enough time it can kill the mold and the spores in the fabrics.