HI Everyone-
Im not sure if Im just hyper sensitive, or if Im just crazy , but when ever I roll my windows down (both drivers side and passengers) there is a terrible mildew smell that makes me want to gag! My sister notices it too so at least im not the only one.
Has anyone else had this problem? I have done a dozen searches and can't find any posts about it.
Im thinking water is getting down the window slot during rain and washings, and then its not draining out so it just sits there. Its probably more noticeable when i roll the window down because it is displacing air in the door and forcing it up out of the window slot and into my face
Does any one know about the drainage on the doors, or how I can fix this?
I might call a shop to see if they have had to deal with this before, but Im hoping to get some feed back here!
Thanks a bunch folks !

 

Have you checked the drainage holes on the underside lip of the doors?
They could just be blocked.

My mother-on-laws Vectra suffers the same problem - to the extent that you can actually hear the water sloshing about inside the doors - it must be 3 or 4 inches deep and leaves a pretty large puddle once drained.....

 

eeew- thats awfull
ok so after washing her last weekend i ducked down under the door to see if that was the case... i dont know where these drainage holes are...
there are two black plastic cap looking things, but they dont look like they are any good for draining... and i think your supposed to connect under door lights in them, so water shouldnt be there...
unless im wrong... maybe i should try prying one of those off... ill keep my face away incase it is the drain... i dont want a face full of that...
thanks

 

simply put - if you can't find an opening where the water can get out .... they are plugged. Unfortunately I no longer have a GEN1 to tell you exactly what to look for but my GEN2 also has two big rubber plugs and if I had water in the door I'd pull those to dry and clean. But the actual drain spots are at the far corners of the door panel, where the outer skin wraps around to the inner. At the corners there are openings which allow water to drain.

I had another car where I'd had extra undercoating applied. It developed THE SLOSH. The undercoat guys (remember ZEBART) had plugged every body drain - they were supposed to insert plugs, undercoat and REMOVE the plugs. Wanna guess what step they forgot? When I found a plug and pulled....I got about a gallon out from under the back seat. And that was just ONE plug of several.....

here's what my 7 looks like on back edge of driver's door (no dirt comments pls)



if it is plugged just run something in the hole .... I'd use a bamboo skewer as it would never scratch .... or a toothpick ... or carefully a wire .... and watch our for future crud running in. There is a similar opening at the front of the door (on my 7) ALL DOORS HAVE DRAIN HOLES .... they must. if you hear trapped water....find the plugged drain.

 

Thats great! Thanks Capt BJ!
ill go run a bamboo skewer up there tonight!

 

ok- so ive checked the drains and taken the plastic plugs off... no clog and no water came out... but there is a really nasty mildew smell...
i wonder if the water could be trapped somewhere that isnt getting drained...

Any one else out there have this problem?

 

Yes

I,ve got the same problem. The mildew smell is coming from inside the doors, when the window is down. My drain holes are clear, and I pulled the rubber plugs and verified that the inside, bottom of the doors is dry.

My car is an early 2007, with the rubber seals/deflectors installed on the doors (MINI eliminated these on later years). Maybe these prevent adequate air circulation.

I'm going to try to find the time to pull the door panels to see if there is a blockage further up inside the doors.

I'll report my results.