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2012 Prius c moisture and smell coming from black floor mats

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by mtwong26, Aug 16, 2022.

  1. mtwong26

    mtwong26 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2021
    3
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    Location:
    Austin
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    Hi everyone,

    I have a 2012 Prius c. Yesterday, I woke up and got in my car and it smelled horrible (like laundry kept in the washer too long). The smell was strong enough to even make my garage smell bad. I was able to sniff out the primary source of the smell to the backseat floor near the driver side, and when I lifted the floor mats, I noticed condensation underneath both sides of the backseat.

    I did a bit of research and it seemed like the likely culprit was the A/C drain being clogged. However, today, when I drove my car, I did notice the car dripping condensation, so I can't imagine it is clogged. Also, the wetness was specifically located in the carpets of the backseat - I couldn't detect any moisture in the passenger side floors.

    Hard to tell if there's a smell coming from the A/C vents since the car smells in general now. It's hot in Texas so I suppose mold can grow quickly but I was surprised by how my car turned rancid overnight.

    Anyone have any ideas? I'm going to go ahead and try cleaning out the A/C regardless, but curious to see if anyone has ideas.

    Thanks!
     
    #1 mtwong26, Aug 16, 2022
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 16, 2022
  2. Sonic_TH

    Sonic_TH Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2020
    560
    93
    7
    Location:
    Puerto Rico
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Take a look at the roof antenna and check if water is not getting inside through there.
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,133
    50,049
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    check the spare tire well and 12v battery area. also the hybrid battery. if there's any moisture, could be the roof rails or hatch