- Joined
- Sep 4, 2022
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Bothell, Wa
- Vehicle Year
- 2000 / 2004
- Make / Model
- XL 4X4 / FX4
- Transmission
- Automatic
I picked up a used Ranger with 70,000 miles for cheap. The background on this truck was that it was only used in the dirt and never on the street. It was a "fleet" vehicle.
I started tearing into it and saw the carpet was very dirty so I took out the seats and the carpet and power washed only the carpet, it was full of sand and dirt and it cleaned up nice. I cleaned some of the inside panels and found lots of mud and sand in several areas.. I cleaned the seat covers of the seats with carpet cleaner and then put the seats and carpet back in the truck and let it sit overnight with the windows up.
In the morning I opened the the door and was surprised how bad it smelled. It literally smelled like a garbage dump. You know when you drive into the waste station? - it's that smell.
Today I took everything out again. This time I took off all internal panels, as well as the roof lining, the side panel doors, the small panel side doors, and the carpet again. Inside the small doors were small bags of insulation that were ripped up. So I threw them away. There was mud everywhere inside the tiny back doors, so I hosed them all down. I sprayed the seats bottom and top with water. I hosed all of the interior panels until they were free of dust and mud After I was done, I opened all of the doors and let the truck sit all day with nothing inside but the front interior/dash.
Tonight I pulled it into the garage and the smell remains.
Any ideas on what I should clean next? I may have to take out the entire dash... (there is a lot of dust in the gauge cluster, I am not sure how so much dust can get into the gauge cluster)
Thanks in advance.
I started tearing into it and saw the carpet was very dirty so I took out the seats and the carpet and power washed only the carpet, it was full of sand and dirt and it cleaned up nice. I cleaned some of the inside panels and found lots of mud and sand in several areas.. I cleaned the seat covers of the seats with carpet cleaner and then put the seats and carpet back in the truck and let it sit overnight with the windows up.
In the morning I opened the the door and was surprised how bad it smelled. It literally smelled like a garbage dump. You know when you drive into the waste station? - it's that smell.
Today I took everything out again. This time I took off all internal panels, as well as the roof lining, the side panel doors, the small panel side doors, and the carpet again. Inside the small doors were small bags of insulation that were ripped up. So I threw them away. There was mud everywhere inside the tiny back doors, so I hosed them all down. I sprayed the seats bottom and top with water. I hosed all of the interior panels until they were free of dust and mud After I was done, I opened all of the doors and let the truck sit all day with nothing inside but the front interior/dash.
Tonight I pulled it into the garage and the smell remains.
Any ideas on what I should clean next? I may have to take out the entire dash... (there is a lot of dust in the gauge cluster, I am not sure how so much dust can get into the gauge cluster)
Thanks in advance.