Why is it that my TL has been sucking up odors and bad smell outside of my car whenever I used my A/C? I've been smelling noxious fumes from cars, methane from some gas stations, and sewage dump. The A/C smells fine when the air is clean.

I have changed my cabin filter on a regular basis. I used Honda OEM cabin filters. I've tried stuffing those black carbon filter things.

Am I missing something here? What could be wrong? Will one of those carbon cabin filters work? Is there any site that sells activated carbon filters? Is the Fram filter any good?

http://www.amazon.com/CF8603A-Fresh-.../dp/B001CEJH5W

 

Try using the "recirculate" button. That will cut off the outside air from sucking into the cabin.

 

All of my Acura/Honda cars have done this. Close the vents if you know it smells bad outside, and use the "recirculate" button in the center, just make sure the orange light is on and you know the vents are closed. And use a good air freshener for the inside. I use California Scents

 

yes you can walk into a parts store and buy our filter with charcoal and/or antibacterial-antifungal (bosch)..ck parts store websites

correct use of fresh and recirc is important, but you may have some mold issues in the vents already
they make a special spray or you can use lysol or ozium into the vents

Make sure the rear vent on back of center console is OPEN all the time
air gets pushed there to the end of a plastic tube--under your drinks, cds etc.
and gets blocked by the closed vent--so it can get moisture buildup in the tube.

A general operating tip if you get smell issues: switch ac off but leave fan on the last few minutes of your drive- especially if long use of ac, that will let fresh air dry the condensation in the vents so you prevent mold issues

 

whats `on a regualr basis` to you?
acura says every 12 months--sooner if lots of constuction or road dust

 

There's no moldy smell when the a/c is on/ff. I don't have any problems with that. I would change my cabin filter every 6 months.

Like I said, the bad smell comes only if I'm driving to a place that smells bad. Even when I'm using the circulation feature, it would take that bad smell in my car. But if I'm driving around a beach, the a/c smells fine.

What do you mean by closing the vents? If I'm correct, I can only close the driver & passenger side vents and the back seat vents. But I can't close the 2 vents in the center console. The circulation feature only applies to the center vents or the whole ventilation system?

 

no I meant the little vent on the rear of the CENTER ARM REST/cd storage thing
On the back of it is a small vent for rear passenger air/heat that can be closed- but it always gets air pushed at it--so leave vent open to prevent temp issues in storage area and mold potential
Not the dash

recirc mode shuts off the `vent door` to outside air, and just runs the same cabin air back thru the blower

all I can imagine is door or glass rubber seal is bad and allows smells in
ck all of them, and the drains for doors and sunroof for good measure

Or you are developing a sensativity to certain things from constant exposure.
talk to your doctor- no kidding, example: fibromyalgia patients feel hear and smell more things- to an extreme, I Know people like that

 

the vents do as you ask for heat and cold- where it comes out etc??
no funny sounds from dash when you switch modes to recirc and back?
airflow changes speed with recirc button use?

other possible would be the seal for the master vent door

who had a failure of the door or seal??

 

When I use the recirculation, more air starts blowing through the A/C.

I'm only guessing that the mechanism or seal that covers the outside vent for the a/c is broken. Any fix for that?

 

who has the diagram for the vents and door mechanism

increase in speed was the correct answer to function test

 

more air will blow on recirc