I purchased a can of Einszett Klima-Cleaner A/C Odor Remover to remove the musty smell I have coming from the vents on my 2014 RLX. I don't have the smell when the AC is on, rather when the AC is off and it's just regular air coming out.

Thankfully before using it, I unfortunately noticed a disclaimer on the site that says "Not for use on Acura vehicles". Would anyone happen to know what is so different in Acura vehicles which would prohibit it's use on them?

And if I can't use this, does anyone have any other suggestions on how I can fix this? I've replaced the cabin air filter but it didn't address my issue.

 

I looked into using that product on my RL...if I recall correctly, there is history of Acura owners using that product and somehow having it "leak into" the car's computer causing very expensive damage. I should note that this damage was caused by injecting the product into the center vents as per the instructions which somehow allows the product to leak into the vehicles computer but I believe using the product in the passenger's side vent (closest to the door) or directly onto the cooling coils via the condensation drain tube were safer modes of use.

Search the product name on Acurazine and it should direct you to the posts I'm referring to so you can read them in greater detail.

 

Thanks Hondamore. I will look into seeing what others have experienced on Acurazine. I wrote to Einszett's customer service specifically about Acuras and their response below was similar to what you said:

Thanks for getting in touch with us. The way the ventilation is set up and the placement of the ECU makes treating the evaporator more complicated and could lead to the ECU being exposed to the cleaner. It’s worth mentioning that Klima Cleaner has been successfully applied to many Acuras and Hondas which share the same systems and architecture. However, as a precaution we are recommending customers to avoid using the product unless they have a certified mechanic or dealership apply it. They will be able to get to the evaporator core in the most direct method possible.

Meanwhile, make sure you replace any cabin air filters since they can be a source of odors.

I'm thinking that if I apply the product via the cabin air filter compartment in the glove box - it will circumvent any electronics by going through the front vents.

Perhaps PGEORG has one of those lovely diagrams of the guts of the car by the glove box so I have an idea of where to aim the goo! I think I just need to aim to the left through the blower blades so I can get into the evaporator without hitting any electronics. But what do I know?!

 

Just do a search on WURTH as I've posted the fix a million times here....

 

This is best i could find, that shows the ducts. I have included the part descriptions incase you want to see where something specific is. If you give me a day or so, i might be able to find something better......





























HTH

 

That's for the head's up. I didn't realize that could be an issue.

 

So I brought my car into the dealership because I wanted to make sure there wasn't an issue with a hose being disconnected or a clogged drain valve - which was causing the musty smell from my vents.

They have acknowledged the smell but said with the exception of taking the dash apart to inspect, which they don't recommend, they can do a cleaning of the system but there is a charge for this as it's not covered under warranty....

I asked if it's normal for the system to smell and they said no - so my comment back was that if it's not normal, then isn't that what warranty is for??? They said they would get back to me. Seems odd to me that I would have to pay to have this corrected on a car under warranty with 20,000km on it.

 

^^^ I believe that you are totally correct, and that they need to fix this under warranty, whether they get reimbursed by Acura or not. I would not accept anything else. If you have a good relationship with your dealer, I would be surprised that they would take any other position since they acknowledge the abnormal smell.

 

hit the nail on the head.

The ECU is usually on the passenger side kick panel and there have been people having issues with cleaners leaking from the air ducts up top down to the ECU. Multiple reports on AZ on the older Acuras. I'd stay away from it too OP.

 

Why not spray it into the outside vents near hood line/windshield where air is pulled in? That is where I have sprayed my Wurth cleaner.

 

I have done this procedure on all of my 3 current Acura's twice a year for each.....Follow the instructions on the Wurth can which says to remove filters and spray "ENTIRE" can of Wurth in the intake of the AC system....Have engine on with AC in full mode recycle mode with all windows down for 10 minutes.....

Do NOT spray into the ac vents or behind the engine bay as you just stated.....follow the instruction on the Wurth can....Also change your AC Allergen filters while doing this procedure....(it is like changing your motor oil but not your oil filter......)

Miner you have done a half xxx job......it pointless....waste of dough and time...time is money....follow the instructions on the can...

 

Fabsix
Is the intake located behind the cabin filter - remove filter and spray in that area?

 

Yes remove those allergen filters and it is the round intake ac unit with fins below the filter tray .....spray the entire can into that while AC is on full mode rec mode for ten minutes (please follow instructions on can)....

 

I reread the directions on the can and it did state to spray into vent at base of windshield. Initially, I interpreted that as being the outside intake vent, but I suppose it meant the interior vents at base of windshield. Thank you Fabvsix.

 

I followed Fabsix's instructions and got the Wurst cleaner into the right area. My cabin filter was not that dirty, I cleaned it with compressed air. Be careful that you do not have any stray paper napkins/kleenexes nearby when cleaning the AC air intake - I had one nearby to use to catch any drips and it got suckked into my air intake. I immediately shut down the fan and was able to retrieve it luckily. I also did my wife's TLX.

 

A few questions.

1. Isn't using Würth air cleaner the same as using the Einsett cleaner? I.E. is the risk for damage to the ECU similar?

2. A picture of the area where one one insert the air duct cleaner would be super helpful.

3. Where is the cabin filter in the RLX?
Edit: Never mind on question 3:

 

[QUOTE=neuronbob;15481357]A few questions.

1. Isn't using Würth air cleaner the same as using the Einsett cleaner? I.E. is the risk for damage to the ECU similar?

2. A picture of the area where one one insert the air duct cleaner would be super helpful.

3. Where is the cabin filter in the RLX?
Edit: Never mind on question 3: [/QUOTE

Below the cabin filter is the intake for the AC - I just sprayed some Wurth into that area while the AC was on Hi and recirc mode. I asked my Acura Service Tech how they clean the AC system and it was basically the same way, but he added they also spray the cleaner through the outside intake vents below the windshield. Where the risk of ECU damage happens is when some cleaner is added through the condensation drip tube.


FYI, the Fram cabin filter I bought was the same filter listed for the TLX, MDX, RDX, ILX and Accord.

 

I decided to go ahead and use the Einszett foam I had purchased, but to be safe, I didn't put it in any of the front vents. Like Miner described above, I removed the cabin air filter and inserted the tube through the blower fans as far down as the tube would extend.

The instructions said to put the heat on max for 2 minutes and then turn the car off. I sprayed roughly half the can and then let the vehicle sit on the street for 20 minutes. You could see the liquid draining out the bottom of the vehicle. I then started the car and put the heat on max for another 2 minutes as recommended. It seems to have done a good job at getting the majority of the smell out - but I plan to do the other half of the can to hit it again. No electronic/ECU issues whatsoever.

As an FYI, after removing the cabin filter and before I sprayed, I stuck my iPhone into the opening to take a picture of the inside with the tube inserted - see below:

 

Thank you from for the picture! I have developed a musty smell from the AC in the last few weeks and I'd like to get rid of it. I've never had this in any of my other cars, so I've never cleaned the AC. I can only chalk it up to not driving it every day?

 

You might wish to bring it to the dealership first for them to diagnose the problem and attempt to correct it. I did that first - which helped, but did not fully address the smell. I then have tried myself to correct it.

I think the issue stems from the fact that we use AC right up to the point of our destination and then turn the car off. Instead, you should turn off your AC a few minutes before arriving and keep the blower on to dry out the evaporator core. Naturally mold/bacteria will grow on anything that is wet and humid.

 

I used Wurth for years......the dealership USE Wurth!!!!! Wurth does the job the first round....

 

Thank you again Fabsix for your guidance and suggestions.

 

Thanks, guys. I finally did the deed. I purchased a 16 oz can of Wuerth AC cleaner because that moldy smell was getting to me. The operation described above takes all of two minutes, if you include the minuscule amount of time it takes to take apart the glove compartment. It's lots easier than on our old Pilot, in which we had to cut through a plastic bar, removing it, to remove the cabin air filter.

My filter looked pretty dirty after only 10k miles/less than a year. It smelled nasty, too. Ugh. Glad I changed it out.

 

Almost ten days later, and the moldy smell hasn't returned. I only mention it because I feel really badly for the OP of this thread, whose dealership took apart the entire interior to replace stuff. (thread in question, with pics, here: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...-vents-935449/ )

I now really question whether that total teardown was necessary. My plan is to do a Würth cleaning every three months or as needed as a preventive measure, and to replace the cabin air filter every six months. In my case, I rotate between three cars for daily/fun duty, so my Sport Hybrid can sit for up to five days without significant driving. I suspect the prolonged sitting has an effect on the development of the smell.