Any idea why i'm getting bad odor coming from A/C vents?

Any solutions?

 

Is it a musty smell?

 

Yes sir.

 

Can happen on all cars. First try simply switching off the A/C compressor a mile or so from your final stop of the day, let the fan continue to blow air. It removes some of the moisture. Try that for several days. I've always done it and don't have the issue. With more and more use of RECIRC in car climate systems it seems to have increased because of the lack of dry air in the system, then parking overnight.

 

I had this problem and they replaced the evaporator.

 

I will take to the dealer because this is not a 10 years old car. This is happening in less than a year.

 

same issue with other cars, same resolution..


or that works too

 

Haven't had the problem on this car but on a previous car, Lysol sprayed into the A/C intake periodically would get rid of the mold.

 

How did they diagnose it as the evaporator? Was there anything else wrong with your AC system other than the smell? I have the same bad odour when I start the car and the temperature is a little warm and humid (just started again with the spring arriving). I tried Lysol last summer, but I had to do it every couple of weeks (and found that Lysol itself at a bad smell to it).

I have a service appointment scheduled this coming Monday - when I discussed the problem while taking the appointment they offered me a $55 treatment that cleans and removes bacteria throughout the car (including within the vents). I'm worried that it's only a temporary fix...

 

It had the smell already when I bought the car when it was 6 months old. They sprayed it once, but the smell was back in a week. I played around with it myself for a couple of months turning off the ac a couple of minutes before stopping, leaving it in fresh air mode, etc. but the smell never left. Finally took it back in and they replaced the evaporator. I asked them if the new evaporator had any updated design, and they said no. time will tell.

 

Lysol, or Ozium sprayed into the fresh air intakes at the base of the windshield will help kill the mold/mildew causing the smell.

If the system is plugged up, then the dealer may have to get involved, otherwise, it will just recur.

This is something I have had happen in some way, shape or form on many cars I have owned across all makes, and models.

 

Check your ac cabin filter. We had a customer complaint and it was full off pollen and clogged.

 

There are cleaners available that require removing the in cabin filter and spraying an aerosol into the fan motor opening while the fan is operating. I have done this with both cars and it seems to work fine. A minor maintenance that saves a trip and the expense of taking to dealer. Do a search for the product name - it has been discussed here quite a bit.

 

Weren't there also threads of people spraying things into their A/C vents and inadvertently messing up their ECU's

https://acurazine.com/forums/problem...e-help-885501/
https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...aner-c-881828/

https://www.google.com/search?q=site...m+ac+kilma+ecu




YMMV of course but I would tread lightly