Moldy Smells Inside Car Vents A Way That Motorists Can Break the Mold The problem goes way beyond a nuisance and in many cases causes such respiratory problems as sneezing, coughing, tightening of the chest and drowsiness. Although this problem has been around for a long time, it's getting worse. But there is also good news: Remedies to fix the problem are more effective than ever. The source of the smelly malady is mold, a single cell organism that grows in the dark and wet environment in your car's air-conditioning system. The fungi in your air-conditioning grow on a part called the evaporator core, which is deep inside your dashboard. The core, which looks like a small radiator, circulates cold Freon from the compressor under the hood. The evaporator core gets wet, because humidity condenses on the core surface. Mold loves wet surfaces and it gets food from pollen in the air, dead insects or bits of leaves that blow in through the outside vents. Until now, getting the mold off the evaporator core was very costly and repairs often lasted only weeks.

You can kill mold with an antimicrobial treatment-even Lysol works-but the mold will reappear. General Motors, Chrysler and six other manufacturers are distributing a product to dealerships that can eliminate the problem. It is not available directly to consumers. A treatment should cost about $75 to $110, depending on a dealer's labor charge. Apart from the treatment, motorists can do plenty to combat mold. Remove dead leaves near the air intakes around the windshield cowling. Dry all liquid spills inside the car, especially milk. Clean stale food out of the car. And periodically, run the blower without the air-conditioning on for 10 minutes, because it can dry off the evaporator core. Back To Advice ArticlesWe turned on the air conditioning in our car last week to test it and it smells musty. What causes this and how can it be removed? – Melanie in MontrealGetting prepared for the summer’s heat waves is a wise move.Experts say air conditioner odour is a common problem, and one that’s amplified in humid climates.

“The air conditioning system not only cools, it dehumidifies the air. What causes the odour is bacteria and mould growing in the evaporator core, due to excess humidity and moisture. The more humidity, the worse it is,” says Fred Rose of Anglo Canadian Automotive Supply in Vancouver. Rose has been servicing air conditioning systems since 1978.Particles pulled in with the outside air (bacteria, spores and dirt) typically drain from the vehicle along with condensation formed when the air conditioning is in use. When excess moisture is present, these particles instead settle in the warm, moist evaporator and case. It’s dark, and ripe for the growth of bacteria and mould.To eliminate the smell, you have to get rid of the bacteria. There are various chemicals and procedures. We use ozone, and run an ozone machine in the car while the vehicle is running so that the ozone is pulled in through the air intake and kills the bacteria. That procedure takes a couple of hours, and then the car has to sit for some time.

Because ozone isn’t good for us either, you have to give it time to disperse,” says Rose.There are other products on the market aimed at combatting the bacteria. “One is a mist treatment, using a product which foams up. car air conditioning repair gilbert azYou drill a hole in the case and then introduce the mist to the evaporator core and let it sit, give it time to work, and then flush it out,” says Rose.Spraying disinfectant in the intake vents on a regular basis isn’t likely to solve the problem. trane ac unit dimensions“The disinfectant spray odour within the car can get rather strong, and it doesn’t really effectively kill the bacteria – but masks it with another smell.” portable air conditioning units 15 000 btu

The most effective method, according to Rose, is a mist or ozone treatment.As with many auto makers, Subaru Canada offers tips for preventing air conditioner odour: avoid parking under trees to reduce the possibility of leaves entering the air intake, use the fresh air setting on your climate control rather than the recirculated air setting whenever possible to allow the evaporator to dry out, and drive on paved roads whenever feasible as dust may accelerate the condition.Whether or not you’re experiencing problems, the general consensus is that you should have your air conditioning system checked every two years. This should involve an inspection of the evaporator core and all lines and hoses to make sure no leaks have developed, and cleaning of the condenser.“You should also take a general look at how it’s running, and whether it’s cold enough. If the refrigerant charge is down, the compressor starves for lubrication, which can create all kinds of problems,” says Rose.There’s also an item in the system called a drier or accumulator.

“Its purpose is to remove any moisture, and it has a lifespan of seven years. It should be changed at least that often or every time there’s a major repair made to the vehicle, because you don’t know how much of the desiccant in that unit is left, and you don’t want to take a chance on it bursting because it can create expensive problems,” says Rose.Take your vehicle to the air conditioning professionals to resolve the smell, and any other pending problems. Most of the time when I first turn on the A/C in our 2008 Toyota Sienna, the air that blows out has a very distinct chemical - nasty smell. After a while it seems to go away. I'm not sure if I just get used to the smell or it actually goes away. When I just turn on the fan with no A/C there is no smell. Also if I drive somewhere then leave shortly thereafter, it doesn't stink when I fire it up the 2nd (or subsequent) time. Should I be concerned for my health or safety? This is a common problem for all air conditioners (in a car or not), and is caused by mildew growth.

In cars it often happens when people run their A/C on the recirculation all of the time, or the drain gets clogged. The system doesn't dry out completely and mildew starts to grow. You should be concerned about your health, especially if you have allergies. Just imagine all that mildew and god knows what else growing in there and being spewed in your face every time you turn the A/C on... Here's a link to US EPA page describing how mold may affect health, if you are still not convinced. The things you should do to remove the cause of your problem and prevent it from happening again: Run it on recirculation only when something stinks outside, or you want it to cool down quickly. from outside will help it dry out Make sure that your A/C drain isn't clogged and there is no water And this is what you could do to remove the unpleasant effects: Run the heater on full for a while, that will dry out the system and might 'cook' the mildew.

Change your cabin air filter (if you have one). There are special sprays sold to remove the mildew from the A/C system (read the instructions carefully or some other stuff like that will work too, but the smell will be more unpleasant. I suggest that you do all of this, and in the specified order. I have observed this - kind of like an acrid or "vinegar" smell. You can help prevent this by turning OFF the air conditioner a couple/few minutes prior to turning off the auto. As others said, it is caused by growth of biological bacteria/fungal and turning off early helps dry the system and assists in prevention as it reduces the moisture retained in the system. When you say chemical do you mean mildew? Some cars have an issue where condensation from the exchanger will pool up in the ducts and allow mildew to form. This is frequently the smell that comes from the vents when they fist start blowing. a possible solution to your a/c smell is to change the pollen filter as this tends to clog after some time it should be changed annually hope this helps

The simplest/easiest/quickest way is to just to turn on the heater full blast for about 5 minutes. This will dry out the air conditioner and kill the mold and bacteria. Hi first is fungle thts growing in all a/c. U can remove it urslf bye an anti fungle spray at a fitment centre spray it on the out side where the wind gets into the car. When u turn ur interior fan on there's a suction entery place where the air goes in in ur engine bay spray it there. It will get suck in the pipes straight 2 where the fungus is Remove the cabin air filter first and start the engine and A/C and select recirculate, take a can of Oziom odor and bacteria killer and spray a good amount into the system where you removed the filter. Make sure to replace that filter ever so often to prevent that from happening again. Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).