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I should have had posted this years ago but just never got around to it "my bad", although just in case folks still need it. The AC might smell like mold or damp water or just plain stinks and no matter how much you open your door windows while driving to air out the smell, or get an AC cleaning kit, it just won't go away.
Model:
IS 2nd Gen
Year:
2008 to 2010 Maybe all the way to 2012 not sure
What:
AC water container bucket drain hose gets clogged up
AC water has no where to go but up then down the outside of water container bucket and into the carpet
Result:
Mold starts to build up on carpet under front and passenger side and it starts to smell
Resolve
Vacuum out the clogged hose (dealer did this for me)
Replace carpet ~$1k
Extend drain hose 5 to 10 inches down the side of the transmission (possible permanent solution?)
Remove rubber grommet (possible permanent solution, with extended hose?)
1. AC Exterior View of Drain Hole ha yeah, I have no idea how the dealer gets to it, as it is on top of the transmission and I do not know how far the drain hose reaches
2. AC Exterior View of Drain Rubber Grommet
3. AC Exterior View of Drain Hole Missing Hose There is about 5 inches from the Firewall to the AC Container Bucket hole
4. AC Rubber Drain Grommet That slider is where the clogging starts
5. AC Interior View of Drain Hole FireWall Where rubber grommet sits in between Firewall and Shielding to be held on place
6. AC Interior View of Drain Hole Container Where the hose would be connected to
7. AC Interior Top of Contianer Bucket Where container gets full of water and starts to over flow into the car where the carpet absorbs it and starts creating mold and thus smell
^^ cars that live outside under trees will be a bulk of the qualifying candidates. Basically if you pull the cabin filter and its loaded with tree parts, take note. The same applies to sun roof drains. If that gutter is plugged at the corners water can spill over into the headliner.
AC Smells Like Mold or Stinks
