IS - 3rd Gen (2014-present) Discussion about the 2014+ model IS models

Stinky AC

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Old Oct 5, 2018 | 08:19 AM
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Default Stinky AC

So after the 4 grueling months in arizona where its above 100 degrees daily, my AC can finally take a break off of being set at LO and full blast fan. That being said, after pushing the AC that hard for so long, How do i remedy the stench? Do I need to replace the cabin air filter? the stench goes away when im not on recirc.
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Old Oct 5, 2018 | 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Pittsy
So after the 4 grueling months in arizona where its above 100 degrees daily, my AC can finally take a break off of being set at LO and full blast fan. That being said, after pushing the AC that hard for so long, How do i remedy the stench? Do I need to replace the cabin air filter? the stench goes away when im not on recirc.
yup, cabin filter. takes less than 5 mins to do.
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Old Oct 6, 2018 | 05:17 PM
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Ask Lexus for AC evaporator core cleaning service ~$100
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Old Oct 6, 2018 | 05:20 PM
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replaced the filter last night. stopped smelling immediately. the old filter was literally black, weighed about 5 times more than the new one. gross. that’s what i get for daily driving in az
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Old Oct 6, 2018 | 05:21 PM
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How old was your filter?
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Old Oct 6, 2018 | 05:33 PM
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Not sure, It has never been replaced unless it was replaced by lexus during my last warrantied dealer service. AZ sucks.
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Old Oct 7, 2018 | 09:53 AM
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Another word of advice is, aside from changing cabin filter, do the following:
1. roll windows all the way down
2. take lysol (the kind that kills mold AND mildew)
3. start your car and turn the ac on and set it to recirc mode OFF, that way the air is being sucked in from the outside - put your fan to HIGH and the temp down to lowest setting
4. pop your hood and look towards bottom of the front windshield you'll see the vents where air gets sucked in
5. spray the can of lysol into the vents, for a couple of minutes, evenly
6. let the car run like that for about 10-15 mins with the windows still rolled down to air out everything.
7. optional - I do this again then with the heat all the way up, again with the recirc mod off and fan on full blast.

Another thing I also have in my car is this:
Amazon Amazon
It neutralizes odors and has worked flawlessly when the weather outside isn't optimal to do the above. It 'refreshes' itself by simply being put out in the sun every so often, so this keeps working time over time again.
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Old Oct 7, 2018 | 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Pittsy
Not sure, It has never been replaced unless it was replaced by lexus during my last warrantied dealer service. AZ sucks.
4 month is incredible. are you in an area close to the desert, so with a lot of sand?
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Old Oct 8, 2018 | 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by silvoxer
4 month is incredible. are you in an area close to the desert, so with a lot of sand?

AZ is full of dust and dirt and sand. I live North of phoenix were it's more desolate and "desert-y". Weve gotten almost 3 inches of rain from that tropical storm that came up from west of mexico?(havent really looked into it just heard some murmurs), all of the roads are covered in dirt, about half an inch or more in some spots.
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Old Oct 9, 2018 | 07:53 AM
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I never have smelly AC in my car for years by doing this. Whenever you're running AC always turn it off 2-3 min before you turn off the engine. What this does is you don't leave the car off with moisture in the AC system and let the outside warm air dry it off.
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Old Oct 10, 2018 | 09:01 AM
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Some good information from dojoman & tofuprod.
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Old Oct 10, 2018 | 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by RX469
Some good information from dojoman & tofuprod.
Always happy to help, that's why I'm here
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