There is an evident wet odor smell coming from my 2015 IS with 53,000 miles. When I turn the AC on it goes away but when u turn the AC off with the fans still running is when I can really smell it. Then and when I first get in the car and the AC warms up.

What can I do about this? Thanks.

 

Mine had a similar odor too, I changed the cabin filter and now it's gone.

 

where can I access the cabin filter? sorry, no manual

 

It's inside your glove box.

 

Open your glovebox, remove all of it's contents and the little shelf in there. Make sure the AC is set to recirculation mode, then inside the glovebox, there is this little tabbed door, much like battery boxes on remote control cars etc and once you open that, a cartridge containing the cabin air filter can be pulled out.

 

https://www.clublexus.com/how-tos/a/...-filter-366742

 

Could be your HVAC habits promoted odor causing bacteria to grow on your cabin filter. This can be caused if you run in any particular mode full time. I try to cycle between recirc off/on and ac off/on. Try turning off the AC if you run it all the time, particularly for a few min. before you shut the car off. Just when you find the time, every once in a while, try to cycle through.

If you don't run the ac somewhat regularly, you should switch it on for a few minutes every once in a while.

Sometimes you can't always remember to jerk around w/ the ac system so occasionally you'll get a whiff of mold. But it goes away. just a fact of life!

 

This works well, have been doing it for decades. Also, many Lyft, Taxi and Uber drivers put a few drops of peppermint, vanilla or other oil on a small sponge or piece of cloth, place it under the seat and the car smells much better for weeks. Just a few drops, don't want you car smelling like a brothel.

 

Hi guys. I changed the cabin filter and it was fine..no smell. for a little bit, then I went away for 7 days and didn't drive the car. Now, it is starting to smell again, especially when I have the fans blowing. I have 4 airfresheners but the musty smell is back. What else could it be? If I turn the AC off, I smell it a lot more than when I turn the AC on to full blast. It seems like the colder it is, the less the smell.

 

You can try ozone treatment

 

Could it be a leak in the air conditioning or something like that causing the smell?

 

This worked excellent when I had my E90 330i Auto Shocker ClO2 car interior odor eliminator

 

Try putting a DampRid container in your car with the windows closed. It helps remove excess moisture along with the musty odor that comes with it.

 

AC air duct / vent cleaner picked up at local auto parts store does the trick. Smells great too.

Rotating circulation helps as stated above.

ALSO, if running the AC it is best to turn off the AC and leave the fan to continue to blow the last 2+ minutes before shutting off the car. AC creates moisture in the system which once sits there and creates bad smell. Allowing the fan to run with AC off before leaving the car helps to get rid of the moisture.
I use my AC 90% of the time or more so I'm very familiar with this issue and since ive been doing this the problem is much better.

 

You Can give this a try also. So far it has Worked on our Highlander, CRV, will be using it on my ES soon.


https://parts.toyota.com/p/Toyota-AC...0289ACRKT.html