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Hi,
I recently noticed my 2002 LS (with about 210K miles) aircon has some sort of moldy/mildew smell. The aircon is working perfectly. I took it to Firestone and paid $49.99 for aircon tuneup service. All they did was check the aircon system has no leaks, the freon is sufficient, and the aircon circulation is working properly. The mechanic also indicated my aircon has "some funny smell" but Firestone does not offer full aircon cleanout service.
As a temporary stop gag measure, I was thinking of buying a can of Lysol (the one without the bleach) and spraying into all the aircon vents.... but I m not sure if it will damage any electronic components especially, the center vents.
I have also called a few vehicle aircon specialist shops and the price range is between $360 ($120/hr X 3 hrs) and $600. Is this a fair price? All the shops do NOT guarantee the smell will go away but assured me once the aircon is serviced, it will "smell clean like fresh air". Does anyone have a similar issue and how do you resolve it?
Thanks.
I had a lingering mold smell until when I replaced the a/c filter and then sprayed the filter with fabreeze as well as the compartment that holds the filter. No more smell. I performed this a year ago. If the smell returns I’ll repeat the process. By the way, I went with OEM a/c filter as I do for all my parts.
I have a can of stuff for this exact problem, it works 100% on everything I've used it on so far. I'll take a picture tomorrow (today really) so you can order some
Toyota and others make a cleaner for this problem. It is about $30 or so on Amazon, a little more at any Toyota dealer. It is easy DIY and works. Just follow the directions.
Thanks for all the feedback. I have also changed the cabin filter with an active charcoal filter but it did not help with the smell. I have also purchased a can of Lubegrd evaporator & heater foam cleaner from Amazon for $10.63 (
).
I sprayed into all the aircon vents and I saw the foam was dirty black. However, the smell is still there... Also, it damaged my center vent auto-swing movement ... now only the passenger side auto swing is working.
Use this, it should be sprayed in the intake side of the system standing outside the car via the cowl after you remove it. Or spray it into the filter slot with filter removed but that didn't work quite as well and you need to spray more if it
Make sure the AC drain tubes under the car are not plug up with mold, this can happen in warm climates... Start your car and do not drive and let idle with AC on high and turned to lowest temp. You should get water forming under the car near the inside of the front tires. It may take 5-10 minutes to see water under the car. If they are draining, I would spray 8-12 oz of 70% rubbing alcohol into the air cowl intakes by the lower part of the outside of the windshield/wipers. Check out this link... https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-c-system.html
Thanks for all the feedback. I have also changed the cabin filter with an active charcoal filter but it did not help with the smell. I have also purchased a can of Lubegrd evaporator & heater foam cleaner from Amazon for $10.63 (https://www.amazon.com/Lubegard-Evap...2&sr=8-1-fkmr0).
I sprayed into all the aircon vents and I saw the foam was dirty black. However, the smell is still there... Also, it damaged my center vent auto-swing movement ... now only the passenger side auto swing is working.
The damage to your vents is what concerns me. i'm sure some of these products do work though. I've found as mentioned above, replacement of the A/C filter with OEM and some febreze was all that i needed. Knock on wood, no more smell. Cleaning the old filter will not do it.
That Toyota product probably works best. It is definitely more common in hot humid climates. I have solved this with 70% rubbing alcohol and a spray bottle. As mentioned, make sure you are draining water under the car. Remove air filter, close air filter door, roll down all your windows, set AC to max cold, max fan, and make sure have the outside air selected. Go the front of the car and you can feelwith your hand at the bottom of the windshield where you have maximum vacuum. Spray thoroughly into vent. Like a mild misting setting. Probably sprayed 15 times. It was drainig green out of the tube with the treatment. Let car air out for a few min with the ac running windows down. The smell dispstes quickly leaving it fresh. Obviously nobody should be inside the car while you do this.
That Toyota product probably works best. It is definitely more common in hot humid climates. I have solved this with 70% rubbing alcohol and a spray bottle. As mentioned, make sure you are draining water under the car. Remove air filter, close air filter door, roll down all your windows, set AC to max cold, max fan, and make sure have the outside air selected. Go the front of the car and you can feelwith your hand at the bottom of the windshield where you have maximum vacuum. Spray thoroughly into vent. Like a mild misting setting. Probably sprayed 15 times. It was drainig green out of the tube with the treatment. Let car air out for a few min with the ac running windows down. The smell dispstes quickly leaving it fresh. Obviously nobody should be inside the car while you do this.
A quick but not always 100% substitute is to spray in the air inlet for the AC with Lysol spray. I do this to my Tundra that sits a lot every year or so.
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I did a quick validation on John P suggestion on the AC drain and it is draining fine with water after 2 mins of turning the a/c on. I decided to bring it to my friend's cousin, Tony who has a similar issue with his 2001 Lexus LS430. According to Tony, this is what he did:
1. replace the cabin air filter,
2. use Lysol bleach-free multi-purpose cleaner on the outside windshield vents by the hood,
3. use Lysol spray on all the aircon vents including the two under the front seats,
4. open all the windows,
5. Wait 15 mins and then turn on the a/c and set temp to hot,
6. let the car run for 5 mins and then set the temp to cold.
Attached is the photo of the Lysol bleach-free multi-purpose cleaner
Toyota and others make a cleaner for this problem. It is about $30 or so on Amazon, a little more at any Toyota dealer. It is easy DIY and works. Just follow the directions.
Hm, I have this issue with my car. Did the whole thing where you spray 70% ISP into the cowl vents and it certainly improved it but didn't 100% get rid of it. The smell is still kinda there when I switch to circulating the air inside of the cabin. Does anyone know where the air inlets are inside of the cabin? Might try the same method but spraying inside the intakes in the cabin.
Might try the toyota cleaner too. Seems to have mixed reviews but might be worth a shot.
I've had good luck in several cars with a product called Ozium. It comes in a small blue and white aerosol can. The most effective application method is to put the AC in recirculation mode and spray into the passengers side footwell until you see/smell it coming out of the vents. Then just shut the car off and let it sit.
I did the following this morning: 1. replace the cabin air filter, 2. use Lysol bleach-free multi-purpose cleaner on the outside windshield vents by the hood, 3. use Lysol spray on all the aircon vents including the two under the front seats, 4. open all the windows, 5. Wait 15 mins and then turn on the a/c and set temp to hot, 6. let the car run for 5 mins and then set the temp to cold.
It seems to work and the air that came out from the a/c seems fresh and does not have the moldy smell. I see how long it last.... if the smell comes back, I am going to use the Toyota cleaner. Thanks to everyone for your great inputs..
02-19-20, 08:57 PM
Aircon smell of mold or mildew
