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Help! My air conditioning smells

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  doh 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

I own a 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue (3.8) with 130,000 miles.

Beginning last summer, the A/C began to emit a musty-type smell. This smell is only noticeable when the A/C is in recirculation mode. The smell is bad enough, though, that I pretty much no longer use the A/C.

The drain plug is not clogged (the dealer inspected it). I have also changed the cabin air filter.

I've used two cans of over-the-counter A/C deodorizer from Autozone to no avail. I've also tried using Lysol, which did nothing.

I took the car to a GM dealer. The mechanic supposedly cleaned and deodorized the A/C Evaporator. The procedure took 1 hour and cost $130. I have a suspicion that the mechanic probably used some over-the-counter spray similar to what I already used. In any case, the smell remains.

Two independent mechanics have told me that the evaporator will probably have to be removed and cleaned...at a cost of approx. $500 to $600. And one of the mechanics told me that since it's such an ordeal to get at the evaporator, I should replace it, at an additional cost of $300.

Any ideas as to what I can do besides removing the evaporator? Are there any cleaners or procedures that any of you have used besides what I have already mentioned? Is there any way of spraying cleaner onto the evaporator directly without having to remove it? Is is possible, for example, to remove the blower box and shove some sort of tube down there or something so I can spray cleaner directly onto the evaporator?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Jason
 
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#2 ·
It's probably not what you want to hear....but this is what I do:

Before shutting off your car after using the AC, put the fan on it's highest setting (fresh air, no AC) for a minute or 2, then shut your car off. This has helped for me in the past. My 1996 Ford Contour had a very smelly AC system, even when new....and that's when I learned that trick. Occasionally I get some smell in my 1993 Camry, but it goes away once I use the procedure above again.
 
#5 ·
The smell this is from some mold

This can be very dangerous as the fungi in there can be very unhealthy, or just stinky

I suggest to spray some kind of disinfectant eg Lysol into the A/C evaporator where there is probably some growth, maybe put the fan on high with the car parked and spray into the intake (open the hood, this is not good for paint)

Also remove the cabin filter obviously

You may have a stuck drain for the A/C condensate (water) which might pool in there and causing the mold...



 
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