Strange Smell from vents

Search on here for threads on this subject. There have been many good threads on here with good recommendations of what to do to get rid of mold and mildew around the AC coil.

 

Did you try the search button?

 

Well discussed issue with the Gen II and Gen III Prius. I have the same issue and recently asked the dealer about how to deal with it. He, basically, said that none of the current treatments are worth the money for the results they deliver (and that was from a dealership!).

There are ways to minimize the smell and the mold. A few minutes prior to stopping and shutting down the car, you should run the vents without the A/C on. The warm air will dry out the vents and give the mold a less hospitable place to grow.

There are some people who've tried drilling small holes into the A/C box to spray a chemical in there and I think they've had success. The Critic was going to experiment on this last summer, I don't recall his results.

 

I almost always do this...it also saves a bit of energy and you still get some cooling effect from the residual "coolth" in the system.

If it really is bad I'd try spraying a diluted bleach mist into each vent a few times when the car is off.

Mike

 

Did you change out your cabin filter?

 

Did you check your drain plug? It's not really a plug, but sometimes you can adjust it, so it can drain better. You can even spray a disinfectant / air sanitizer in it.

 

It is simple...do not use coat hanger, might punch a hole in the coil. Try using the inside of a pen, the plastic ink refill, or something like that.

 

I checked with the Critic, he never said he didn't complete the project of de-odorizing his A/C. It was a chemical cleaner that you spray up through the drain "plug". Like mine, his smell is getting worse.

Running warm air through your vents will help. For my car....

1) If I just run the vent, no smell.
2) If I just run the A/C, no smell.
3) If I run the A/C, and turn the A/C off to run the vent.......musty, dirty gym socks smell.

 

Here are some shots of the area I suspect the evaporator coil box is located. I've also included a pic of where the drain tube is as I located it during my Dynamat project. How I solve the vent odor problem is to cover it up with a "Little Tree". It works for about a month.
Maybe The Critic can confirm if drilling in the area I suspect is near the top of the evaporator coil, it would be possible to inject coil cleaning foam using an plastic extension tube followed by a rinse.

 

My Prius is 4 years old today. Live in Florida. Early Last Spring I had a very moldy smell from the AC. Tried many of the DIY methods noted here and other postings. Nothing really worked. Before the issue - I never shut down the AC before parking in warm weather, so I'd guess the warm/cool environ welcomed the mold etc. I called my local dealer - they had an AC service that uses some sort of airborne chemical that circulates thru the ventilation system and rids the system of mold/mildew. I think it cost about $70. Must say, I'm a thrifty guy and like to DIY, but I would never try again - to fix the mold issue myself. I have not had the issue since and my vents smell clean since the service. IMO, $$ well spent. BTW, now I always try to shut off the AC a minute or so prior to shutting the car and vent system down.

 

same issue here. perhaps i over looked it but i think you might also want to consider running with the AC off ANDD using outside air before turning the car off. The outside fresh air opens a vent which should also help to minimize the smell.

 

The bleach smell will go away, while the other smells won't unless you do something. I haven't tried this...I just heard it on a car talk show.
But I've used bleach on household mold.

Mike

 

Bleach as well as Lysol can kill mold effectively but please do not try to spray them into your car's venting or AC cooling system. They are extremly corrosive to metals.

 

On my recent trip down to Florida, I noticed a lot of "organic stuff" on and in many car's intake screens. It's impossible to keep all debris out, but it might help to try to keep the air intake as clean as possible. In that moist climate it probably doesn't help to accumulate a lot of that.