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Thought I would share just how easy it is to fix your smelly hvac. Think the pictures speak for themselves. I have done this through the cabin air filter a few times as well. But this way also does it and also helps to clean out the main air channel too.
two tips - you’re going to insert the tube resistance free about 3/4th of the tube length. If you feel resistance, then you’re not into the air channel and try again (it’s towards the middle of the two vents. Second - MAKE SURE you have the setting set to just the main cabin vents. That way the passege way is open to the coil.
Takes maybe 5 mintues to do this. Works every single time for many many months, leaves a fresh and clean minty smell for the entire car thst lasts a very long time. For me, I won’t have to do this again until next summer.
^^^I have no idea if that works, but I will chime in with the old way of keeping it fresh: turn off the compressor and leave the fan blowing (on high is best) to dry out the passages before turning off the car. All you need is a few minutes of high fan/compressor off. This has worked on every car I, wife, and kids have owned for many years.
I neglected to do the above thinking that our 2014 would have "fixed" the smell issue being a newer car. Wrong! It developed the smell and so had to get that all sorted out. I have since gone back to the old-school method of drying the vents and all has been well with the 350 for a several years now. Food for thought, anyway
^^^I have no idea if that works, but I will chime in with the old way of keeping it fresh: turn off the compressor and leave the fan blowing (on high is best) to dry out the passages before turning off the car. All you need is a few minutes of high fan/compressor off. This has worked on every car I, wife, and kids have owned for many years.
I neglected to do the above thinking that our 2014 would have "fixed" the smell issue being a newer car. Wrong! It developed the smell and so had to get that all sorted out. I have since gone back to the old-school method of drying the vents and all has been well with the 350 for a several years now. Food for thought, anyway
Edward
I can assure you my way works. The evidence will be sitting on the ground afterwards. But drying it out before shutting the car off is certainly a way as well. Unfortunately, I either don’t remember to do that as I approach my destination, or not in a situation where that would be ideal (have people in the car with me), or simply not an option (turning on heat at full blast to dry out the evaporator when it’s 90+ outside, no thanks).
The root of the problem for all cars is the evap coil gets wet from the ac process, and it sits in a pitch black small container. Perhaps it’s damp bot because of the ac, but rather just a humid / rainy week. Once the moisture gets in there, the closck starts for mold and mildew to form. Especially on the fins and sides of the box. Only way to truly eliminate it is with a disinfectant chemical to kill the mold and mildew.
I knew the Kool-it product because I researched it in @2017 when my 2014 E350 developed a stinky smell. I used Lysol once to initially get rid of it.
I mentioned to the SA at the next oil service, which included a new cabin filter, and I have not had that issue ever since. I have noticed the blower fan sometimes stays running for a few extra minutes.
I remember using Fridge Fresh on the evaporator. Pop out the fan, come times the cabin filter, but its best to saturate the fan side, let soak in, then reinstall fan, set fan to high and blow for good 15 min. repeat if smell real bad, exit car with windows down the ammonia smell will take your breath, once a year and it will never smell. We had one customer that never bathed her dogs that shed fur so bad the black carpets were white and the smell could be noticed 20 feet away when door was opened. we douse her car's A/C entire vent system with 2 full cans, Normally 4 cars per can, twice a year, and steam cleaned the interior.
I’ve been happy with it, no complaints, but I’m sure the others are pretty good too. My point was just to show an easier way to get to the evap and its box if you don’t want to go the route of pulling out the air filter under the glove box. The can instructions actually recommend go up the drain under the car, which I’m not able to do at home.
I can assure you my way works. The evidence will be sitting on the ground afterwards. But drying it out before shutting the car off is certainly a way as well. Unfortunately, I either don’t remember to do that as I approach my destination, or not in a situation where that would be ideal (have people in the car with me), or simply not an option (turning on heat at full blast to dry out the evaporator when it’s 90+ outside, no thanks).....
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it works, and is a solution for when the smell rears its ugly head. My point was simply a preventative measure. It is by no means a fix since once you have the smell, that mildew is clearly there. But if one remembers to kill the compressor with the fan blowing, you'll not give those dark recesses a chance to grow the funk. BTW, here in SoCal, summer is easily in the 90s, and the valleys absolutely get into the 100s, and sometimes for days on end. Turning off the AC switch with the fan still blowing still will keep you cool for easily a half mile or more, so I am not advocating arriving to one's destination in a rolling sauna.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it works, and is a solution for when the smell rears its ugly head. My point was simply a preventative measure. It is by no means a fix since once you have the smell, that mildew is clearly there. But if one remembers to kill the compressor with the fan blowing, you'll not give those dark recesses a chance to grow the funk. BTW, here in SoCal, summer is easily in the 90s, and the valleys absolutely get into the 100s, and sometimes for days on end. Turning off the AC switch with the fan still blowing still will keep you cool for easily a half mile or more, so I am not advocating arriving to one's destination in a rolling sauna.
Edward
Agreed, I'm not sure if every model does this as I stopped working there 20 years ago, but the owners manual in my 14' model year states to not turn off climate system as it runs the fan five minutes after turning car off to prevent mold in A/C system. But turning compressor off and leaving fan on high previous to turning off can only further ensure mold cannot take hold in your system as well as keeping a clean cabin filter in it, can tell you how many failures and smells were due to improper maintenance of just the cabin filter, why customers would decline the services was always baffling. I've replaced evaporator coils that we'd serviced with Fridge Fresh, 20 years ago, that would still show signs of mold despite using the anti-mold agent.
Thought I would share just how easy it is to fix your smelly hvac. Think the pictures speak for themselves. I have done this through the cabin air filter a few times as well. But this way also does it and also helps to clean out the main air channel too.
two tips - you’re going to insert the tube resistance free about 3/4th of the tube length. If you feel resistance, then you’re not into the air channel and try again (it’s towards the middle of the two vents. Second - MAKE SURE you have the setting set to just the main cabin vents. That way the passege way is open to the coil.
Takes maybe 5 mintues to do this. Works every single time for many many months, leaves a fresh and clean minty smell for the entire car thst lasts a very long time. For me, I won’t have to do this again until next summer.
what I did on my E is run the a/c and spray the fan area with Lysol pretty much soaking it and close door , let it run for 5 to 15 minutes .. might need to do this several times over a week period … problem solved
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