2002 OBS A/C mold smell

[Tommo]

This summer I have noticed a sour smell coming from my A/C for a few minutes
after turning it on. I'm pretty sure it is mold in the A/C and know for
sure it is not the smell of antifreeze. I had this problem with other cars I
had owned and just lived with it as it is not an overpowering smell.

Does anyone have any quick fixes to rectify this?

Moldman

 

[Blair Baucom]

I sprayed LYSOL® Disinfectant Spray through the system of a car I used to
have and the odor went away. Be sure to get a scent you like. I ran the fan
on high and sprayed through the intake grill between the hood and windshield
on that car. You will have to know where the intake is and make sure it is
set to outside air.

Blair

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

This summer I have noticed a sour smell coming from my A/C for a few minutes
after turning it on. I'm pretty sure it is mold in the A/C and know for
sure it is not the smell of antifreeze. I had this problem with other cars I
had owned and just lived with it as it is not an overpowering smell.

Does anyone have any quick fixes to rectify this?

Moldman

Try to turn off the a/c compressor - but with the fan on, a few minutes
before parking the vehicle overnight to help dry the system.

Yeah, I know - we can never remember to do that either.


Carl

 

[bigjim]

I poured bleach in the intake

I sprayed LYSOL® Disinfectant Spray through the system of a car I used to
have and the odor went away. Be sure to get a scent you like. I ran the fan
on high and sprayed through the intake grill between the hood and windshield
on that car. You will have to know where the intake is and make sure it is
set to outside air.

Blair








- Show quoted text -

 

[AS]

If you have that mold smell, I would rather attack the cause of the
problem rather than disguising it.

Do you have an in cabin filter? If you do, have you replaced it?

Do you keep the recirculation on? If you allow outside air to come in,
make sura that the inlet by the cowl is not full of rotting leaves,
seeds, etc.

Bleach will rust anything it can. I would not dare to use it.

You can also remove the cover to gain access to the in-cabin filter and
inspect the evaporator fins. If they are dirty, remove the blower and
clean them, using a toothrush and a water sprayer.

Good luck!

 

[peter]

Try to turn off the a/c compressor - but with the fan on, a few minutes
before parking the vehicle overnight to help dry the system.

I do that religiously and my impreza still have that moldy odor the next
time the fan was turned on

While it was under warranty, I complaint to the dealer about this problem. I
believe they sprayed something into the system, but it didn't solve the
problem.

How come the humidifier I use at home never suffers from this moldy odor
problem? In fact, I have never smelled any moldy odor on any air conditioner
inside people's home. But many cars's A/C have this problem.

 

[bigjim]

pour bleach or lysol down the intake under hood. Even squirt water
down there to make sure it drains. Debris can block the drain and then
fungus or mold starts. I bleached mine 2 years ago and had no
problems since. Once the bleach smell was gone it smelles like fresh
A/C air.